If you are in a dry spell–struggling to come up with ideas for the article you are trying to write, searching for an answer to a problem at work, or muddled in confusion–there is a simple solution:
Creative Writing Prompts!
What?
Creative writing prompts. At heart, these are simply suggestions that get your ideas flowing and your pen moving.
For example:
The knock on the door reverberated throughout my house. It woke me from a sound sleep and sent shivers through my body, even though I was sprawled on the couch in front of a roaring fire in the grate. Awash in a feeling of dread, I slowly got up, walked to the door, and opened it: There before me stood…..
I walked to my favorite cafe, ordered a latte, sat down at a table at the back, and took out my laptop. While waiting impatiently for it to spring to life, I became aware of a young woman sitting alone at a table in the front of the cafe. Her thin, drawn face was silhouetted brightly in the rays of the sun streaming through the window. Although she didn’t appear to be over 25 years old, an air about her was ancient. Intrigued, I turned to my waiting computer and began typing down her “story”: Margaret was….
I picked up the shell lying half-submerged in the sand. I don’t know why it had attracted my attention because it was just like hundreds of other shells strewn about the beach. Gray, nondescript, common. Yet something about it called to me, and I somehow knew that it had a message for me. As I held the shell up to my ear, a strange voice began “speaking” in my mind: You are…
The Benefits
Writing down our thoughts in response to prompts like these can help us hone in on what is happening around us-the sounds, sights, smells, tastes and feelings that make up our world. They can also help us become more conscious of what is happening inside of us–the messages we are giving ourselves again and again throughout the day.
And they can help us tap into an unlimited source of creativity that can open the doors to new worlds, concepts and solutions.
Such creativity can spill over into our daily lives.
For example, if you are having a hard time coming up with ideas for a speech you need to deliver, why not experiment with the sea shell prompt? Before starting the prompt, set your intention to receive ideas for your speech. Then take a few deep breaths, relax, close your eyes and visualize yourself walking on the beach, picking up the shell, and listening to its message.
Please share your experiences
I’d love to hear what you discover as you experiment with these ideas, so please share your experiences in the space below.
Clarice
