Prompts are Gateways to Creativity

For anyone stuck in a creative block, or newer creators just getting started, prompts can be a gateway into a new realm of thought and creative discovery. Before we elaborate on conceptual prompts, let’s start with the general term and intent of creative prompts.

What are Creative Prompts?

Prompts are tips, instructions, and concepts used to guide, instruct and inspire the creator to create something based on the prompt. Prompts are often used and favored by teachers for students to help launch them into a creative mode. Artists and writers are also often fond of employing creative prompts to stimulate ideas to build upon.

What are Conceptual Prompts?

Conceptual prompts are non-specific concepts and ideas, often in quote form, for flexible interpretation, that encourage the development of intuition and inner perceptions.

Table of Contents

• Kinds of Creative Prompts
  • What are Technical Prompts?
  • What are Conceptual Prompts?
  • What is Intuitive Creativity?
• Technical Prompts Definitely Have Their Place
  • Examples of Technical Prompts
• Conceptual Prompts
• Conceptual Prompts for Developing Intuitive Creativity
  • Benefits of Conceptual Prompts
• Conceptual Prompts Can Develop Intuition
  • Examples of Sources of Conceptual Prompts
• How to Use Conceptual Prompts
• Examples of How to Use Conceptual Prompts
  • Creative Ideas for Sample Prompt
• Intuitive Creativity
• Intuitive Art

Kinds of  Creative Prompts

What are Technical Prompts?

Technical prompts are an instruction within guidelines toward developing a specific skill in the topical field.

Technical prompts are assignments for specific kinds of work or practices. Examples include creative writing prompts to help develop writing skills, or drawing prompts many of which include particular subjects, often within distinct parameters.

Next, we explain conceptual prompts.

What are Conceptual Prompts?

Conceptual prompts are ideas or concepts conveyed through various mediums that inspire creative imagination, ideation and reflection. Concepts can invoke intuitive creativity from the inside out.

Pondering quotes, ideas and experiences throughconceptual prompts allows the creator to decide what meaning to assign and design accordingly. Conceptual prompts are more open to individual interpretation, and are often abstract and obscure, stimulating interpretations that varying from abstract to concrete.

The beauty of conceptual prompts is how each creator interprets them differently. The artist or writer may choose to focus on a singular word within the quote or the larger idea it represents and everything in between.

In “Conversations with Tom”, Tom Bilyeu asks guest, Jason Silva, aka, “The DJ of ideas”, how he approaches learning. Jason’s response is that quotes help him remember and learn. Quotes are concepts that encapsulate entire ideas. To reflect on a quote is to gain access to the realm of knowledge associated with it.

“Quotes are loaded with so much truth and reveal so much expository power. Remembering quotes means remembering all the wisdom associated with that.

Rather than remembering pages and pages of knowledge, that quote triggers the unconscious by flooding it with all the knowledge associated with that quote.”
~Jason Silva, philosopher, filmmaker, speaker, b.2/6/1982

SOURCE: Conversations with Tom Bilyeu

What is Intuitive Creativity?

Intuitive creativity is to create through the free flow of impressions from within. You can expand your access to creative intuition through reflection, practice and becoming more self aware.

How to Increase Awareness: Tools to help increase and expand awareness include meditation, reflection, and pondering concepts, thoughts, ideas, images, nature, cycles, people, motivations, feelings, etc.

Intuitive art and creativity utilizes conceptual prompts to guide the creator toward discoveries through reflection and pondering. Observe, ponder and reflect and then listen to the inner response.

Reflecting on and creating from conceptual prompts helps to sharpen your inner connection and awaken slumbering intuition.

In the beginning, intuition may speak to you through impressions and whispers of ideas. Gradually, your access to wisdom increases, the more you seek to invoke it through observation, pondering and action.

To create around perception is to invite intuition in for a visit.

