Imagination is more important than knowledge. —Albert Einstein

After finishing a painting, we stare at it with our story-writing imagination. We often create a story that we share. If you are looking at an art image with your active imagination and want to explain, enrich, or elaborate on a story you imagine, please do so. Your story will be the best because it’s from your imagination.

The stories inspired by the art give examples of the various directions you can go with your writing. All stories are short due to limited space. Some stories are unfinished, allowing you to complete them in any way you want. Make your writing any length you want. Some stories include imagination; others use memories that have been fictionalized and re-imagined.

Taking your story away from everyday reality gives you more freedom to explore and re-invent yourself. Create worthy characters and allow them to grow in your story. Remember that having conflict in your story is important for growth. Examples of stories written by Bob’s clients on pages 113-117 in A Choice of Next illustrate meaningful changes as the story develops.

Imagination Works Like Magic in the Unconscious World

Even if you don’t understand how your story relates to your life, to the unconscious mind, change can still occur and result in a change in one’s everyday behavior and definition of Self. The real engine of creative writing is imagination, which can allow information to come from the unconscious.

Our work reflects common themes and situations (referred to as archetypal) that may remind you of experiences you have had or wish to have had. By keeping the story fictional, you may find greater understanding and flexibility in resolving past conflicts.

Research has shown that active imagination can lead to a more positive mood state. Writing fictional stories using archetypal characters is a way to explore perceptions, entertain yourself, and give yourself energy. Creating a greater distance in your story from consensual (every day) reality will encourage a possible shift in your perception.

To Begin Writing

1. Choose a painting that draws your attention positively or negatively, stimulating your imagination. You may be curious about a particular art image and decide to write a story. The main character in your story may be the least like you and can be a female or a male, regardless of gender. Don’t let ideas of what you think is right or wrong affect your imagination.
2. Choose one of your characters in the painting to be the story’s narrator. Write about what is happening before this moment in time, what is happening now, and what will happen next.
3. Give your character a fictional name. You will find you have greater freedom in writing your story independent of your personal history.
4. Writing in the third person, present tense will add a greater depth of feeling to your story, allowing you to connect with the story’s characters with greater empathy.
5. Adding other characters will enrich your story and allow you to have a dialog between your characters. As we have many sub-personalities, giving a voice to different characters may also allow hidden parts of you to have a voice, increasing your awareness of yourself and your choices.
6. Dialogue is essential in your story and will assist you in deepening your story: According to Gail Carriger, the secret to making your characters come alive is making them vibrant, present, and believable. Dialogue makes this easier.
7. If you share your story with a partner or friend, ensure they know the only task is to applaud your writing, not interpret or judge it. The story you create is just a story, not THE story, nor is it the best or only story. Your story will be the best because it’s from your imagination. Your story may change and deepen over time.
8. Create an identity different from yours: Allow each character to develop their own voice. One way to share your story with others is by assuming the identity of one of the characters in the story.
9. Word Clustering: After choosing a painting that draws your attention, stare at it with soft eyes. Write down the first 4-5 adjectives that come to mind. Without analyzing, going with your first impression will help you develop a possible story. You can use some or all these adjectives as you develop your story. Write down 4-5 adjectives that describe the qualities of one or more of your characters. You can use some or all of the adjectives as you develop your story.
10. A longer story with more than one character will increase the power of your writing to influence your evolution.
11. Using animals as characters is a powerful way to write a story. An example is the story inspired.