Find yourself stuck in a creative rut lately?
Whether you write lots or not – these exercises are a TON of fun to
do, and sure to inspire you in some way. I find that even if I'm
stuck art-wise, I can work through a few of these and feel inspired.
Or, if not, at least you'll have a few quirky pages of writing to
tuck away and read again later.
The trick to these is to not think.
Turn off your inner editor, and write. Write until you can't write
anymore, and then do some more. Quantity is MUCH more valuable than
quality in these exercises – if you find you're enjoying it, go
over and edit after you've written lots, not during. More often than
not – you'll get some real gold among the rubble.
- Go to a public place (try a coffee shop, or even a grocery store) and sneakily people-watch. Pick one or two people who pique your interest – maybe one man has a phenomenal mustache. Or maybe that girl is wearing a hilariously ironic t-shirt. Now, with your chosen people in mind, start asking questions. Where is mustache-guy from? Why did he wear his 'stache like that? What kind of coffee does he drink? Keep asking and discovering, and eventually you'll have a fully developed character. Write a scene with them
- Think of 20 uses for a simple, unassuming object. Be creative, original and even a little bit crazy. Don't turn a hair-brush in to a microphone – teenage girls beat you to that one. Turn it in to a sonic death-ray, or a mode of trasnportation.
- Go for a walk outside. Walk until you find an object that interests you. Pick it up, examine it, take it home if you want. Now invent a story around it.
- Sift through the news and pick an article that piques your interest. It can be anything. Next, pick your favourite genre (think movies: fantasy, horror, romance, humour). Rewrite the news story to suit that genre. Write the crazy cat lady as the saviour of the world. Turn your favourite movie star in to a zombie.
- Try to completely describe a specific feeling. Be VERY specific. Be poetic. Try to explain it in the fullest (And no – you're not allowed to describe, say, intense cold as 'really cold').
2 comments:
These are great tips to my creativity going! I am not much of a writer, although I sometimes want ot be! But I am a crafter. I like to make things from materials I have in my house. And sometimes I get stuck too. But these exercises will be helpful for crafting too! Thanks!
I'm so happy you enjoyed them!! I plan on writing a few more. I always find that even if you're not a writer, getting your imagination working can make SO MUCH of a difference.
I hope you get some awesome crafts out of these! :)
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