Creative sparks

Inspiration

“All creative art is magic, is evocation of the unseen in forms persuasive, enlightening, familiar and surprising, for the edification of mankind.”

— "Heart of Darkness" author Joseph Conrad, on what makes a great writer

“I found that I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn’t say in any other way — things that I had no words for.” 

— Georgia O’Keeffe (November 15, 1887–March 6, 1986) wrote this in the foreword to a catalog for an exhibition of her work two decades before she became the first female artist honored with a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art 

“If you feel safe in the area that you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting."

— David Bowie, musician

“Creativity doesn't wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones." 

—  Bruce Garrabrandt, artist known for his detailed pencil drawings

“If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), ‘Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?’ chances are you are. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.”

— Steven Pressfield, “The War of Art”

Prompts and exercises

Write a group story.

In a group of three or more, one person begins writing the story without the others knowing the content. That person puts the story in a shared folder and another group member continues the story alone. Then the next members adds to the tale, and on and on until the group decides to stop. 

Draw a map of your childhood home.

The map can be as rustic or artsy as you like. The idea is to note the rooms and layout of the home, as well as any outdoor spaces. Mark those areas that are especially meaningful to you or that contributed to your childhood awe. 

Make a list of the creative things you experienced today.

Ordinary things can start a creative fire on an ordinary day. One just needs to pay attention and maybe tweak the ordinary a bit. For example, instead of making a regular sandwich for lunch, make an open-faced one and put different ingredients on each side. Stroll through your neighborhood and take photos of what grasps your attention – such as a leaf, a sign and a roofline.

Do a group free write.

Agree on an intriguing prompt from a writing prompt book, or one or more group members can create or find 10 or more prompts and put them individually in a bag or box. A member draws a random prompt and you all write on it for 10 minutes or however long the group wants to go.