He had to leave his children and go to the front knowing very little of what war was all about. Germany had to be stopped as soon as possible. The song the soldiers sang as they went to the front was… I’m going to hang out my washing on the Siegfreid line If the Seigfreid line is still there.
The Tommies, as the English soldiers were called, really believed that it was just a matter of them showing up to fight, and the Germans would run. Little did they guess how hard the next 4 years would be.
In those days, horses were used to pull the wagons and cannons through the mud up to the front-line. They would be under gunfire whenever they did this work. Granddad said the screams of injured soldiers and horses at the front still remained with him those many years later.
Unlike, World War 2, the war was fought mostly in the trenches. One side would launch an attack and win a few yards, then the other would reverse the procedure and win the few yards back. In the meantime, the soldiers were dying in that “no mans land" between the two sets of trenches. Because of snipers who would kill anyone venturing out to help the wounded or to collect the bodies, many of the dead were just left to rot. Granddad said the rats would come out in droves to eat the bodies soldiers.. He said it was terrible to see buddies of his, lie there, for he could do nothing to help them.
After months in the trenches, the rain came down in torrents, the trenches filled up with mud. In order to get out of the mud, the soldiers dug slots in the walls of the trench, just enough so they could slide in, and lie down. They lived in these conditions for months on end. Historians say the war of 1914 to 1918 was much more severe on the common soldier than World War 2, as so many perished due to the terrible conditions, as did by the enemy. All soldiers, the enemy included suffered so much.
After the war Granddad was reunited with his family. He believed wholeheartedly, that as the war had been won by the Allies, they would receive a wonderful welcome back as conquering heroes. They felt they would be better appreciated, they also believed they would receive a better wages and better conditions at the pits.
Television
I don't much care for television, but most people do, and it's a great source of creative ideas. Especially the commercials.
The fact is, most television commercials are awfully bad. So bad, they're laughable.
So while you're laughing at that commercial, why not think about how that idea could be made to work?
If they took the lumberjacks and made them ballet dancers. . .
If there was no singing, but rather poetry. . .
Not all commercials can be adapted into an idea to fit your unique situation. But they can all be the seed of a truly creative idea.
Think about it.
And while you're thinking about that, think about this.
Turn on a rerun of your favorite sitcom. What's the plot? Is it one of about a dozen plots every sitcom uses at some point? Is it even a remake of a plot *this* sitcom has done before?
It may seem strange to talk about warmed-over sitcom plots as a creativity resource, but stay with me.
If you're laughing at that sitcom, even though you know how the plot goes, it's because they were creative with it. They took something that had worked before, and made it work again.
How can you use that lesson in your creative life?
**Your Own Thought Processes**
And what I'm finally getting at with all of this is that you are the creative seed you're looking for.
What all of these methods have in common is that you use your own creative imagination and turn each of these "idea factories" into workable, usable ideas. They're portable idea generators. Not unlike those generators you see at construction sites, only these are mental, not metal.
These generators will work for everyone.
These are creativity resources anyone can use.
But if you and I go to the same store, at the same time, looking for ideas, we're not going to come away with the same ideas or even use the same things to generate ideas.
That's what's so great about creativity resources. They're totally dependent on the creative mind to make them work.
Your mind is the only real creativity resource you need.
Everything else is just gravy.
**To Sum It All Up**
One of the greatest things about creativity and imagination is that you can use what you've got, wherever you are, without any special equipment or materials.
Let me give you an example.
I read a survey somewhere that said that most people get their best ideas in the shower.
In the shower.
No books.
No television.
No clothes.
Hopefully, no children, shoppers, or people to eavesdrop on.
Why do these ideas come so easily in the shower?
I don't know, but my guess is that our minds are relaxed, unfocused, and not straining. Our bodies are warm and comfortable. And we're not worrying about our creative problems.
So I guess really showers are the best creativity resource. But that's another article. . .
Both Ralph Morton & Angie Dixon are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ralph Morton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Lose Weight and Marketing. Ralph Morton is the Author of "What life is all about" gives his rendering of life beginning in County Durham starting in 1928. We would mention, should you have missed some of the articles and wish to have back issues write to. Ralph Morton's top article generates over 201000 views. to your Favourites.
Angie Dixon has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Web Development and Phoenix University. Angie Dixon is a creativity expert and author of The Leonardo Trait: Living the Multipassionate Life. Get a free creativity kit at . Contact. Angie Dixon's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.