Two coffees and 2 hours later my head is swimming with creative inspiration. Often I wake early to claim some reading time before the house becomes a bee hive, full of noisy and hungry little bees. But is reading actually relaxing for me?
Answer: More than often no. Like coffee, reading is a stimulant to my mind.
Have you ever read something that inspires you so much you want to stop what you are reading and write at least a few hundred words yourself? Perhaps reading stimulates imagery and you get the urge to draw? Can you see creative evolution unfold as you read? I can. It happens to me all the time. And I couldn’t stop it even if someone poked out my eyes! This is because I am deliberately receptive to new creative prompts.
Creative prompts are everywhere. If you are looking for them you will find them. Committing to a picture book idea each day at least has left me particularly open to new ideas this month. I have a sign hanging from my monitor reminding me everyday to look in the ordinary for the extraordinary. An observant person can access much inspiration when they are searching in the moments; in everything they see or do.
In November there are many creative opportunities for writers to train the creative mind to look for creative prompts and files them. PiBoIdMo is one of them. Some illustrators are taking part in a sketch a day a month (SkADaMo) as well. I think of these as idea games or practices. I might do the sketch challenge after I finish a book or two but not right now. I am already drawing and painting madly.
Should I stop collecting at the end of the month?
Perish the thought – NO WAY! it is never ideal to block creative observation (not in my world anyway). But I will need to assess the gems amongst all those ideas. I have over 100 of them.
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