Living in Cornwall for most of his life, Charles Causley called the town of Launceston home.  A sense of place is often intrinsic to his poetry, with one’s hometown offering the opportunity to unravel a wealth of secrets that may very well have been hiding in plain sight.  Because of this, I thought a guide on how to write creatively from taking inspiration from your local community would be beneficial. 

STEP 1: 

Go for a walk around town and making a note of (either mentally or physically), things that you feel are unique/special or something you may not have even noticed before.  This can be in the form of particular buildings where the community has come together to improve or even an area of open space. Often, the most inspirational of areas can be when there is nothing to distract from your imagination.  Those who live in Cornwall, like Causley, are fortunate these areas are still quite common, whether that’s a field, park, or a place found next to a nearby body of water. 

STEP 2: 

Explore the heritage of the buildings around you, as this can include topics relating to the very people who made your hometown what it is today.  It doesn’t have to be a really old building either, there are perhaps more stories than you’d expect from even the modern ones.  Whether that is what business built it, how it was funded, or perhaps an example of how the local community has overcome a problem.  For example, for whatever reason, a building may have sustained damage and needed to be restored, which was only made possible through teamwork. 

STEP 3: 

Explore a space or area of your hometown you may have never been too previously – but within reason of course.  Odd as it might sound, having something like a dog helps massively with this.  Speaking from personal experience, taking a dog out for a walk each day does both the animal and yourself a favour not only giving you exercise, but taking all the different paths available to you that well – one previously had no reason to take.  You do not have to be in a large town/city for all these hidden backstreets/roads or just anything off the beaten track.   

It is a cliché but the world is your oyster, starting from your doorstep.  You do not have to go far to create your own poetry. 

Words by Will Mirakian