How to creatively shape text boxes

To add the the advice that's already given, here is how to create some shapes...

(BTW, IMHO the first and third spread are OK but I think the second spread would confuse the reader. An example of someone getting too clever for their own good.)

The design of the second spread can also be achieved with text wrap.

As a simple example, I created three ellipses with the Ellipse tool. (If you know how to use the Pen and path editing tools, the frames can be more imaginative). They don't have to be text frames.

Choose the Text tool, and click in the first frame which makes it into a text frame. Choose File > Place and choose your text or Word document. It will flow into the first frame. With the Selection tool,, clickl the red + to continue the flow and click on the second frame. Continue this through other frames.

You can either draw a shape from scratch: 

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/indesign/using/editing-paths.html

Or add a TextFrame and then modify its shape.