Discover Inspiration for Poetry in 3 Easy Ways

THREE EASY WAYS TO DISCOVER INSPIRATION

What do you do when you want to write poetry, but you have no inspiration? I’m sure everyone has their own ideas, and I also have mine. Today, I will share three easy ways to discover inspiration when it seems to be illusive. The first way is to spend time outside looking and listening for beauty or something unusual, and to take a photograph to help you remember. Another way is using the online Magnetic Poetry Kit. The third way is to just sit down, take a pen and start writing whatever comes to mind. I will flesh these out as we go along.

Writing poetry is something I enjoy immensely. It is a way to process emotions and ideas, to say things in a more precise way than prose, and it’s fun! Granted, sometimes it’s a lot of work, but it is work I enjoy. I began writing poetry when I was a young girl, though sporadically, until the past few years. There are so many now in my files that I need to organize them into themes. It would be fun, but a lot of work, to publish a book of poems.

Sometimes I feel stuck when I want to write a poem and the words just won’t come. I often think I have to be inspired before I can write. Yet, passively waiting for inspiration doesn’t accomplish much. There are times when I have to go on a search for inspiration, and I almost always find it in one way or another.

1. DISCOVER INSPIRATION IN NATURE

Come and see the wonders of God;
his acts for humanity are awe-inspiring.
(Psalm 66:5)

One of my favorite ways is to spend time outside looking, listening and finding beauty in the sky, the trees, the flowers or wildlife. Sometimes I go no farther than my front porch, and the inspiration comes. We have a lovely view from our porch, and it’s also where I keep the exercise bike. So, while I “ride” I am looking around and listening to the sounds around me. I often take photographs right from the bicycle seat.

We have passionfruit vines growing wild on our property. They have beautiful blossoms, and I thought of them recently when I began writing a poem.

I am often inspired by the views of the sky from my porch. For this poem I had these views in mind and wanted to find a picture that would demonstrate the whole poem. Since I couldn’t find one, I decided to focus on the climbing vine with flowers.

2. DISCOVER INSPIRATION FROM A POETRY KIT

The Online Magnetic Nature Poetry Kit is another easy way to discover inspiration. I sometimes combine it with the first way. In the poem above I started with the kit but decided to finish with my own words.

The kit has several groups of words which you can scroll through over and over. You can randomly choose words or pick those that jump out at you. The good thing is that it can all be done online. Just drag the words over into the working space. Then, when you have a good number and variety, you can try arranging them into a poem. It’s a fun way when your brain is too tired to think of your own words. Here is one I finished today and transferred to a photo. Then I added the verse at the bottom.

3. WRITE WHATEVER COMES TO MIND

When you’ve tried everything you can think of and inspiration is still illusive, what is left to do? Try sitting down with a pen or pencil and start writing whatever comes to mind. Don’t worry about punctuation or whether or not it makes sense. Just write! Write for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 or more. This can actually be a fun exercise, believe it or not.

Now, look over the words you wrote and pick out a few interesting or not so interesting ones. Try arranging them into a simple poem. It doesn’t take much. You can write about anything, no matter how trivial. The poem can have two or three lines or more. Let your imagination soar!

Here is a short one I wrote taken from ten minutes of free writing. I didn’t follow any particular rules of poetry writing but just put together a few thoughts:

Anniversary celebration trip
Walking, stopping, eating
Motel room rest
Sit, wonder, listening
River water flow
Mini waterfall
Relaxing, thankful
Peaceful

SUMMING IT UP

Discovering inspiration doesn’t have to be hard. Go outside, use an online poetry kit or simply sit down and write whatever comes to mind. I’d love to know your thoughts and if you have other easy ideas. Please share in the comments section.

Here is a fun poem about inspiration that I wrote in 2014, likening it to an elusive butterfly:

Inspiration
An elusive butterfly

Suddenly it comes
You have a thought
You sit down ready to write.
Full of expectancy
You pick up your pen

AND STARE AT A BLANK PAGE

Inspiration
That elusive butterfly
Suddenly it is gone
What has happened?
You reach down deep
Into your very soul
But without success.

AND STARE AT A BLANK PAGE

Inspiration
Mysterious, elusive butterfly
Full of determination
You pick up your pen again
And put it to the paper.
You begin to write
whatever comes to mind.

Inspiration
The elusive butterfly
Can’t stay away this time
You hear a flutter
And there she is
You have lured her back
Because you didn’t give up.

I’m linking up with: #InspireMeMonday

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