10 Oblique Strategies as Writing Prompts
Diagonal reflections inspired by Brian Eno’s deck
Writing, for all its apparent dullness (who ever looked captivating typing on a screen or a scribbling in a notebook—as opposed to, say, a painter or a sculptor?) betrays a storm beneath the still façade.
In the emergence of words, the crafting of thoughts, a flow seems to occur which, on occasion, trips the writer over, then picks them up again to carry them into new avenues of thought, only to be derailed once more by an alternative thought, pulling the writer, irresistible, into a dead-end in some distant corner of their brain.
Writing is an adventure—a sport almost—perfected through training, practice, and the establishing of some structure. The writer ascertains their peak writing time, perhaps putting together a favoured corner in their home for the activity. They resort to substances, intoxicants and foodstuffs that assist in the revealing of genius, and thus … a writing routine is born.
For me, creative expression is inherently linked to a process of healing. As a result, I’ve come to fill my workspace up with all sorts of artefacts that assist the emergence of both : tarot and oracle cards, astrology resources, gemstones and crystals, candles and incense. I’ve shaped my creative den to be a nourishing place…
