Category: Write, create, innovate: exercises

 

Many of us get trapped in ordinary, routine thinking which makes it hard to get into a mood of generating fresh and innovative ideas. We routinely get up every morning, brush our teeth, drink coffee, go to work – mostly every day at a same time, using the same route…And to tell you the truth, it can be a creativity killer. What we need is to mix up things a little bit, challenge our habits, language and way of thinking.

We are also aware that we do live in the world comprised of opposites. In Chinese philosophy and especially in Taoism, Universe is seen through the lens of yin and yang energy, male and female, strong and weak, dark and bright, cold and warm. Perceiving reality from the opposite side can give us clue in which direction we need to move forward in order to sort things out.

So for this exercise, as a warm up I propose you pick some ordinary words, something you frequently use in your language and list the opposite meaning of that word; first that comes to your mind.

For example: sky – bottom, ground

                          water – dry, yellow, sand

                           coffee – tea, sweet, cold

                           work – vacation, free time, relaxation

Do this for a limited time, maybe five to ten minutes. The idea of this warming exercises is to somehow ‘flush out’ that ordinary thinking, and give room for more ideas to come and encourage creative problem solving.

As a next step you can pick your real problem/project you are working on and apply similar technique. If you repeatedly struggle with something, “turn over” your thinking: instead of trying to develop your best solution, think of the worst thing could happen. How can your project fail? What is the worst scenario? Write every detail of that, using some key words related to your project and answering questions when, how, who, why, how much ext. To make it more fun, write a poem about it.

From that vantage point it might be more clearer what you could do in order for your project to succeed. By being able to imagine what we would like to avoid, it may opens a clear path in our mind of right things we need to do: who to contact, when to do something, how to prioritize our time.

Knowing what you don’t want to, is a first step to achieving what you do want.

I am not ambitious at all:
I am not a poet, I know
(Though I do love to see a mere scrawl
To order and symmetry grow).
My muse is uncertain and slow,
I am not expert with my tools,
I lack the poetic argot:
But I hope I have kept to the rules.
When your brain is undoubtedly small,
‘Tis hard, sir, to write in a row,
Some five or six rhymes to Nepaul,
And more than a dozen to Joe:
The metre is easier though,
Three rhymes are sufficient for ‘ghouls,’
My lines are deficient in go,
But I hope I have kept to the rules.Dear Sir, though my language is low,
Let me dip in Pierian pools:
My verses are only so so,
But I hope I have kept to the rules.

J. K. Stephen

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What triggers and inspires creativity in one person is quite individually. There are a lot of factors influencing this process, but usually it is something that catches our attention, (like curiosity) and initiates that idea from which everything else begins. So today I want to invite you to pay attention to your surroundings. We all tend to sink into our own minds, thoughts drifting on their own…But focusing and paying attention to our surrounding is of great importance since it reflects our abilities to spot opportunities, and act upon them; turn that inspirational thought into something viable and move forward with our creativity.

I propose two exercises:

1. Listen to everything and everywhere. ‘Blend and tune in’ with your environment and listen to the sounds, conversations (I’m not suggesting you spy on anyone!) and notice what randomly catches your attention: a word, song, laughter, baby cry.. and write a poem about it. Let that be the initial spark of something you absorbed from your environment and you are creating further. Don’t censure yourself, just write your poem and what ever comes – let it surface.

2. Hear what you don’t like listen to. I particularly don’t like the news and don’t listen/read them but for the sake of this exercise give it a try: pick one news headline and that can be something you really dislike; now write your own news that are quite the opposite, news you would like to hear or read in the newspaper, news in the form of poem. I know, it can feel a bit strange – first writing news (and you are probably not a news reporter, just like I’m not) and second – making a poem out of it. But that’s the purpose of this exercise: to stretch our minds and look for solutions and possibilities where we are unlikely to find them.

By following the steps and doing the exercises I propose here on the blog, you may find your creativity increase dramatically. We create and develop opportunities, but we also need to be able to recognize something that might work for us – we can train our minds to get better at this; to be more responsive to an external stimulant. It’s a sort of getting into habit to cultivate inspiration and is a sure way towards leading an inspirational life.

I’ve always been criticized by my family members and friends, that I’m at times childish and how everything I want to turn into a game. Well, in my opinion life can be dull enough and by adding some playfulness into it – is my way of getting a sun shine in my dark days: which of course doesn’t mean that I take life lightheartedly and that I’m not serious when situation requires. On the contrary! I just think that through gamification and playfulness we can learn with ease, soften the tension when some problems arise and is actually a great tool for brainstorming (about which I will write in some of my future posts).

