darren r hill

the creative minimalist

Tag: weekly creative prompt

  • Rest. Weekly creative prompt

    Rest weekly creative prompt @darrenrhill

    This week’s creative prompt is Rest. Each week we begin with a single word and expand it to inspire writing fiction, journaling and other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some inspiration for our creative work.

    Definitions

    rest — allow to be inactive to regain strength or health, be placed or supported to stay in a specified position

    Rest can be used as a noun or verb.

    Related

    relax, ease up/off, let up, slow down, pause, have/take a break, ease, inactivity, respite, time off, time out, breathing space

    Rest denotes inactivity, a time to do nothing. So, can we make rest work as a creative prompt? Let’s see…

    Let the prompt ‘rest’ 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…

    Writing prompt

    It was too much. I was overwhelmed. My mind couldn’t cope. I had to rest. Fiction writing prompt @darrenrhill

    A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the word rest to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

    It was too much. I was overwhelmed. My mind couldn’t cope. I had to rest.

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    The modern world is fast-paced. We are beset with deadlines, appointments, expiry dates, the time to upgrade, alarms to wake up and take medicine. We move from minute to minute, day to day, doing whatever our day demands. If we are fortunate, we may get a few weeks each year on holiday, a holiday full of new demands and time pressures.

    Sometimes this all gets too much, and that is where this prompt begins. We should all know what it feels like, and so we can call on our memories and experiences in our writing here. However, this is fiction and so…

    • What has overwhelmed our character?
    • What are the physical effects?
    • How will the character rest?

    The context for this prompt is entirely up to you. Use your experiences and memories of feeling overwhelmed to bring reality to your fiction. A truism often used is write what you know. To develop your writing, exaggerate and elaborate on these experiences.

    Enjoy and may your words rest easy on the page as you create and write.

    Quick fiction writing

    Set a time limit, use the following random prompts and write a short piece of fiction.

    • Character: child
    • Place: shop
    • Item: shelves of sweets

    Journal prompt

    Making time for writing, creating and doodling in our journals is a great way to rest. Despite alarms often being the cause of stress for me, I have several set to remind me to stop and open up my journal. And if you’ve watched my YouTube channel, you’ll know I have and use several journals.

    Three ideas for your journal

    • overwhelmed? write a list
    • create a collage that represents rest for you
    • plan a restful holiday, the place, what you need and how to make it a reality

    Theory of General Creativity

    I now have ‘rest’ written on the board above my computer. I am also on a journey of pilgrimage and discovery at the moment, so making time for some personal rest as well. However, I am still working away and creating, I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week.

    • capture things resting with your camera
    • remember to pause and rest during a creative project if you are unsure of the next step
    • use rest and space in paintings, multimedia and sound

    Let ‘rest’ 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, or any creative project or idea.

    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 #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

  • Night. Weekly creative prompt

    night weekly creative prompt @darrenrhill

    This week’s creative prompt is Night. Each week we begin with a single word and expand it to inspire writing fiction, journaling and other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some inspiration for our creative work.

    Definitions

    night — the period from sunset to sunrise in every twenty-four hours, the night as the interval between two days

    Night can be used as a noun or adverb.

    Related

    darkness, dark, hours of darkness, nighttime, dead of night, nocturnal

    And don’t forget nyctophobia, the fear of the night.

    Night being an old goth at heart, I like the night and all things dark. However, it also makes me think of rest and expectations for the day to come.

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

    • 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…

    Writing prompt

    It was dark. All was quiet. It was the night before… fiction writing prompt @darrenrhill

    A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the word night to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

    It was dark. All was quiet. It was the night before…

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    Almost everyone knows the phrase, ’twas the night before Christmas’ even if they don’t know the rest of the poem from which it is taken. This phrase conjures up the expectation of what is to come.

    This prompt is all about that magical conjuring. Something is going to happen, and before it does, your role as a writer is to set the scene. The prompt explains that it is dark, and then it offers the reason for that, it’s night… or is that the reason?

    • Why is it dark, is the dark different to other nights?
    • How will you keep the reader’s attention once you declare what the night is before?
    • Who is narrating, is it a non-performing character or someone in the story?

    The context for this prompt is entirely up to you. The challenge is to describe the situation. How does what will happen after affect what is happening now, in the before? Will your fiction describe happy or sad events? A scary moment and impending fear?

