Friday, September 12, 2008

Setting your imagination free! Creative exercise. What turns your creative wheels?







These pictures were snapped a couple of years ago in the early spring. I pass by this location often and I am always compelled to the scene. I've never known why. I get the same feeling whenever I go into an antique store or see any run-down barn.

Most people would see this as an eyesore. But to me, there's something that draws me in. I don't want to live in one, but I sure like to look at it.

Then, earlier this week I was reading a blog post by Kathleen Duey. She posted a picture of some ruins from a trip where she could see one of her characters "shivering" (if I remember correctly.)

Reading her post was like switching on a light! I figured out why I'm so drawn to these locations. Old places: ruins, run down barns, antiques -- they trigger my imagination. There is a story that my mind wants me to see. There are stories in these old places and wheels in my mind start turning, wanting to speculate what might have happened.

I sat down, concentrated on the pictures and let my imagination go free. What was my creativity trying to show me?

This is what I came up with:

olden times scene:
I see a young girl, barefoot with golden pigtails and an aproned frock. Her brother is in overalls putting down his work pale and chasing a frog. Avoiding chores due to the carefree abandon inherent to childhood.

Modern scene: A runaway teen seeks shelter on a rainy evening, but when she enters the abandoned barn, she finds much more . . . . .

There. Whew! My brain feels so much better now.

So, answer me this

what kind of places set your creative wheels to turning? And/Or What do you see in my pictures?

10 comments:

PJ Hoover said...

I'm with you on this location.
for me it's anything with mystery surrounding it. Anything old and abandoned. Maybe that's the key. It was left behind in the past.
This summer in VA we visited some of the old forts along the Potomac. Loved them. And the best part - so did my kids so I get to visit them every time I'm in the area.
Have a great weekend, Christy!

Adrienne said...

I've always been drawn to those abandoned buildings, too - I have pictures very similar to yours. Inside one I discovered tiny, old bowling alley with a very warped floor - it still had some of the pins! Of course, it sparks a whole scene in your mind.

C.R. Evers said...

Thanks PJ. I hope your weened is great too! That's what I love about living in NC. There are little "gems" like that dotted all over the landscape! I love to take drives for that reason!

Hey adrienne! An old bowling alley! WOW! Now that's a rare find. How cool! My imagination would go outta-contrl! :0)

Thanks for stopping by!

Christy

Brenda said...

I have a black and white pic of an old building in the woods similar to your first pic...

I love these old buildings...they have history, they have stood the test of time and weather...

Everytime I see one of these old buildings, I always think of my grandparents and then a memory of spending a couple weeks every summer with them will come to mind and I can't help but smile...

C.R. Evers said...

Hi Brenda!

those things remind me of my grandparents too!


Thanks for stopping by!

Angela Ackerman said...

Oh my goodness, what beautiful pictures! One thing I love about living in a farming/settler-heavy province is the amount of buildings like this you can see when driving through Alberta. I always want to pull over and go take a peek inside.

Kai Strand, Author said...

Christy,

I love these pictures! This reminds me of a train trip my husband and I were on one summer. We live on the west coast and we were traveling north. My husband had stepped out of the sleeper car for a snack or something just before we passed through an old ghost town. Absolutely abandoned. Many of the buildings were half buried in earth and overgrown with foliage. We passed through so quickly but it really peeked my imagination. I've always wanted to know the story of that old town. Because we were on a train, I don't even know where we were! Someday, I'll make up my own story about the town to satisfy my curiosity, like you did.

Thanks for sharing! -Kai

C.R. Evers said...

Angela, about 10 years ago there was a fiction series of books I read about settlers in Canada. I can't remember the author, but I remember being in awe over her descriptions. I'd LOVE to see one of those early settlements! North Carolina has all kinds of places like this scattered around, so I get my fix here, but I'd still like to see the early Canadian settlements one day too!

Kai, I love this story! Wow! What an amazing place that would be to explore, or at the very least, day dream about! :0)

sruble said...

I like both of your scenes, but especially the contemporary one - there are so many different ways it could go!

I love the pictures you posted. They have atmoshpere and personality and could easily be a jumping off point into a story or the climax scene in a scary story.

Anything that captures my imagination is a creative place for me, and it's always different, depending on my mood or the weather or what story I've been working on.

I'm going out and about today, and since I've been thinking a lot about cake and cupcakes lately, I might have to go to a few bakeries and maybe take some pictures or do some sketches and see what happens. And maybe even have a cupcake ;)

C.R. Evers said...

Hi Sruble! Thanks for stopping by! Maybe this is a spring board for a story. My creative wheels have been turning so. . . you never know! :0)

Christy