Clouds — Weekly Creative Prompt

Welcome to the new complete weekly creative prompt. We begin with a single creative prompt word and expand it to inspire fiction writing, journaling and a host of other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some focus to our creative work.

In an unscripted moment of serendipity, I opened my window and the sun wasn’t alone in a glorious blue sky. This could mean a change in plans. There are a couple of things on my to-do list that requires a clear sky, well, I require a clear sky. The serendipity is that these prompts were chosen several weeks ago. Some prompts are linked to calendar events, while the majority are random. Today’s prompt was supposed to be one of those random ones. Coincidence? Of course, or perhaps… Therefore, this week’s creative prompt is:

Clouds — a visible mass of condensed watery vapour floating in the atmosphere, typically high above the general level of the ground

clouds don’t need to be water or even literal, but for our creative process we start with this reality

Let the prompt ‘clouds’ inspire you in any area of creativity that you are interested:

• writing fiction
• journaling
• art journaling
• songwriting
• photography
• painting
• composing
• blog posts
• art therapy
• anything that could use a little nudge to begin
  

Let’s expand the word a little further…

Fiction Writing Prompt

The Fiction Writing Prompt aims to stretch the literary muscles as we explore the word clouds. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

I felt the gentle breeze on my face as I looked toward the horizon. In the distance, for the first time in forever, I saw clouds.

Writing Prompt Expanded

As space agencies explore our solar system and beyond, one thing they constantly look for is water. Water is essential to life as we know it and can also be used to create fuel and oxygen. Water is plentiful on our planet, even if we don’t distribute it around. The clouds in the sky are one way we know that water in the form of rain may be on its way. Rain can come at the right or wrong time. This is why clouds are used as a metaphor. The sun isn’t there, it’s cloudy, something is wrong.

This prompt is all about seeing the clouds and describing what they represent for your character.

• Are the clouds real or metaphorical? At what point in your narrative do you reveal this?
• Are the clouds welcome or feared?
• Are you on earth or a distant planet or moon?
• Being careful not to mix metaphors, describe your character’s feelings in terms of clouds, rain, and storms.

The setting and everything else is open to your imagination. Remember this is fiction. Draw on memories and feelings, but don’t get lost in your own past. Writing can be very therapeutic in exploring our past. Being able to step aside and view past events dispassionately and write about them is helpful. However, if past storms in your life have not been confronted, please find someone to talk with and seek true healing. All storms pass eventually.

Journal prompt

Journaling allows us to hold conversations on paper. From private diaries to creative art journals we pour out our deepest thoughts. Clouds, their various meanings and associated metaphors are often part of my creative, and in particular, journaling process. I quite often relate difficult times with cloudy skies… which I find interesting because I love looking at a cloudy sky and exploring the shapes and textures.

Questions to answer, thoughts to explore or images to create in your journal:

• Do you have any metaphorical clouds in your life you need to explore?
• What shape do you most associate with clouds?
• Explore the texture of clouds by using various media

As with the writing prompt above, journaling will help to deal with cloudy days but do seek further guidance and help if you are finding it difficult to see sunny days.

Theory of General Creativity

I now have ‘clouds’ written on the board above my computer. I am looking forward to seeing how it will inspire me on my creative journey this week. The way clouds can mean so much, from fluffy pillow textures to thunderheads threatening destruction, offers a variety of creative options. And the fact that they do eventually drift away means I might get to complete the items on my to-do list.

Let ‘clouds’ inspire your music, photography, and painting this week.

Finally…

As always, these creative prompts are optional and entirely open to your interpretation. Use them as a starting point for a short story, something a little more grandiose.

As mentioned before, this isn’t a ‘challenge’ but the prompts can be used that way if you want. If you do create anything using them, I would love to see or hear about it. Leave a link in the comments below or tag me on any social platform.