    Enjoy, the choice of context is yours, but if you are writing something scary, and it is the night, you may want to leave a light on.

    Quick fiction writing

    Set a time limit, use the following random prompts and write a short piece of fiction.

    • Character: vampire
    • Place: beach
    • Item: no coffin

    Journal prompt

    Do you count nights or sleeps until an event, or do you count days? I have been doing both recently as I wait for something. And there will be more about that in the blog soon, I am certain. But before the blog, my journal is and has been full of countdowns.

    When it comes to writing in our journals, we may pick them up at specific times, as soon as we wake from the night, or at night before we go to sleep. It doesn’t matter when, but it made me think that night is more than just something we can put in our journal.

    Three ideas for your journal

    • Create or use a black page, and add a single, simple item to be with you at night
    • paint a nighttime scan full of stars, galaxies, and the moon
    • keep a record of how long you sleep each night

    Theory of General Creativity

    I now have ‘night’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week.

    • capture things that light at night with your camera
    • use night (and day) as metaphor when creating some music or a painting
    • remember night as a rhythm of life, a downtime, before we had the availability of so much light, we had to take a break

    Let ‘night’ 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, or any creative project or idea.

    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 #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

  • Remember. Weekly creative prompt

    Remember weekly creative prompt @darrenrhill

    This week’s creative prompt is “remember”. Each week we begin with a single word and expand it to inspire writing fiction, journaling, and other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some inspiration for our creative work.

    Definition

    remember — have in or be able to bring to one’s mind an awareness of (someone or something from the past)

    Remember is a verb.

    Related

    bear in mind, keep in mind, not lose sight of the fact, not forget, be mindful of the fact; take into account, take into consideration, recall, call to mind, recollect, think of; put a name to, place; reminisce about, think back to, look back on, hark back to, cast one’s mind back to, summon up, muse on; take a trip down memory lane, don’t forget.

    Remember recalls the past and yet, that recollection occurs in the present and depending on what we are remembering it can direct our future.

    Let the prompt ‘remember’ 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…

    Writing prompt

    This is the moment, what it is all about. This is what I would remember. - fiction writing prompt

    A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the word remember to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

    This is the moment, what it is all about. This is what I would remember.

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    We live in an instant society. With the right resources, we can do most things when we want. I can’t help feeling that this leaves many of us with a sense of loss, a soullessness, which means we rarely focus on the experience of those ‘instants’. It becomes too easy to simply move on to the next moment.

    This prompt is all about realising one of those moments and capturing it. This isn’t about describing a walk to the shops, it should be about something that is life-changing.

    • Why is this moment worth remembering?
    • How does the moment affect each of your senses?
    • What will your character do with these memories?

    The context for this prompt is entirely up to you. The challenge is to describe something that is probably outside your experience. Fiction is always a balance between the imagination and things we know and understand. Making the unknown believable is an admirable writing skill.

    Enjoy and may your words be memorable as they are captured.

    Quick fiction writing

    Set a time limit, use the following random prompts, and write a short piece of fiction.

    • Character: soldier
    • Place: battlefield
    • Item: where flag

    Journal prompt

    This week marks Armistice Day. Many people around the world will stop and remember the end of the First World War. Many veterans who have been on active service, share little about their experiences, and yet they remember. We remember their service and the events as well, giving thanks and praying that the future is peaceful.

    Three ideas for your journal

    • find out and write about one of your ancestors who served
    • paint/collage and mage that represents peace
    • write and/or create a mixed media page of your favourite memory, something you are happy to remember

    Theory of General Creativity

    I now have ‘remember’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week.

    • Capture things to remember with your camera (photography is a great way to capture memorable moments, although remember to experience them as well.)
    • Recall a time when you were successful with a project, rinse and repeat. Or remember and change your process if something didn’t work.
    • Remember seeing or hearing your favourite art or music for the first time, express the emotions you felt in your art and composing

    Let ‘remember’ 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, or any creative project or idea.

    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 #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

  • Veil. Weekly creative prompt

    veil weekly creative prompt @darrenrhill

    This week’s creative prompt is Veil. Each week we begin with a single word and expand it to inspire writing fiction, journaling and other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some inspiration for our creative work.