When you create intuitively, it’s more about seeing what appears on the paper than trying to compare the image in your mind with the image that you’re producing.
~Paivi Eerola, abstract intuitive artist

Technical Prompts Have Their Place

Technical prompts are more like school assignments designed to help lead you into creating from the outside in. You receive a specific prompt or outline ideated by others, and then you proceed to fit your creativity into those constraints.

Constraints are important for creators, so there are definitely developmental stages where those are the best kind of prompts. In fact, creative constraints can be critical for success at any stage of creative development. We’ve written more about that in this article on flow state.

Your greatest progress will come from learning and employing technique based skills as well as intuitive art and creating. The more you engage in conceptual prompts the more ideas and creativity will open up flow for you.

Creative constraints encourage productivity and creativity and provide a launchpad for ideas.
~Devani Alderson, iCreateDaily.com

Examples of Technical Prompts

Art Prompts: If you’re working on drawing eyes, then you’ll benefit most by technical art prompts specific to drawing eyes. Same thing if you’re working on hands, or trees, or rainbows, specific techniques, styles, mediums, etc.

Writing Prompts: If you’re a writer working on improving your fantasy fiction character building, you might want idea prompts that help lead your own fiction fantasy ideation in a specific direction.
E.g.: “Create a character who’s an artist that paints events that come to life.” See more in our article on Writing prompts and short story ideas for many more.

Technical and suggestive prompts definitely have their place and utility in helping develop your craft and scope of abilities. They also help you create when you might feel stuck in a creative block by generating an infusion of new ideas that can be like fertilizer for your own to grow.

Technical prompts are especially beneficial in a course format that take you through a sequential process of learning.

Creative freedom is preceded by discipline and constraint.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Conceptual Prompts

Conceptual Prompts for Developing Intuitive Creativity

Our favorite kind of creative prompts are conceptual prompts. The iCreateDaily community is a diverse group of creators from all mediums, from artists to writers, photographers to crafters, musicians to entrepreneurs… in short anyone creating anything.

We are about daily creating and creativity as a way of life, including—and in particular—creating the life you want to live, one day at a time.

When it comes to prompts for ourselves and for the Creator Challenges we host, we love conceptual prompts for a number of reasons.

Benefits of Conceptual Prompts

We love conceptual quotes to stir our own thoughts to sprout into something more. For, after all, quotes are memes… “seeds” to bigger ideas and concepts.

Consider, for example, any old familiar saying. Old sayings are seed-thoughts to bigger concepts and meaning. Quotes and sayings hold an entire concept in a simple phrase, which if expanded, can lead to many more ideas and thoughts.

EXAMPLES OF FAMILIAR SAYINGS

• You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.
• A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
• Like two peas in a pod.
• A diamond in the rough.
• Birds of a feather stick together.
• A drop in the bucket.
• The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
• A feather in one’s cap.
• Eat to live, don’t live to eat.
• Beating around the bush.
• Can’t judge a book by it’s cover.

Conceptual prompts provide ideas for you to develop into whatever you’re inspired to create. These familiar sayings lend ready visuals that guide you into creating something based on a clear topic, such as to draw a horse for example, in the first familiar example.

To be literal and technical, would be to use that concept or saying and draw a horse being lead to water. To use that quote conceptually, would be to choose to draw any one or more aspects or associations that come to mind.

You might choose to create word-association style, based on the first thought that comes to your mind upon hearing or reading the quote. Or, you might wish to ponder the meaning of it and then see what ideas come to you to create upon pondering that quote. Whichever approach you take doesn’t matter.

To focus on painting, drawing or writing about a quote or saying will inevitably expand your own thoughts around it and its meaning for you.

EXAMPLE OF USING ONE CONCEPTUAL PROMPT FOR DIFFERENT MEDIUMS

“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”

This saying brings clear visuals to mind doesn’t it? 

