A death and birth, on the same day, at the same time. The question ‘why’ was functionally obsolete–there was no reason for it, yet it was obviously and abstrusely there serving no real purpose. Even if there was an answer, could it ever be a good enough one?  K. stared into the quiet abyss which was once her home. The familiar now unrecognizable felt more like a strange corner of her memory–foggy and soft, shifting in and out of the gray crevices of her brain folds, not quite emerging to the surface. She had become a stranger in her own world and wasn’t sure if she would ever be known to anyone again.

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“She is already in the future, somewhere she can only dimly imagine, but it is very different from what she has known.”

Inspiration Rx : This series is a remedy for blank walls, sparse reading lists, & creative ruts.

Do you find yourself stumped for new ideas as a creative writer, visual artist, or blogger who creates original content? Often, the hardest part of beginning a project is simply finding a place to start. An entire world full of endless possibilities can be overwhelming, hobbling our creativity before it even begins. Tristan and I want to remove that obstacle by supplying you with weekly prompts that will jumpstart your imagination. It’s going to be up to you to translate the assignment each week into your own voice (no outright copying please), & put it out into the world in the form of an image, passage, or blog post (or all three). This does not have to be gallery-level art or the next great American novel! Anyone & everyone of any level can participate. Jump in, be diligent, be BRAVE!  Most of all, as we tell our Souvenir Foto School students, be kind (to yourself as well as others). Remember – creativity is a fickle beast, sometimes it works sometimes it flops, sometimes you are just on the bridge to your next good idea. *Maybe you don’t care to embark on a visual art or writing project? We are hoping you’ll still be inspired by discovering new art for your walls, new books for your Kindle, & maybe a few new creative people to cheer for.

So let’s begin at the beginning! Our prompt for this week is: Emerging.

How I would love to have this powerful horse bursting through one of my walls! She seems brave and strong, she has a story to tell: leaping out of the foggy unknown, coming into clear focus, & embarking on a new adventure (just like us, right?). For this week, in addition to emerging, you may want to consider the inherent mystery of partially obscured objects, faces, & details. Subject/Setting possibilities could include:  kiddos just waking up, anything or anyone coming out of water, flowers blooming, food coming from the oven, sunrise, breakfast etc. If you are writing, try to think of the senses & how they are associated with these scenarios. Try to keep a sense of mystery & draw us into your story with little breadcrumbs.

On a special note: I am more than honored that Tristan is allowing me to share my ideas on creativity with you. She has the highest standards and adores each & every one of you. I wouldn’t ask you to do anything I wouldn’t do myself, so I plan on interpreting the assignment and posting the results to my Instagram and our shared Pinterest board every week (leave your Pinterest handle in the comments and we will get you an invite). I hope you’ll join in and help make Miss B proud!

Feeling Inspired?

You will have 1 week to create something & share the results.  We can’t wait to see what you come up with! Be on the lookout for links to a few of our favorites every week.

Options for Sharing:

Instagram / Twitter : use hashtag #INSPIRATIONRX

Your Blog / Pinterest (we will have a group board just email for an invite) / Flickr: please share a link in the comment section of this post.

Piqued your interest?

Writer’s Tip: My favorite thing about a new writing project is treating myself to a fresh journal & a pen with some heft to it.

Photographer’s Tip: adding a couple drops of milk to water will make it sufficiently murky. Just find a meaningful object, partially submerge & you’ve got your shot!

Concerned about translating inspirational pieces into your own voice? Check out Austin Kleon’s take in his Tedx Talk and book Steal Like an Artist.

photo: Subversion © Mariam Sweeney

passage: The Madonnas of Leningrad © Debra Dean

P.S. If you haven’t been there yet Saatchi online is a goldmine resource for inspiration and beautiful artworks for your abode (both originals and prints!), we highly recommend bookmarking them!