    Definitions

    veil — a thing that serves to cover, conceal, or disguise

    Veil can be used as a noun or a verb.

    Related

    covering, cover, screen, shield, curtain, layer, film, mantle, cloak, mask, blanket, shroud, canopy, cloud, blur, haze, mist

    surround, swathe, enfold, cover, cover-up, conceal, hide, secrete, camouflage, disguise, mask, screen, shield, cloak, blanket, shroud, enwrap, canopy, overlay; obscure, shade, shadow, eclipse, cloud, blot out, block out, blank out, obliterate, overshadow, enshroud, mantle, becloud, obnubilate.

    antonyms unveil, expose, uncover

    Veil refers to covering or concealing something, however, the uncovering or revealing aspect is our focus this week.

    Let the prompt ‘veil’ 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…

    Writing prompt

    Now, just once every year, at the thin time, the veil is withdrawn. fiction writing prompt @darrenrhill

    A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the word veil to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

    Now, just once every year, at the thin time, the veil is withdrawn.

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    It’s Halloween or Samhain. All Souls’ Day follows All Saints’ Day. We remember the dead. We celebrate the dark. The thin places are thinner. The veil between the living and the dead is all but non-existent.

    Here is your opportunity to write something scary. Although, I would like to add that I don’t think the dead, spirits or what may or may not be on the other side of a thin place are inherently evil or frightening. However, we don’t want my opinions to get in the way of scary fiction.

    • Where is the veil that is being removed?
    • Why is this specific place a thing place?
    • How is the veil withdrawn?
    • What is revealed beyond the veil?

    The context for this prompt is entirely up to you. Once you have created the setting, the challenge is to build the anticipation. Draw your reader into the situation, get the hairs on their neck to stand on end, and then reveal what lies beyond.

    Enjoy and may your words appear on the page as you remove the veil.

    Quick fiction writing

    Set a time limit, use the following random prompts and write a short piece of fiction.

    • Character: the oldest lady you could possibly imagine
    • Place: boat
    • Item: lace

    Journal prompt

    Religions, philosophies, and everyone on the street has an opinion on what lies beyond the veil of life. I’m not a fan of the popular version of Halloween, it commercialises and trivialises a serious aspect of life. I find the pagan Samhain, and the Christian Saints’ and Souls’ days much more enlightening. They represent and symbolise the thin times when the separation of life and death is more easily crossed. Of course, pumpkins, bats, and skeletons are symbols too!

    Three ideas for your journal

    • use a piece of fabric or even paper to hide, or veil, something in your journal
    • use a piece of lace as a stencil in your art journal
    • write about what ancestors or saints you would like to know more of at this thin time

    Theory of General Creativity

    I now have ‘veil’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week.

    • capture the dark places with your camera
    • if a creative project is stuck, use veil as a metaphor; cover and then remove
    • perhaps your waiting is too busy, your music too cluttered, veil different parts

    Let ‘veil’ 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, or any creative project or idea.

    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 #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

  • Autumn. Weekly creative prompt

    Autumn weekly creative prompt @darrernhill

    This week’s creative prompt is Autumn. Each week we begin with a single word and expand it to inspire writing fiction, journaling and other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some inspiration for our creative work.

    Definitions

    autumn — the season after summer and before winter

    Autumn is a noun.

    Related

    fall, autumnal,

    Autumn specifically means a season in the calendar year, it is a predominantly British term, so feel free to use your words, e.g., fall

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

    • 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…

    Writing prompt

    It was the autumn of life, but as the golden colours of the leaves showed, there was a beauty to be found. fiction writing prompt #thecreativeminimalist

    A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the word autumn to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

    It was the autumn of life, but as the golden colours of the leaves showed, there was a beauty to be found.

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    Nouns, as I was told at primary school, are naming words. You give something a name and that is it. Simple, something is what it is. However, autumn is a wonderful example of using a word’s meaning as a metaphor. No longer is autumn, or fall, just a season each year, but it is also a season that can be applied to almost anything.

    This prompt relates autumn to a period of life. The end is nearing, and yet there is plenty to seek and find. It looks at finding a positive from a seeming negative.

    • Why is the narrator at the autumn of life?
    • What is the beauty to be found?
    • How does the narrator feel?

