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Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Hannah Conti.  Please read more about Hannah in the footer.

First, second, third person perspectives. The subjective personal pronoun. The narrative point of view.

Have your eyes glazed over yet? Are you suddenly back in school, sleepily doodling in your notebook as you try to ignore the English teacher droning on and on…?

Lucky for all of us (myself included!), we will not be diagramming sentences or discussing grammar.

Instead, let’s examine the topic of “point of view.” I am not speaking only of one’s positional range of vision, but also of the metaphorical mindset of an individual.

What’s is your point of view?

Goethe once said, “There is nothing insignificant in the world. It all depends on the point of view.” This is especially true from an artist’s standpoint. Through art, the writer or artist has the opportunity to depict another person’s point of view, allowing the viewer to see through the eyes of the artist – or someone else.

For example, look at the artwork on the above picture, entitled “Ballerinas” by Degas.

At first glance, it appears to be a pretty work of Impressionism. The colors of ballet dancers contrast subtly, conveying a delicate femininity and gracefulness.

Notice that all the dancers are not paying the slightest attention to the “viewer” (in this case, the painter Degas). This may have something to do with Degas’ notorious method of studying his models: he snuck into the dressing rooms of the ballerinas to be able to sketch the girls clandestinely. (Look here for more information on Degas.)

In this way, the male painter was able to depict the ballerinas casually stretching and preparing for their formal performance. This image captures a moment of unconscious movement. Degas is famous for painting, sketching, and sculpting women in casual, everyday positions. In this way, Degas elevated the ordinary to a level of beautiful art.

This painting by Degas could tell an innocent story about ballet dancers or it could also communicate a semi-creepy plot about the peeping tom artist. It depends on what knowledge or perspective the viewer brings to the piece.

A Writer Creates Perspective

It is a little late in the month, but here is Creativity Portal’s inspirational writing prompt for March.

You can manifest your creativity in many prolific, bounteous ways.

Prolific Writer

First, let me provide a Dictionary.com definition of “prolific”: producing in large quantities or with great frequency; highly productive: a prolific writer. 

As writers, we are at least a little bit in touch with the right side of our brain. If we did not have a creative spark in us, we would probably not volunteer to write a blog, create a website, and share our thoughts publicly on the World Wide Web. Well, maybe some would.  Or maybe some of us think we are more cunning and creative in our words than we actually are.

Creativity can come in great frequency and in large quantities.  True. Some of the time. As writers, we know this can be an important part of the writing process. Being productive keeps us on target, keeps the creative juices flowing. Being a prolific writing means not allowing yourself to get stagnant. But, it can happen.

Writer’s block to a writer is akin to a runner getting leg cramps.  Or something like that.  Think of it as the loss of the ability to produce creative thoughts, being unable to achieve your goals because of an obstacle.  But, we can pound through it and manage to push past the obstacle even with these “cramps” holding us back.  There are always ways around the obstacle, it just may take some creative thought.  Ah, there are many ways to skin a cat.

Giving Thoughts Freely and Generous

Here is one way how Dictionary.com defines “bounteous”: giving or disposed to give freely; generous; liberal. 

Get out there and share your ideas. Don’t hold back!  Being a writer means bearing your soul sometimes.  At least your thoughts. This is more applicable to blog writers or the writing of a memoir.  We are talking creativity here.  Not much creativity goes into certain writing, like technical writing or a wanted ad. Creative writing should flow and not be blocked. Liberate your creativity!

When we are being creative, we are creating thoughts, images, and ideas.  Right? Makes sense. If we hold back, this creativity may not flow so easy.  Open up the creative flood gates and share these thoughts freely. Be generous!

Sometimes, creativity needs a swift kick in the behind or a manual jump start.  Writing prompts are a great way to manifest writing creativity.  Especially if the prompt does not even make sense to you!  Get out of your comfort zone and spark that creative side.

One last cliché: Think outside the box.

This quote comes from the free calender offered on the Creativity Portal website. 

As we enter the second month of the year already, I will continue to seek out inspiration from Creativity Portal’s monthly quotes. The prompt for February is…

The unfolding of wonder is always near.”

While these words can refer to many things, including nature, science, love, or God, I will relate this to creativity, since that is the focus of this blog.

I will begin by breaking this quote apart into two parts: ‘The Unfolding of Wonder’ and ‘Is Always Near.’

