An Exercise in Creativity (Part 1)

Whether you need to unlock or unblock your creativity, don’t fret. Sometimes staring at a blank page is the hardest part. Artists must feel the same when they stare at a blank canvas. Getting started is what matters. And there are many exerices to excite your muse.

Rule 1: Don’t even consider using backspace or delete. You're not here to edit. You're here to write whatever comes to mind, no matter if your pesky brain is telling you to stop, erase or give up. Remember, this should be free flowing thought.

Rule 2: Use adjectives. Lots of them.

Rule 3: Write in first or third person. You decide which you feel more comfortable with.

Rule 4: Turn on any kind of music you want. Notice the impact music will have on your writing.

Rule 5: Make up your own rules. Just insist that don't give up, no matter if your muse suffers from acute shyness.

Before you begin, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and picture something – somewhere you’ve been or never seen – and take a good, hard look around. Notice the landscape, the skyline, the colors. Take notice of the sounds, the textiles, the smells. Take ten more deep breaths so you can fully engage in this world – real or imagined.

Then, open up your eyes and write what you experienced. Let the music help unlock or unblock your free flow. Immerse yourself in describing everything you saw when your eyes were shut. Maybe it’s 5 sentences or 50. It doesn’t matter.

Once you feel like you’ve written it all down – or are willing to stop after 20 minutes – go back through and mark each descriptive word or phrase that applies to your senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, taste.

Ask yourself a few questions:
Did I use more than one sense?
Was one sense more dominant throughout?
What sense was easier to recognize and describe?
Which one would I like to capture better?
Out of the 5 senses, which one do I think captures the true experience of what I’ve written?

Then, if you want to further explore this exercise, re-write the piece using only one of the senses – the dominant one or the one that truly captures the experience. Call upon metaphors, similies and other literary devices to describe this world that exists. After all, your imagination is powerful. Exercise it often. And don’t be afraid to be inspired by yourself, your thoughts, your feelings or your own experiences – real or imagined.

Lastly, if you feel inclined, share your finished piece. You won't be critiqued or graded. This isn't a college course and the exericse isn't mandatory. But, you will have the opportunity to invite others into the world you created. And isn't that what creative writing is meant to do - touch, affect, inspire and change others?