• Artists could draw or paint any of the following, etc:
  • a horse
  • someone leading a horse
  • a horse drinking water
  • the reflection of a horse (or person) in water, etc.
  • A peaceful (or stormy) water scene.
  • A wise sage in meditation
• Fiction Writers could:
  • write that phrase or concept into a scene that reveals something about one of your characters
  • have a character utter that line, contextually, in your story
• Non-Fiction Writers could:
  • ponder a time in your own life where you’ve resisted learning something
  • Describe your feelings in trying to help someone who would not be helped
• Songwriters could:
  • Write that saying into a song, (sounds ripe for a ballad or country western)
  • Write a song around the concept of struggle, learning and/or insight
•  Entrepreneurs could:
  • Reflect on where in your business you may be not doing what you know needs to be done
  • Journal on how you may be getting in your own way
  • Consider whether you may be trying to force something that just isn’t working when another angle or approach might be better.

Conceptual prompts stimulate deeper thinking which inspires more creative ideas.
~LeAura Alderson, Cofounder-iCreateDaily.com

CONCEPTUAL PROMPTS HELP TO:

• Develop intuitive creativity
• Encourage your inner voice
• Develop intuition in general
• Expand awareness
• Exercise your brain keeping it agile & youthful
• Develop your mind-brain connection
• Increase self-awareness
• Develop deeper thinking
• Inspire reflection and contemplation
• Encourage all mediums of creators to expand creative capacity

Intuitive creativity helps you discover what is latent within you, waiting to be revealed.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Conceptual Prompts Help Develop Intuition

Conceptual prompts are non-specific concepts and ideas, often in quote form, for flexible interpretation, while encouraging the development of your intuition and inner perceptions. Often, artists gain ideas from stories and music, and writers see and hear story ideas in art and music.

Examples of Sources for Conceptual Prompts

• Quotes / poetry / sayings / colloquialisms
• Affirmations / invocations / mantras
• Music with or without lyrics
• Poetry / literature / stories
• Presentations / Speeches
• Beautiful performances
• Phrases / excerpts
• Meditations
• Movies

“Creative ideas are everywhere… waiting to land in a receptive mind and open heart.”
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder iCreateDaily.com®

IDEATION TOOLS:
Artists gain visual ideas from stories and writers gain story ideas from visuals.
~LeAura Alderson, Cofounder-iCreateDaily.com

How to Use Conceptual Prompts

The creative intuition or intuitive art approach is to read the prompt quote or experience the music, etc.  See what perceptions come to your mind, then create from whatever that may be. Here’s the basic conceptual approach, which we expand upon further below.

Contemplating Concepts for in 4 Easy Steps

1. Sit quietly for a moment, preferably taking three deep breaths before engaging the prompt.
2. If something pops into your mind to create, even before reading the prompt, go ahead and create it before viewing the prompt.
3. Read, listen, view or otherwise consume the prompt as indicated.
4. Reflect on the meaning of the quote or certain words that stand out for you. Create whatever image, ideas, and thoughts come to you most strongly, using your medium of choice.

What follows is an example of a quote prompt and more specific steps to employ for best results. The quote example is not really a drawable noun, however, there are many concepts your imagination can run with.

NOTE: we added one step to encourage you to create from within your own ideas first, so this meme below is 3 steps, whereas the section above is now 4.

Examples of How to Use Conceptual Prompts

We’ll provide a prompt followed by some examples below, but first read the prompt and see what comes to mind. You may come up with entirely different things than we would and that’s part of the goal, for you to ideate within yourself first.

If you will take the time to read this, it should help you discover more of how you might use prompts of any kind to grow your own ideas.

Conceptual prompts help you to discover and cultivate your creative intuition.

The goal for intuitive art is for you to ideate within yourself first and discover what jewels surface.

SAMPLE PROMPT #1 – Conceptual Prompt and Process

Deep breaths… get still and quiet and contemplate this prompt. The breath can have a profound effect on stilling your mind and opening channels.

