Forcing would smash this delicate flower of inspirations

Hmm.. good questions.

Personally I never force to write. Sometimes I just feel like writing.
When I write because I'm bored, I just write horrible. Not that my other poems are that great, but believe me when I force it, it's even worse hahha. Erm.. So no, "I" can't force myself to write a poem nor program myself to do so.
So.. basically I write when I have to.

I have some poems that were more or less forced, but I am quite confident you cannot tell which ones

No, I don't believe you can force yourself to write a poem (I suppose I'm implying a good poem) without what we call "inspiration".

However, I do believe that "inspiration" can be found in anywhere and everywhere you care to look, so long as you give it the time and thought it deserves.

I'm putting the word in quotations because I almost feel like there's a bigger concept there that can't be summed up in a word... but at the moment I can't be bothered to try and articulate it.

i think we can force ourselves to be creative other wise how would people having to paint commisioned portaits, compose music for television, or on a lesser scale colloumists in a newspaper. i'm sure with lots of practice brillient poets can spout brillient words without needing inspiration

Some commission work and writing for magazines and the like I am interested in, I look at as more like a challenge. And I am always up for a challenge. I also look at money as not so much buying glamour and 'brilliance' or whatever, but -status- and credibility.

Though Shostakovich's position was a little different, as his order came from Stalin, and, well, he could've really gone anywhere from there. But the fact that he turned it down and stood up to Stalin, speaks very well of him. Again, credibility, all a writer needs. Because writers deal primarily with words. And if you have no Honor, your word means nothing.

hmm im sure if he wanted to he could have composed something brillient i mean with music there are several rules to making a good tune i.e cadences, simple structures/melodies, and although i am not a genious i am sure if i had a deadline and a fat wad of money as inscentive then i could write a half decent tune

yes, but it would've been for STALIN

artists gotta have some standards

I would not force myself...

I just find any topic I see, and write about it. It is that simple. Inspiration comes when you visualize the topic your are writing about.

I have been known to force myself, but on very odd occasions. I generally do the same as Ismail... Find a topic, visualise, write! Inspiration for me is heightened in a number of ways. Haven't written anything solid for a few days now, so haven't posted, but I consider it good work :) If you force yourself to write then you won't enjoy it, it will become another chore.

Yes you can force it easily. I bet you could go to my poems and not know which one is forced (yes one is forced and it's also one of the most popular).

It's not that hard really. It's just not as fun or satisfying. I only did it to get myself inspired, lol.

But, yes you can! MUAHAHAH. I just advise not to, it does make it a tad bit harder.

Anyone who's able to breathe can write a poem. It takes heart and soul to write a good one.

I would never force myself to write a poem...if im not happy about how a poem is going i might leave it alone, sometimes for weeks and one day it will just click. I write for the joy of writing and if that ever changed i would just stop.