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Courage in three lines – how writing haikus sparked my creativity

Rain on the window
Unwritten thoughts come and go
Words await their turn

A couple of years ago, I discovered a fantastic way to spark my creativity during one of our Writer’s Hours. I’d been staring at an empty page for far too long until something nudged me to try writing a haiku, i.e. just three short lines.

Writing my first haiku was a revelation. It challenged my inner critic and became the inspiration that unlocked new ideas and opened up a whole new world of writing.

Before that, writing haikus had always felt outside my reach.

I enjoyed reading them though. In fact, ever since stumbling across a delightful little book about haikus in a charming old bookshop near London’s Kew Gardens.  I vividly remember flipping through the pages and being fascinated by those brief Japanese poems.

I still find it amazing that just three short, simple lines can make such an impression.

One of my late friends (R.I.P. dear M.) had talked about writing a book of haikus for ages. Naturally, when it was finally published, I was very pleased for him. But when asked whether I would like to have a go, I immediately dismissed the idea.

Writing poetry… me? As a non-native speaker of English, I felt sure I could never be as good with words as my friend was.

My breakthrough

It wasn’t until the Writer’s Hour I mentioned earlier that I managed to gently challenge my limiting belief.

At the time, I was still recovering from a painful chronic illness flare, which had been getting me down. I didn’t really want to write about it, but something compelled me to try.

With a pencil in hand, I started scribbling down words, rubbing them out when they didn’t sound quite right and replacing them until they felt better.

Illness owns this space
Another mountain to climb
One step at a time

I instinctively knew that I could take small steps despite my health issues. And that writing these lines about my experience would change something in me. I am very grateful for that.

4 benefits of writing haikus

Writing haikus means writing mindfully

The beauty of writing a haiku, as I see it, lies not only in its simplicity. It encourages us to slow down and be fully present in the moment. To describe something small but special to us, whether it’s an experience or something we notice in nature, like a raindrop, a snowflake, or a bee.

You get to the heart of your observation

All you need is a few words to capture the essence of what you notice. A haiku’s short, tight structure won’t let you ramble on.

Think: what’s the one true thing you want to say here? No unnecessary words needed. (It’s a wonderful practice for this wordy writer!)

No more empty-page dilemmas

Staring at an empty page and thinking about writing 1,000 words or more can feel rather intimidating. In comparison, writing three lines is not. Once you’ve written something, even something tiny, you’re likely to feel more creative, making it easier to keep going or even return to your blog idea.

Anyone can write a haiku

You may not be into writing poetry, but haikus are wonderfully accessible. They don’t rhyme and are among the shortest forms of poetry. Haikus are all about simple things, so there’s no pressure to be especially clever. Just give them a try, and you might discover a hidden talent.

A writing exercise and a few tips to help   

 A traditional haiku has three lines and usually follows this format:

• Line 1: 5 syllables
• Line 2: 7 syllables
• Line 3: 5 syllables

Pick something ordinary around you. A cup of tea, rain on the window, or the situation you’re in. Traditionally, haikus honour nature, with you, the writer, as a witness.

Questions that might help you get started:

1. What do I see, hear, experience? (Line 1)
2. What is changing, surprising, or troubling me? (Line 2)
3. What thought or realisation springs to mind? (Line 3)

At first, I wouldn’t worry about the exact number of syllables. Some writers are quite relaxed about the numbers anyway, as long as the idea feels right. Others don’t stick to the 5-7-5 format but make sure they have 17 syllables in total.

If you haven’t written haikus before, please relax. What matters for now is simply to get started. Oh, and if the nature element makes it harder for you, you can always look for something else.

Which is what I did in this simple haiku:

Staring at the page
Somehow my thoughts are elsewhere
I should just write!

It turns out I missed a syllable in the last line and broke another traditional rule here. Theoretically, it is not a good idea to include pronouns like ‘my’ and ‘I’ as it takes the attention away from your objective observation.

For me, the real question here is what these lines are about. Perhaps about procrastination or overwhelm. Or even lack of focus. Another message here could be what happens when you stop waiting for inspiration and simply begin.

Your answer will then point to a longer piece of writing hiding inside the haiku.

So always ask yourself: “What is my haiku really about?”  That could be your topic for a new blog post!

10 haiku writing prompts – specifically for bloggers

1. Something you notice in the moment before you write the first words
2. The experience of finding your voice right here, right now
3. Losing your writing mojo or finding it again
4. Why you keep coming back to the page
5. The difference between wanting to write and actually writing
6. A n idea for a post you’ve been resisting
7. The fear of publishing your words
8. What you see in your favourite writing place
9. Something that changed your thoughts about…
10. Writing anyway, even when nobody seems to be reading

So the haiku is just the beginning. Perhaps it’s just the spark that leads to a bigger piece of writing.

Always try to think deeper about your 3 lines, by asking yourself: What bigger story is trying to get out?

Happy writing!

And if you’d like more tips about finding inspiration to write, please go here.

Ute x

PS, Photo 1 is from Unsplash, the others are my own.