The Unfolding of Wonder

There are things in our each of our lives that can create inspiration. This has been discussed in a variety of posts in this blog. Finding inspiration for creative writing comes in different ways for different people at different times.

Some places of inspiration can come from reading books or other blogs, or looking at some of your own writing. Some find inspiration by writing. Jotting down ideas, thoughts, or even random babble can trigger creative writing.

Other writers find inspiration by being alone in their thoughts, usually right before they try to fall asleep. Reflecting can create some great inspiration.

However you find this inspiration, or wonder, the truth is many times, it can appear suddenly right before us. When you are experiencing the unfolding of wonder, get a pen, or a computer, some writing tool, and bask in the wonder. There is no guarantee when it will come around again.

Which leads into the next part of this quote…

Is Always Near

The unfolding of wonder may not always be predictable. While there are definitely some things that will facilitate inspiration, you certainly can not plan this event, but it is best to be prepared for when it happens. Keepng a writing journal is one good way to do this.

Another factor is that wonder is something we have to open our eyes to see. This not only means in a literal sense, but a figurative sense as well. There are many times we may pass wonder or inspiration by because we are not paying attention. We get caught up in life and forget to notice the little things.

Take time and notice the world around you, appreciate the little things. Take a break from the day to day grind and just absorb the beauty and wonder around you. Turn off the TV and read a book. Enjoy a coffee with friends and family. Many times conversations can provide great inspiration.

I interpret this quote as wonder is all around us, you do not always know when it will spark inspiration, but it is there before you, as long as you keep your eyes and your mind open.

This quote comes from the free calender offered on the Creativity Portal website.

The beauty of love is that it keeps on growing within us no matter how much we give it away.”

This is a great way to start off the year, reminding all of us about our ability to continue to love others while still growing the love inside of us. Many people hold on tight to love with the belief that they will run out and have none left to give. This quote sums it up by reminding us that love has an unlimited capacity and will not deplete no matter how much we give away.

This inspirational quote applies to all people in of our lives, not just our spouse, but to our parents, our children, our family, our friends, and our neighbors. Love is a choice. We can choose to hold love inside of us and not give it away. We can be spiteful and bitter. Or, we can choose to give it away to others knowing that by this act of kindness, it actually helps our heart generate more love.

Love does have an unlimited capacity and there is no shortage in your heart to pass on to others. While we do have this capacity, it is also important to understand that by opening up the flood gates, it opens us up to being vulnerable. It allows the bad stuff to come in and contaminate our heart. This is a risk we have to take. The alternative is to close ourselves off and not let love enter or exit. This leaves us feeling stagnant, resentful, lonely, and even angry. Remember, risks of love are part of who we are as human beings.

When it comes to finding creative inspiration whether it is for fiction, poetry, songwriting, or creative nonfiction, the Creativity Portal is a great source for ideas. The writing section on the website offers a variety of informational and creative tips for writers. Creativity Portal…

…inspires creative exploration & expression and is an advocate for the growing creativity coaching profession.”

One of my favorite things on this site is the writing prompts. There is a prompt generator and also a picture prompt for those visually inspired writers. When you get stuck, sometimes a writing prompt is all you need to get the creative ball rolling.

I have decided, along with my other goals for 2010, to be more consistent with writing on my blog. As part of that consistency, the key is to keep writing. Avoid letting the creativity spot in your mind from getting dusty. To do that, I will be looking for inspiration. One of the great ways to find creative inspiration is this website and the tools and insight it offers.

One of the tools the site offers is a free calender to download with a inspirational quote for each month. I will incorporate this monthly quote into my writing in hopes of inspiring others. The quotes may not always be enlightening or powerful, but I will still add them into my blog once a month! Check out the site yourself and see what creative juices form.

As a teacher, I find it quite challenging to teach young writers the “how to’s” when it comes to writing. It is sometimes difficult for children to come up with their own ideas or to develop a voice in their writing. School age children can sometimes have a hard time adding details, developing thoughts, or using a rich vocabulary. Journal prompts and writing exercises can help with this, but it can be overwhelming for them to put it all together in a writing piece.

I have found some great web sites that offer ideas on the pedagogy of writing — how to teach writing. As a writer, I really did not understand how daunting this task can be, so I have been looking for help on line and in books on “how to teach writing.” I have mentioned The Writing Fix in a previous blog post and that site has helped significantly. I also found another resource on Scholastic’s website, which offers printables and other resources for young readers.