1. Take three long, slow, deep breaths in and out.
2. Read the prompt out loud, if your environment allows; silently, if not.
   SAMPLE PROMPT:
   “You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.”
   ~Deepak Chopra, Indian-born American author, speaker, doctor
3. Take three more long, slow, deep breaths in and out.
4. Ask: what does this mean to me?
5. Create whatever you’re inspired to using your chosen medium

After your reflection… below are some ideas to stir your own, should you need or wish to see them. If you already have your own ideas, read these later after you’ve finished your own creation.

Don’t dilute or clutter your first intuitive impulse by consuming the ideas or content of others. Create first, before seeking outside stimulus.

After you’ve created whatever surfaced for you, then you might scan the ideas below.

Remember, here’s that sample quote prompt:
“You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.”
~Deepak Chopra, Indian-born American author, speaker, doctor

Creative Ideas for Sample Prompt #1

Ideally, you would choose and work with just one idea that comes strongest or most immediately to your mind upon reading the prompt.

• If you could manifest that special place inside you where you are happiest, what would that look like?
• What does your inner warrior look like? That bold, brave, ‘nobody’s going to mess with me‘, you?
• Consider a challenge in your life now. What would that look like diminished? Perhaps turn that mountain into a molehill..?
• Perhaps you’re a mountain climber reaching the peak (of that problem.. and you’re conquering it)!
• What symbolizes your strongest self, (perhaps it’s a “totem” or other symbol).
• A shattered glass or pottery mended with gold, (Japanese “kintsukuroi” style).
• What colors do you feel when you’re feeling bold, brave, courageous and on top of the world?
• It could be a big shadow evaporating in the light.
• What does your inner hero look like?
• A scary monster under the bed that’s actually just a cricket. (Great for a children’s book idea).
• Charlotte of “Charlotte’s Web”, dropping in with a message for you.

You see, these are all ideas precipitated by just one obscure quote, and more or less relevant, depending on your medium and genre of creativity.

Feel free to share your interpretations and creations from this prompt. We’d love to hear/see them and can even publish them here for you with a link to your site or social page if you like.

SAMPLE PROMPT #2 – Conceptual Prompt and Process

Conceptual quotes to encourage our own thoughts to sprout into something more. For, after all, quotes are memes… “seed thoughts” to bigger ideas and concepts.

The following prompt is a quote with expanded ideation examples, and was the Day 1 prompt for our February 2019 30 Day Writing Challenge. Create your own or use any of these.

Example 2

Deep breaths… get still and quiet and contemplate this prompt. The breath can have profound effect on stilling your mind and opening channels.

1. Take three long, slow, deep breaths in and out.
2. Read the prompt out loud, if your environment allows; silently, if not.
   PROMPT:
   “To explore meaningful quotes and concepts more deeply is to pry open the portal to infinity.”
   ~LeAura Alderson, cofounder iCreateDaily®
3. Take three more long, slow, deep breaths in and out.
4. Ask: what does this mean to me?
5. Create whatever you’re inspired to using your chosen medium

Does any part of this quote immediately elicit ideas and inspiration? If ‘yes’, then start writing! If not, then you can ponder the meanings and concepts behind individual words within it.

Creative Ideas for Sample Prompt #2

E.g., You could CONTEMPLATE – “Pry open the portal to infinity.”

If no ideas come to mind upon reading and thinking on the quote, you can dive deeper using any one or more of these ideas:

• Define it – You could look up the definition and origins of the key words of your choice in the quote.
• Find Meaning – Read the definitions of key words and see if any ideas develop from any of them.  Sometimes looking at the definitions and also latin origins can lead to ideation.
• Ponder it – Ponder the deeper and expanded meanings as it relates to you and your life.
• Fiction – If you’re writing fiction, any of the meanings or expressions could relate to your character/s.
• Poetry – if you’re writing poetry or essays, it could be a springboard into your poem for the day.
• Non-Fiction – If you’re practicing writing consistency in general, it could be more as it relates to you and your life.
  • ASK YOURSELF – any one or more of these questions to jumpstart your writing, relative to you or your characters, (if you’re writing fiction):
    • What is my next portal of opportunity?
    • Create something that visions your dreams becoming real.
    • Relative to infinity, the struggles of the moment are tiny. Identify one struggle and depict it as resolved or overcome beautifully and simply
    • What within myself would I like to know more about… to explore more deeply?
    • Writers might ask, ‘What qualities or experiences would make this character I’m developing, deeper, more relatable, or more mysterious?

