A few years ago, the youth pastor at my local church asked if I could serve the church community by teaching English to a few high school students who were new arrivals in the country. I agreed, assuming I was going to teach basic grammar and composition. After a few sessions, I realized that these students, by no means untalented—a few were studying calculus in their junior high school days in Korea—struggled with writing to the point that they had built up a fear of it. I thought the best way to fight this phobia was to introduce them to the idea of creative writing. Perhaps by nurturing the idea of writing as an informal activity, I could help them improve their English.

For the first session, we reviewed basic syntax and style; I planned a few creative writing exercises for the second. I wanted to engage the students’ imaginations and interest in writing. My plan was to get them to write freely without fearing the grammar rules that hindered their inner creativity.

I went to my local library and headed straight to the art section. Looking at art has always been a good way to spur creative expression. I leafed through a few books of paintings by famous artists like Van Gogh and Picasso and checked them out immediately.

I told my students to look through the books. Afterwards, I asked them to pick a painting. One of my students selected Van Gogh’s "Cafe at Arles." I told him to write a story based on the picture and not to analyze or describe the picture. It was challenging for him at first, but soon I could hear the scratching of his pencil on the paper. Twenty minutes later, the student handed me a short story about two random strangers meeting in the cafe through an internet dating service. It was funny and thoughtful. He enjoyed the assignment very much and I was reminded of the inner joy of unleashed creativity that writing can bring. We reviewed what he had written with an eye to grammar and syntax. The immediacy of catching the errors in their own writing was highly effective in helping students improve their English.

It may seem elementary to grab an art book and form a story based on an image, but selecting the right book is key. It might be too challenging to write based upon a book of abstract expressionist paintings, though I have not yet tried this. In any case, I have used these techniques to encourage students to write freely, initiate creative thinking, and overcome writer’s block.