Creativity in Writing--How to get more of it

I touched a bit on this with my last post but the hygienist at the dentist got me thinking about it again. She said "I'm not creative, I loved writing when I was younger but decided I wasn't good at it, so I stopped. I like science and math, they're easier because they have an answer."

Hearing that made me so sad! Why is it when we get older we stop doing the things we love because we aren't good at them? Why do adults need to be good or naturally gifted in something in order to even bother doing it at all?
What happened to work hard and develop your talents? Why are we believing this 'you have to be born with it to ever be good at it' lie?

Some people are born with ample amounts of creativity and it just comes naturally to them, others have to work a little harder.
If we split everyone into the two typical groups; Creative (Arts based) or Logical (Science & Math based) where do you fall?


Now logically speaking, unless you are blind you can look at these two images and at least tell someone what is happening. Give it a try.

I see a man gathering Oranges and a physically and emotionally tired soldier taking a moment to rest.

I like to use two methods at this point to be "creative" the first method is: Ask Questions about what is happening now, before the image was taken, or what will happen next?

• Perhaps the Orange Gatherer will take his basket to the King? Or his wife and children? Maybe he's a business man stealing oranges on the way to work? Maybe he grows them for homeless children? Got fired and is stealing oranges to take home with him?

• Maybe the Soldier just lost his best friend in an ambush? Received some bad news from home? Missed the birth of his son?

Speculate, assume, wonder. Then start trying to answer those questions. If you don't like the answers or want to be more creative push things farther by continuing to question things. The more questions you ask the more it'll push you and what you are seeing into "creative" waters.

Creativity doesn't have to be pulling rainbows and unicorns out of thin air, you're not trying to sound high. The goal is to be inquisitive. Here in Method 1 you've been guessing at the situation, present past and future, but sometimes that's too vague. When I get stuck or don't like what I've come up with I move on to my other method.

Method 2: Let's use the Orange Gatherer for this example and ask Where, What, Why, & How.

• Where? --somewhere warm, maybe India or somewhere in the middle east (since he's got some sort of turban on)
• What's he doing? --Gathering Oranges
• Why? --probably his job?
• How? --with a knife and a basket to carry them in.

Examine the image again, what else do you see? (Try ending every observation with a question.)

•  (His Age) --He's older, maybe grandpa age?
• (How is he dressed) --He's wearing a suit coat, dress shirt, and nice shoes, who gathers oranges in business clothes?
• (Condition of his clothes) --His coat looks torn on one of the sleeves.What's he been through?
• Why is he dressed for a colder day? Wouldn't it be warm where oranges grow?
• Was he kidnapped and escaped? 
• Could he be being sneaky? (Since he's crouched down and staying low)
• Could he be stealing the fruit?
• Does he own the orange farm and hand them out to homeless children on the way to work?

If you can't come up with an answer or question you feel is creative enough, stop. Approach it logically, what makes sense to you?

I was a kid when Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped and found, I'm more sensitive and caring toward children, I love seeing people being kind to others, I can be very cynical, I am fascinated by people and their body language, and I also tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. My questions about the Orange Gatherer don't seem so out of the blue or "creative" now, do they?

The truth is your Logic is Creativity to someone else. You are a different person with unique experiences.


You're probably asking why I even bother using the first method, aren't you? Well because it's a process.

1. at a glance what is happening in the picture -a man picking oranges (you didn't even know that was a step did you? This one is the most natural, it's easy.)
2. Asking what is happening now, before, or after the image was taken (pretty easy but can be very boring and I often hit dead ends quickly)
3. Question the crap out of everything. Where, What, Why, How, then observing the image in more depth, question everything.

By the time I've gone through all of them I have my initial reaction, what I thought of, and where I took it. If you want to see improvement in your creativity, doing all three of those will give you a clear view at how far you've come.

      4. Finally chose a path, what did you come up with that you like the most? Then write a sentence to a paragraph (or a few pages if you're really enjoying it) to make your idea or story.  (I use this mostly for creating story ideas, it's very fast and fun once you get the hang of it.)

Most importantly try a few different methods, then find your own. This is just what works for me. I call it Methodical Creativity because I put a lot more into it than rainbows and unicorns from thin air. Just because you are more logical doesn't mean you lack creativity, maybe you're not Spontaneously Creative but rather Methodically Creative.

 My Pinterest Writing Prompts Board