Post #203 – Women’s Memoirs, Writing Prompts and Life Prompts – Matilda Butler
Another Visit to Inspirational Writing Prompts
In two previous blogs, I’ve posted inspirational messages that I photographed on the grounds of Oregon State University. I love walking the campus although in this season I now have to share it with students. The summer, I must confess, is my favorite time to take long walks beneath the large Oregon oaks and Bigleaf maples. Lots of time to reflect, conjure with new ideas, and find inner bliss — all without watching for bikers and joggers.
I found these banners in different parts of the campus. And while they address the goals and challenges that the university poses to students, they can also be inspirational and motivational statements for writers.
Here are four more messages and I’ve turned each into a writing prompt to challenge you. Why this approach? It is always nice to read an inspirational quote. But if you can make the time to work with it, to write about it, then it can become a part of the way you think and act.
If you missed the previous two articles in this series, here are the links:
2. Daughter of a Bit of Inspiration
Memoir Writing Prompts
Writing Prompt #1. You Build Community. This is a fascinating statement to consider. None of us are completely isolated. We interact with others, we join groups, we seek friendships.
Think about the following questions and then write for five minutes about the ways in which “You Build Community.”
Your role in being an active part of a community is so valuable. Let’s call this a win-win activity. The community benefits from you and you benefit from belonging.
Writing Prompt #2. You Lead Innovation.“What a minute,” you may be thinking. “In what way do I lead innovation?” Sure, you may not be Alexander Graham Bell (inventor of the telephone in 1876) or Josephine Garis Cochran (inventor of the first automatic dishwasher in 1889) or Mary Anderson (inventor of the windshield wiper in 1903) or Bessie Nesmith (inventor of Liquid Paper in 1952 — based on tempera paint taken from her artist supplies) or Stephanie Louise Kwolek (inventor of Kevlar in 1971) or Sally Fox (inventor of the first commercially viable method for mass-producing naturally colored cotton in 1989). But you still probably lead innovation.
Let me use a quote by Sally Fox to get you thinking about this inspirational banner.
“I never really planned to be an inventor, but my attitude toward life has always been inventive.” –Sally Fox
Write on these suggestions:
After you write about this prompt, step back and appreciate yourself and your efforts.
Writing Prompt #3. You Are Confident.This is a hard one for writers. You have no idea how many people share with me their lack of confidence about their writing. So if you feel a little shaky in that area, don’t worry.
Instead, think about all the areas where you do feel confident. Examine what it took for you to feel confident in some area of your life. Then consider any ways that approaches you have used in other areas of your life might be applied to your feelings about your writing. You might use the following sentence stubs as your starting point:
By recognizing and appreciating the confidence you have in one area of your life, you’ll be able to better find confidence in more areas.
Writing Prompt #4. You Reinvent the Wheel. Am I harping? I hope not although it looks like I’m determined to bring up the concept of inventiveness and innovation today. When I saw this banner I first thought about the negative meaning of reinvent. Actually the entire statement is often used as a put down such as “Don’t reinvent the wheel.” The obvious meaning is that if something works just fine there is no reason to create it anew.
And yet creativity may take us along the path of reinventing the wheel. We may find better ways to do the same thing that we’ve been doing. Let creativity be the strength in your life. Invent. Reinvent.
Take any of these three questions and write for five minutes about how your ability to “reinvent the wheel” have made you more productive or simply fulfilled your need for creativity in your life and the life of those around you.
During the coming week, think about these four inspirational messages and how you have responded to them:
1- I Build Community
2- I Lead Innovation
3- I Am Confident
4- I Reinvent the Wheel
I hope that you write this list on a single piece of paper and keep it posted where you can regularly read it. These concepts inspire me and I hope you feel the same way.