But for today’s exercise let’s just play with words. I will suggest couple of ways  – you can add your own or alter this suggestions according to your preference. Below are written couple of words:

sky                               table                         spice                                  medicine

hope                             flesh                        doing                                 escape

inevitable                   immense                minuscule                       golden-brown

chew                            pull                           face                                   inhale

in between                 cryptic                      soft                                      people

Now these are random words I picked and we can use them in variety of ways in different brainstorming sessions.

Version 1:

You can circle and chose around 5 words from the list above and write your poem including those words. But here’s the catch: you also have to include 5 key words related to your project you are working on and incorporate them in the poem too. Now, don’t get bothered with the logic and form, just write your poem – no matter how silly it may sound: the purpose is to get your creativity pumping.

For example:

My words from the list: medicine, cryptic, inhale, flesh, chew.

My key words: business, entrepreneurship, art, creativity, purpose

This medicine is a cryptic business.

As I inhale stagnant air

I chew with purpose

while creativity floods my flesh;

I’m the captain of my entrepreneur-ship:

It’s an art and courage to sail alone

so far and deep.

This poem turned out to be quite funny, but this unexpected relation between unpairable verbs and nouns can spark unexpected views on problem and reveal hidden solutions. This poem, produced in the form of free writing, no matter how funny, does speak of courage and risks I need to take; that I’m in charge of the outcome and for me is quite empowering. Just let your inner being play – it already knows what you need.

Version 2:

Write three haikus or very short poems, using in each poem one noun and one adjective from the list above. Also include your own key words: Let’s say:

1.

Immense sky  covered in blue.

A joy spread with purpose.

2.

Minuscule face enters home.

Love, a life’s art.

3.

Wind gives wings to golden-brown spice.

Split second of nature’s creativity.

If I would go in deep analysis of every and each of these sentences – what do they have in common (as how I interpret them ) is that I always first have to look at nature as it is the inexhaustible source of inspiration where I will find new ideas and solutions.

Version 3:

Take one key word and all the verbs in the list. Make a poem out if it.

I inhale and breath as my business goes so well!

With joy and smile I chew this small chocolate

as I pull this feeling deep inside, hoping never to escape.

Now this example turned almost into an affirmation and self-encouragement; being present in the moment; taking one step at the time and enjoying life’s little things.

This is fun and interesting way for us to stimulate our subconsciousness and it’s like having a conversation with our true self. Language and words are that wonderful tool (every time available to us) that can help us move from stagnant thoughts in the direction of creativity, inspiration and hope.

So what do you think, ready to play with words? 🙂

 

In many years of environmental practice what I learned is that everything revolves around resources: how you use them, manage or generate them.

Well, this same notion we can apply in different ways in order to get our creativity flowing – especially when it comes to writing. Rewriting, revising our own or somebody else’s work helps us not only to become better writers, but also it helps us develop our reading and analytical skills. You learn to question ideas, statements and arguments. You learn to notice and search for new relations, discover weaknesses and come up with new ways to improve what’s already there. So, this is what I propose:

1.Reuse

your old books, magazines or even shopping receipts and try to create new poem. It can be similar to collage, but this time try to focus specifically on words and create your poem out of them. Cut out your favorite words and phrases or circle them on the given page and make them the constituent part of your new writing venture. Play with the words. Try different arrangements. Pick words that somehow inspire you or relate to a project/problem you are working on. Once you found an arrangement you like, you’ve created a found poem. What kind of emotions or reaction words trigger?  Read them, play with them and they just might offer some new, fresh perspective on the questions you have.

2. Reduce

Now, this one I believe is going to be fun – at least was for me and can really help you in you writer’s block. Try to find a poem that you dislike, that you feel negative about and simply wreck it! That’s right: tear it apart! I don’t mean tearing the physical paper, but omit, reduce, erase, everything from the poem you don’t like and use it as the basis for writing a new one –  in a way that feels and sounds right to you. This little, simple exercise can be really helpful later in your own writing.

3. Recycle

This one is similar to the previous but it refers to your own writing. Find something that you wrote long time ago, when you were in a different mood, influenced by other circumstances and give your writing a make-over. Use your own writing as an inspiration for your new poem, dress it in new words, develop stanzas out of sentences and see where it takes you. Our past experiences are our best teachers and what we’ve learned we can use to adequately manage our creativity and direct future actions. Take the knowledge you acquired into your own advantage and just let your free writing do the rest.

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