Need a Spark of Creativity? Try Annie Dillard’s Method.
Gretchen Rubin
6x NYT Bestselling Author | Host of the "Happier with Gretchen Rubin" Podcast | Order "Life in Five Senses," out now in paperback
Of a period where she was working on a difficult book, writer Annie Dillard recalled:
“Some days I read part of any anthology’s index of first lines. The parallels sounded strong and suggestive. They could set me off, perhaps.”
–Annie Dillard, The Writing Life
I thought this sounded like a great idea to spark creativity — loose associations, unexpected juxtapositions, suggestions of thoughts ready to be completed.
For instance, here are the entries under the letter “I” in the “Alphabetical List of Titles and First Lines” from English Romantic Poetry: An Anthology.
- I arise from dreams of thee
- I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers
- I had a dream, which was not all a dream
- I met a traveller from an antique land
- Indian Serenade, The
- In London, September 1802
- In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy
- Introduction (Songs of Experience)
- Introduction (Songs of Innocence)
- In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
- Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil
- I saw a chapel all of gold
- It is an ancient Mariner
- It keeps eternal whisperings around
- I travelled among unknown men
- It seems a day
- I wandered lonely as a cloud
- I wnated thro’ each charter’d street
- I was angry with my friend
- I weep for Adonais–he is dead!
- I went to the Garden of Love
This list sent my mind racing — how about you?
For more idea for boosting creativity, here are 7 tips I use to spark my creativity.
What are some strategies you’ve found, to give yourself new, fresh ideas?
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is the author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, and Happier at Home. She writes about happiness and habit-formation at gretchenrubin.com. Follow her here by clicking the yellow FOLLOW button, on Twitter, @gretchenrubin, on Facebook, facebook.com/ GretchenRubin. Or listen to her popular podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin.
Photo: Lauren Finkel, flickr
Melih Oztalay Improves Digital Marketing Results | $30M+ generated for clients | Helping businesses increase by 200% their website conversions by optimizing their landing pages & CTAs
8 年I enjoy having constructive conversations with people around me....people I know or don't know. Getting people's perspectives about topics helps to fine tune ideas or spark new subjects too.
Independent Consultant (Freelance)
8 年Creative writing can come about via reflection of passing events, misunderstandings and reactions to what has been written that we remembered much later. These usually serves as sparks of creativity. I agree with your article that some statements spark our thoughts to write even more and quite easily. In our local lingo, we call them 'hugot' lines or statements sourced or rooted from our sentiments or observations on the things that affect one and all.
Finance Manager at BMI Bank
8 年Useful information
Strategic Experience Creator | Driving Deeper Brand to Consumer Connections
8 年I had a dream, which was not a dream at all...each day, I travelled among unknown men. It seems a day, a day and still a day, it seems. Often, I wandered lonely as a cloud, and still, it seems a day. Each day.
tt5466 at Riki Solutions Inc.
8 年hauu