    The context for this prompt is entirely up to you. You could be writing about the life of the narrator/protagonist, of someone else, or even a civilisation or organisation. The challenge is to see the positive despite the situation.

    Enjoy, and may your words be as colourful as the leaves upon the trees.

    Quick fiction writing

    Set a time limit, use the following random prompts and write a short piece of fiction.

    • Character: merchant
    • Place: desert, no greenery just sand
    • Item: an autumn leaf

    Journal prompt

    Autumn, along with spring, mean change to me. Spring is all about birth and growth, while autumn is about winding down. Nothing is permanent, life is all about change. However, I often find myself writing the same thing in my journal; some things don’t change. Let’s see if using autumn as a prompt can move me forward.

    Three ideas for your journal

    • Find a fallen, autumnal leaf, press it (it needs to be flat) stick it in your journal and decorate. Mod Podge or clear sticky-tape should help preserve the leaf.
    • Make a leaf stamp (cut a leaf shape not a potato) and get printing with bright, vibrant colours.
    • How do you feel about autumn/fall? Do you miss summer? Do you yearn for winter? Or do you bask in this season of change?

    Theory of General Creativity

    I now have ‘autumn’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week.

    • Capture the wonderful colours of autumn with your camera
    • Do you have any creative projects approaching their autumn?
    • What feeling does autumn elicit in you… create it

    Let ‘autumn’ 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, or any creative project or idea.

    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 #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest

  • Soar. Weekly creative prompt

    Soar weekly creative prompt

    This week’s creative prompt is Soar. Each week we begin with a single word and expand it to inspire writing fiction, journaling and other creative activities. These creative prompts, are to give me, and anyone else who wants to join in, some inspiration for our creative work.

    Definitions

    soar — fly or rise high in the air, maintain height in the air without flapping wings or using engine power, increase rapidly above the usual level

    Soar is a verb.

    Related

    fly up, wing, wing its way; take off, take flight, take to the air; ascend, climb, rise, glide, plane, float, drift, hang, hover, rise rapidly, escalate, spiral upwards

    Soar denotes action, and yet it also has that element of drift, of minimal energy.

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

    • 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 with some specific prompts…

    Writing prompt

    It was more than flying. I could now soar and wonder at everything below. - fiction writing prompt @darrenrhill

    A Fiction Writing Prompt exploring the word soar to stretch the literary muscles. No rules. No word counts. Simply write and explore.

    It was more than flying. I could now soar and wonder at everything below.

    Writing Prompt Expanded

    This week, William Shatner went to the edge of space. The actor had pretended to fly between stars for much of his career. Although he didn’t get close to warp speed, he did manage to see something very few of us ever have. When he returned to earth and spoke of his ordeal, he was moved to tears. The wonder of what he saw took his words away.

    This prompt is all about describing what you see and why you can see it. Describing a situation and explaining how it makes your protagonist feel is integral to good writing. Here are a few questions to help.

    • Where are you?
    • How are you able to soar and not just fly?
    • How does the ‘soaring’ affect your other senses?

    The context for this prompt is entirely up to you. It could be set in space, or closer to earth. The main point is that ‘soaring’ enables the wonder to take place.

    Enjoy, and may your words capture the wonder of the situation.

    Quick fiction writing

    Set a time limit, use the following random prompts and write a short piece of fiction.

    • Character: Grandmother
    • Place: Hilltop
    • Item: hang glider

    Journal prompt

    I had originally chosen the word ‘flying’ for this week’s prompt. However, it became clear that I wanted something more. Where I currently live, I often glimpse seagulls soaring high above. I wonder what they can see, and dream about what it would be like to soar so high and take in the earth below.

    Three ideas for your journal

    • draw a ‘map’ of where you live as seen by a soaring bird
    • describe in words or collage where you would like to soar
    • write about how you can fly/soar to the top in your chosen profession/pastime

    Theory of General Creativity

    I now have ‘soar’ written on the board above my computer. I am confident it will inspire me on my creative journey this week.

    • look up to see what is looking down
    • imagine your art/music soaring and let that guide your creativity
    • don’t limit your ideas, let them soar

    Let ‘soar’ 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, or any creative project or idea.

    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 #thecreativeminimalist on any social platform.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest