I find I'm always thinking with my hands, even in scrabble. I keep moving the letters around on the tile tray hoping to discover the perfect word. I think there is an element of this that is very much like walling.
There are certain occasions in scrabble when I feel sure that the seven random letters I have on my rack most definitely will go together to make a seven letter word (or even eight letter word on the board). There is this sense that the letters are all ripe and favourably assorted enough to probably even make several different seven letter words. And I'm usually right.
As a waller, looking at a pile of stones has to give you that same confidence, that there is a wall, a beautiful long wall in there somewhere. You just have to move the pieces around to find it.
This week, using scrabble tiles, I'd like to explore this theme a bit more.
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In the mean time you might like to check out a great book by David Griffiths about walling. It has some useful tidbits and insights. It may well be a kind of springboard of inspiration for veteran wallers.
Written and illustrated by DSWA member David Griffiths. Featuring Master Craftsman Steven Allen.
