The Easter egg hunt
How Easter eggs can spark creativity
When my daughter was little, I’d sneak out early on Easter Sunday morning, in snow, sun, rain, or whatever else a Swiss spring can throw at me, to hide lots of little eggs around our garden.
She’d find most of them but invariably I’d forget where I hid them all, and months later one of us might find a little egg nestled behind a branch or half buried in the dirt, a hint of glitter revealing something that shouldn’t really be there, not in the normal scheme of things.
There’s something deeply satisfying about finding something that has escaped notice for so long. It’s an aha moment, akin to winning a prize, although in the case of a buried easter egg not one we would cash in on by actually eating it.
Which brings me to the other kind of Easter egg, the ones hidden in movies or video games, or books. You could argue that the director Alfred Hitchcock was one of the first to hide an Easter egg in his movies, which in his case turned out to be a fleeting glimpse of himself.
Since then there have been plenty, from the name of a game designer hidden in a video game, through to the all the animated movies that, while nominally for kids, are full of hidden messages and images and jokes that delight the adults watching them, too.
It’s so satisfying to not only catch a glimpse of something where it shouldn’t be but to also get the joke. And it will be no surprise, I’m sure, that musicians like jokes. too.
Easter eggs in music, from classical to pop
Some classical composers have included their name spelled out with music notes, while others have included hidden themes or snippets of familiar music, such as nursery rhymes, hymns, or folk songs.
And in the world of pop and rock, Easter eggs are rife. Taylor Swift, for example, is known for her Easter Eggs, from hidden messages, numerology, and even colour choices for her stage outfits. And The Beatles included references to their own songs and sly digs at listeners.
No matter the form they take, or the context in which they’re being used, Easter eggs like these create a connection with whomever is seeing or hearing them.
We love to be in on a joke, to get the joke, and when we realise what is happening we immediately become more engaged, listening or watching or reading more closely.
I’m pretty sure those fans of Taylor Swift who really love her Easter eggs feel like they have a much stronger and more playful relationship with her because of them.
Easter eggs and creativity
While it’s fun and immensely satisfying catching sight of an image hidden in a picture, a sly joke in a movie, or hearing a bit of melody you know you know (even if you can’t quite place it), it can also be fun (and creative) to think about how you could create an Easter egg yourself.
Plus, it’s a really great way to get started with being creative. Instead of starting completely from scratch, you can hang whatever it is you’re creating on something that already exists and go from there.
But remember that you don’t have to create anything for anyone else. It can be very satisfying to do it just for yourself, and a great way to get started with being creative.
Here are a few examples of what you could do:
If you’re up for experimenting with a melody on the piano or with your voice, try incorporating a little bit of a nursery rhyme such as Mary Had a Little Lamb or Twinkle Little Star. Even just a few notes can be enough.
Write a poem by starting each line with the letters from a word. You could use someone’s name, an adjective, a verb, anything you like. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, try ending each line with the letters.
Write a poem and include a reference to something you love or some dates or numbers that are meaningful. Try including them in such a way that no one else (or maybe only a particular person) will know what you mean.
Create a playlist where the first letter of each song title spells out a message, name, or phrase. You could make this for a friend, using their name or an inside joke as your hidden message.
If you’re drawing or painting, incorporate an image or even just a part of an image to suggest something familiar. For example, include a tiny bear in the corner or some Mickey Mouse ears on a person or whatever you can think of.
If you like taking photos, hide a small personal object like a figurine or special rock somewhere in each shot for a series of images.
Write a short story and create a character whose name is an anagram of someone you know.
Create your own code or system of symbols for texting or exchanging notes with a friend.
This year, and despite my daughter being much older, I have some eggs ready and waiting to be hidden. And while I’ll try to remember exactly where I hide them all, chances are one or two will be left behind.
A glint of colourful foil wrapping in amongst the leaves or in the crook of a branch and a reminder of the beginning of spring 🌸