Picture this ... Write that

Being a great lover of art, whether it be pictures or words, I am always on the look-out for a site that offers great graphics for little to no money or superb tips on writing.  I have recently fallen madly, deeply in love with a site called Smashing Magazine. They provide graphics, fonts, how-to's, CSS, tools & tutorials for just about everything web. The best part is that these are premium graphics, fonts & templates for free. Yes, you heard me correctly ... no credit card needed. I subscribe to their RSS feed and get absolutely giddy when alerted about a new post.


I'm sure you're looking at this blog post title and asking yourself what Smashing Magazine has to do with writing. Perusing the site I found several graphics that I could look at and totally lose myself in. I began looking through the archives and finding stories in many photos. I believe at times we are granted creativity via our senses; sight being no less a medium of transport than any other.

Let's try a little exercise to prove my point. Grab a pen or pencil and a clean sheet of paper.  Look at this photo for 2 minutes (enlarge it if you need to). Study it, look it over well. Let your mind wander. What is behind that door? Who lives beyond those walls? How did they get there? Now, write. Write whatever comes to mind. Just go with it. Stop when you feel your story is complete. Read over what you have written and make any adjustments you feel needed. Surprised that you could come up with a story just from pretending that a picture is a window?  We all have imaginations. It is something that we were all blessed with at birth and perfected throughout our childhood. Whether or not you lack the ability to recall it at will should not present an issue. Use motivational pieces when you feel the need for them. It doesn't make you any less a writer.

I strongly suggest that you visit Smashing Magazine and stroll through their vast array of graphics. If for no other reason than the sheer beauty of most of them. I hope in the process there is a picture that is worth a thousand words to you. After all "seeing is believing creating". Happy writing.