Beauty in the Bizarre: Surrealism in Writing

Happy Friday, friends! Let's freewrite!

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I'll admit it: freewriting isn't always the easiest thing for me to do. Sometimes if I try to freewrite at an inopportune time, I get stuck writing things like "is it over yet" in circles until my timer goes off. Not the most productive way to generate new ideas for poems. BUT! The trick I try, when this happens, is to just go totally off-the-wall weird, as if my mind were in a dream state.

Just as forcing yourself to try a new form of poetry or a different writing style can unlock your creative possibilities, so can unthinking as you freewrite. Take a note from Duchamp:

Avoiding complacency can be one of the biggest challenges a poet faces, so it's important to unthink every once in a while. One way I like to challenge myself to think differently is to look at surreal works of art:

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Surrealism's goal in both art and literature is to utilize the unconscious mind to bend reality into something that simply isn't possible in real life. Without the rationality of the conscious mind, artsists were free to delve into an irrational world of juxtapositions and chance. So, why is surrealism a tool for you to utilize when writing? It's simple! By turning the world upside down as you write, you're able to reach new ideas that you never would have thought possible.

Your freewriting prompt, then, is simple:
Unthink.

Just unthink.

Freewrite for twenty minutes, using one (or all) of the images above to inspire you.

Each time your brain tries to resist an idea, bounce back. Roll with the unexpected. Write the opposite of what your brain is trying to say. It might be a battle, but it'll be worth it. Go on; make the imaginary real, if only on paper, if only for a moment.

How did this prompt work out for you? Where you more inspired by the images, or by the quotes? Let's chat: leave a comment below on how you challenge yourself to unthink, and don't forget to check back for more freewriting prompts!