1. Find a painting that stimulates or excites your imagination.
2. Look at it carefully for more or less 5 minutes.
3. Start to write about the picture. Think about the scenery, the people in the painting (who are they, what are they doing, why? How did they get there, where are they going? Describe them. Why do they wear those clothes ( that shirt, that necklace, that glasses, or what else…)? Do those dirty shoes (or new shoes, new hat, etc.) mean something special to them? What are their names? What are they frowning/smiling at?
4. Don't stop to think, but let the words flow out of you. It doesn't matter what you write at this stage, the idea is just to write. Don't wait until you know what you are going to say about a picture. Look at the picture closely, mentally note the smallest details, then write, write, write. Don't be afraid to start while your mind is still blank - it is the act of writing that generates ideas, not the other way around.
5. Usually after about 15 minutes you will find ideas and thoughts coming out that you didn't know you had.
This is the magic starting to work. Don't stop. Carry on and enjoy!
