How do you come up with new ideas?

I haven't been writing poetry for very long, i usually write essays and short stories. But i can't seem to think of any topics to write about. I write a lot about the things that are closest to my heart, but i'm afraid they are all going to be the same, and they're not very good. so i don't want to have the same boring thing...How do i venture out?

When I first started branching out from my norm, I would ask people for title suggestions... and then decide what kind of poem would fit it...

Since you've written short stories... become one of your characters and write a poem from their point of view.

Some of the best poems come from what you are feeling, your experiences, just write what you feel, let it flow and it will come out beautifully.

I dont usually come with ideas i will just be in bed or watching tv or upset and an idea just pops into my head :P

I'm not sure...
I either think,
or get ideas of my favourite quotes...
or i just wait to feel a strong emotion.

Forget Me Not... Sihinta~

Most of the time, lines just come to me and it begins, I don't always know where it's going or where I want to take it, but it is fun exploring. Other times I just pull things from what is going on around me.

Really, writing from your heart is a great thing to do your writing will have strong emotion. as for something new, just look for a topic then find something that really inpires you about it and start from there.

I usually write poems on what i had read from. Some poems really inspire me and i use the same topic. Other poems i write from my own experience.

Im either just sat there and it pops into my head.. or something in my life makes me think of seomthing new.. like a dramatic change or something bad happening..

or sometimes i could just be listning to music on my ipod.. and it gives me inspirations to write about something.. =]xx

It depends on how I feel each day...

Me i get new ideas from everything around me music art anything with an interesting title gets me thinking what i could relate it to lol i was in a feild of flowers and i wrote a poem called the life of a bee (see where im going with this) anything is an idea you just have to look hard enough

Most of the time I write wat i feel...my experience.. how i had felt... also reading books n poems help...

My ideas come from other poems mostly...
or even a word in a poem...
if i see a word my head just starts brainstorming ideas and that leads to the writing...
and alot of poetry reflects what happens in my life!

I get my ideas from what happens to myself, or writing about stuff i wouldnt do but just to get it outta my head.
what I usually do is write a title and go from there.
Songs inspire me a bit as well.

xx

I usually get my ideas from my heart, or it just pops into my head.
i guess im not afraid to show emotion or anything in my poems. but ill check out your poems too. im sure they are better then u think.

They just come to me through watching the people around me

I don't :[ though I wouldn't say my topics are boring, unadventurous, or unsatisfying. I'm a tragedy writer through and through. I occasionally will write a poem about life, love or society but they usually have a tragic tone to them. I guess I'm just not versatile though I am some how able to make my poems diverse through different imagry, themes and styles under my preferred genre.

I think one thing that can help is to start looking at every situation as something you can write about,and also to write through someone elses eyes.I wrote one called Dear Daddy through the eyes of a child I knew. It opens up new subjects.

Life, dreams....anything around you. look at something and write about it. think of something, write about it. do something, write about it...explore new perspectives...there's so much to write about.

Just write whatever your thinking,.^_^

Well that is always a very personal thing with every poet simply because everyone is inspired by different things. I find life experiences to be the best source. Reading also helps alot since it gives you an insight on what other writers find inspiring. Another effective method Ive been using lately is just turning the news on. There are so many f**ked up things going on in the world and writing about it can be extremely powerful. Good luck!

I have the problem of finding new matirial daily. I have only ever found one thing that has helped. Walk out side with your eyes clothes, spin around twice, and then open your eyes. The first thing you see write about. use immagination when you do it. If you would like an example of what i mean go look at the poem i wrote called "Giant with a hundred arms" The first thing i saw was a tree. You can also do it with out even going out side. Look for something out of place, then write about it fo an example about that "Pen" another one of my poems is one to look at. The only thing out of place was a pen. so i wrote. if that doesn't help, then i suggest you go take a long bus or car ride and let your mind wonder, eventually you will think of something, with out even knowing you are thinking of an idea