Uncommon Threads

A look at the variety of sources of inspiration reveals infinite connections. The 'prompt' as it is called is a technique which can yield some very creative work. For example, a teacher may assign a group of students the following sentence fragment: "There were a thousand reasons to turn and walk away..." The ventures from this launching pad will certainly be as diverse as the minds that write them. Another source can be the complete written work of another. As a writer is read the reader may take his/her voice and make subtle changes in their own speech tendencies and word choice--like many do when introduced to a foreigner with a rich accent. For the purposes of online learning, Inspiration is often required on-demand.

Whether reading a droll post which requires a creative infusion, enjoying a well written post and carrying the theme to the next level or simply pointing out something which seems obvious that no one has yet commented about. These all cultivate a distinct learning environment, a place where ideas rebound and resonate and engaged writers let the muse run free. Unburdened by requirement to produce anything of lasting substance, the modern student can literally live on inspiration without getting a whole lot done. Course requirements are met, colorful tone and text blend to establish--or maintain-- voice, and all are entertained.

Can this inspiration-based existence fulfill the need for deeper--or as it has been dubbed, 'higher--learning? Does the exchange of ideas in a creative block count for knowledge gained? I think it does. As we delve into opinion and seed conversations with our various influences a remarkable symbiosis emerges. Where a writer or two can exchange ideas, a host of writers can establish entire thought planes, and the diverse interactions between them truly require a reliance upon flexible, crafty and careful literal tact. The future of online learning may soon be tamed and canned and spent, let us now indulge in the organic, boundless revelry to which we aspire.