POMprompt # 11 — Abstract Art
a picture prompt for poetry writing
Abstract art is a great place to start when you are looking for open inspiration for your writing. Abstract art has a way of opening up the mind to whatever possibilities it can entertain. It invites creative thinking and interpretation.
When you look at a picture that is more undefined, your mind has a way of creatively trying to figure out how to feel and how to interpret what you are seeing. This process can open up all kinds of possibilities for writing inspiration.
Pictorial art analysis can be regarded as composed of three main processes; (i) the brains’ effort to analyze the pictorial content and style; (ii) the flood of associations evoked by it; and (iii) the emotional response it generates (Bhattacharya and Petsche, 2002; also see Freedberg and Gallese, 2007). Of course, being man-made for no immediate practical use, art in general enables the viewer to exercise a certain detachment from “reality” which, so it seems, provides certain rewards to the art-lover. — Vered Aviv “What Does the Brain Tell us about Abstract Art?” (bold emphasis mine)
The above quote is from a scientific article that discusses what happens inside the brain when we view abstract art. The normal processes of looking at a picture and working out in our minds what the objects in the picture represent, for example a tree or house, are not activated when we look at abstract art.
Abstract art invites creative thinking and interpretation.
When we look at abstract art, the mind attempts to identify objects in the picture but is unable to do so. Some people find this uncomfortable and are therefore intimidated by this type of art. However, as we poets know, abstract art brings more of a feeling and a curiosity and causes us to dig deep for meaning.
This can be fundamentally purposeful in the creation of poetry.
Abstract art challenges our brains to create our own interpretation, thereby stimulating the higher-level areas of the brain responsible for creativity and imagination. Specifically this challenge;
* teaches us to look at art — and, in a sense, at the world — in a new way.
* exposes us and increases our tolerance of less familiar or even totally unfamiliar situations.
* allows us to remove ourselves from reality to create imaginative and creative responses. — This is Your Brain on Abstract Art
So this challenge is simple but carries with it an activity that can greatly challenge you as a creative thinker and poet.
Here is the challenge and prompt:
- Take some time to view some abstract art online. Spend a few moments with each picture until you get to that point when your mind starts to flow creatively in a direction. You’ll know this is happening because when you first look at the picture you see a bunch of colors and maybe lines but at some point a feeling starts to develop or a scene starts to build itself in your mind. That is the creative place that I want you to be more mindful of with regards to this type of art. Remember this process because when you are having trouble getting the creative juices flowing, this can be a great activity for you to do to get back in the poetic writing zone.
- Now, you can use any of the abstract art pictures in this post or you can find an abstract art picture of your own through free picture hosting websites like Pixabay. Use the art photo that you have chosen by spending some time staring at the photo until your creativity starts to flow. Let your mind to move freely until you are ready to write your poem about wherever that piece of art has led you. Let the art lead you to your poem.
- Submit your poem using the POMprompt submissions:
Thank you all for participating in the POMprompts feature here at The POM. I hope you’ll take some time to support our talented writers.
Christina M. Ward is the owner of Fiddleheads & Floss Poetry on Wordpress, Medium, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