When I was in school, I do not recall so much emphasis on the writing process. Colorado includes writing on their standardized testing, so there is some time spent on teaching it in school. I did not realize how much goes into the actual writing process until I started studying to be a teacher myself.

Funny how you can take things for granted and not be able to teach the skill you love with others. I equate it to teaching someone how to walk or talk – it is something you do so often without thinking, it is hard to teach! This is the pedagogy, or art of teaching – being able to make someone else understand and learn regardless of the lack of experience that person may have. Quite a skill this is, this teaching thing!

I have always loved to write, from short stories as an elementary child, to love poems as a teenager, and now as a part-time professional. It has started to become second nature, except when I am out of practice!

I never thought I would have to TEACH others how to write, especially children. Have you ever had to turn around and teach something that is second nature to you? It can be challenging. It is like trying to teach someone how to walk, read, ride a bike, or drive. There are so many small steps to these events that you take for granted.

I truly thought math and science would be my most challenging subjects to teach. However, I am learning that because I am weaker in these subjects, I am re-learning them as well. I can SEE the steps. Somehow, this makes these subjects easier to teach. Sounds counter intuitive, doesn’t it?

I never really thought about how I would teach this skill since many times, I don’t even have a process. I just write. Well, there are many processes, and there are different types of writing. Expository, narrative, and poetry to name a few.

Tomorrow, I will have my first lesson for my 4th graders on how to start a story, a narrative. I didn’t really think it would be too difficult, but I have not written too much fiction, so I had to stop and put some thought into it.

As I searched the Internet, I found some really cool websites. Websites that discuss the writing process and many on how to teach the writing process. One on particular, WritingFix, I found especially helpful. The title page, states the site is for teachers, students & writers. Perfect. I consider myself all three.

So, I will now go into the class, feeling more prepared on how to teach writing, an activity I do almost every single day. Has anyone else had to teach writing? I could always use more tips!

Since I have been busy working many hours, my writing has been neglected. Writing has become an important part of my life and I feel a little bit off if I do not get the opportunity to write. Not having the time to write has caused a little stress much in the way I feel when I do not get to exercise.

But, I am not only depriving myself, but my readers as well. Therefore, I am going to warm up my cold, creative mind and use a writing prompt. This is from One Word. The word is lock.

Part of my mind is asleep. There is a lock on the door that leads inside and no one can open it up to awaken my thoughts. Not even me. While the left side has been working overtime, the right side has been resting far too long. It will take precious wasted time for the thoughts dwelling in the right wing to get moving again after being unprovoked for such an extended amount of time. How can I break the lock? I need to get inside. Wake up! Wake up!

This was a sixty second writing prompt just to get the creative flow moving again. One Word provides that opportunity by presenting just one word to write about. It may not be your best writing, but it wakes up that side of the brain.

I also think it can be a fun activity that produces raw, unedited thoughts. That kind of writing is a great way to jump in and shake up the ideas in your head. When you are busy and feel your writing has been neglected, this is an easy exercise to keep the creativity from fading too much.

I’d like to hear what others do when their writing just needs a cold jump start. Please leave your comments.

I was looking through my post about writing prompts to unleash creativity. Sometimes, when my creative voice is rather quiet, I will look at this post. Many times, just the act of writing will wake up my creative voice and the prompts help me with this exercise. As I started looking through the prompts, I found a rather interesting blog. The blog is just titled Six Sentences and each post is only six sentences long.

My first thought was that this is a rather confining way to write. But, then my creative voice stepped in and yelled, no, this is a creative way to write. It forces you to come up with ideas and refine them into six sentences. This is one way to exercise your creative self. In the same way Twitter restrains you with 140 characters, this forces you rethink about what you want to say.

The six sentences themselves do not have rules which still allows the writer to fully express the words without boundaries. In the same way One Word gives you just one word to stimulate a 60 second writing exercise, Six Sentences is another great writing prompt. Sometimes, having pre-defined rules can trigger the most creative prose. So I thought I would try it here.

I thought about our last day at the beach together as I stared at the towel hanging loosely in the guest bathroom. After a hot day in the sun and an evening on the pier, the very next morning, he left. His words that translated into goodbye still linger in my mind months later. How could he just leave like that? I was fixated on the patterns sewn into the towel like the answers were found there somehow. Funny, how a towel can bring back so many rushing and haunting memories.

Try this as another writing exercise! Let me know what you come up with!!