Practise thinking in pictures

Writing a poem is a way of thinking in pictures. So start writing poems!
If you never wrote a poem before, begin like this: choose three words that have a clear picture . Choose a thing, an animal and a color or a feeling. These three words form the basis for your poem. Take a paper and a pencil. Say the three words a few times aloud, and look in your mind at the thing, the animal and the color or feeling. Now you start writing down anything that comes up. This will bring about a connection between the thing, the animal and the color or feeling. The connection does not need to be logic. It may be nonsense. You can use the words several times if you want. Dive into the stream of sound, but make sure the three words stay clear pictures. You will notice that more pictures come up and that the pictures start streaming too.

Infinite variations

Do you believe that you cannot think in pictures, but want to learn: start reading poetry. The words in a poem evoke a lot of pictures. Not only the pictures of the writer, also your own! Poems can be seen, tasted and heard. You can jump in with all your senses.
To inspire you an English poem from the Dutch poet Leo Vroman, who lives in the USA.

A psalm for Albert Einstein

System! If You must surrender
to Your own lust for rolling dice
why does nothing You create
in the splendor of our Fate
ever happen twice?

No tottering glass can almost fall
and fall to break into the same
pieces twice – who can recall
one shard by a previous name?

No child is ever steered again
into the same last night
and none of us can claim the right
to live in vain.

If Thou throwst any dice at all
Thou must have shaped it like a ball
and feast upon its thunder
of infinite variations,

Thy bowling ball
all beasts and nations
must fall under.


This poem is a treat. Like good chocolat. Taste a piece and wait what happens. Infinite variations. I especially like the dice, shaped like a ball.