Chances are, at some point in this process you will find yourself inspired with additional thoughts and ideas. Don’t get bogged down in deciding which prompt elaboration to choose. Close your eyes and see where your roving finger falls if no one thing jumped out at you to develop.

What’s most important is that you just start creating. Even if you don’t know what you’ll create or where it will end up, claim a word, such as ‘portal’ or ‘infinity’, and just start. There is power in momentum.

Word Association Approach to Conceptual Prompts

Creative prompts are like word association games. E.g., If I say:

• ‘Sky’ – you say ‘blue’
• ‘Wind’ – you say ‘trees’
• ‘Water’ – you say ‘rain’
• ‘Sun’ – you say ‘bright”
• etc.

Take the first word, aspect or concept that comes to mind and run with it.

Like seedlings in spring, run with whichever idea springs forth with the most vigor and focus on creating around that.

Use your Associated Word to:

• Create an imaginary story around it.
• Create a sketch or piece of art around the concept.
• Consider where there might be portals of opportunity in your life, etc.

Should you want to immerse further in this concept, you may wish to bookmark and read this article on Ideation Tools.

BUT… only read it if you need it now. Otherwise, best to create without delay!

Create before consuming.

Invitation – Join us for a Creative Challenge

We’d love to have you join us for future creators challenges. If you’re interested, you can sign up for that here:

Sign up to be notified of all future iCreateDaily Challenges.

Or, if you want to get started right away in exercising your intuition through conceptual prompts you may enjoy our iArtDaily 30 Day Intuitive Art Journals. Send us note if you get one and we can send you additional elaborations to help you with each prompt.

Conceptual prompts help us get to know ourselves as hidden thoughts come to life.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com®

Intuitive Creativity

“Okay, swell, but how does this help me develop creative intuition?”

The more you do this the more you will discover. As you work your intuitive muscle, you will discover that it will respond whenever you beckon. The more you listen, the more it will talk to you.

Consider the quote example above. Without it, chances are you may never have contemplated that place inside of you, right?

Just the fact of pondering deeply on concepts is one key toward opening the door to your own creative intuition. The more you practice, the easier your access.

As you ponder deeply, listen and act on what surfaces, the more you will develop your creative intuition. Tune into your intuitive self daily, and you will begin to recognize her/his voice

Cultivating creative intuition invokes the presence of soul. Breathe in that light and love… and breath out your creation.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder-iCreateDaily.com

Intuitive Art

Invocations, affirmations, and mantras work if you use them regularly and support them with daily conscious action.

If you’re interested in developing more of your own intuitive art through the use of conceptual prompts, you may enjoy the iCreateDaily Intuitive Art Journals.

These journals include more ideas to help you as well as 30 conceptual prompts you can draw and/or write to. You can get these either on Amazon or through our Shopify Cart.

Order your Intuitive Art Journals through our Shopify store link here and we will send you a surprise gift with your order!

Just write in the comments: Conceptual Prompts Gift.

Or, you can get them from Amazon: iCreateDaily – i Art Daily 30 Day Intuitive Art Journal.

We also have 90 days of gratitude prompts in our I’m Grateful Daily 90 Day Gratitude Journal.

We’d love to have you join us for the February 2020,
30 Day Intuitive Art & Creativity Challenge!

Create the life you want to live, one day at a time.

The Day is the Way.

iCreateDaily!Ⓡ