This is a guest blog from my buddy, Josh Neuroth.
My head is spinning right now trying to remember that idea I just had.
For a single moment the right mix of inspiration, understanding, and insight came together in my mind and I thought something I had never thought before. It was like, for a split second, my mind was on a different level.
It’s gone. I didn’t write it down. I lost a very valuable idea.
The truth is, inspiration doesn’t last long. Sometimes inspiration happens when we’re talking with a friend, eating lunch, driving, or walking through a busy place. Even if we have time to pull out our iPhone and jot a few notes down, it may not be enough to capture the inspired idea.
There’s a better way.
Rather than depending on random moments of inspiration to hit us like a lighting bolt, make time for dedicated inspiration. Ok, you may have heard the term before, but hear me out.
You must get your mind out of its routine. That’s why you had that lightning bolt moment of inspiration–because something you heard or saw took your mind out of its daily thought routine.
I think of my mind as a circular track with different levels–like if you piled Nascar tracks on top of each other. Most of the time, I have the same level of thoughts, racing round and round on the lowest track. Then something stimulates me to make a jump to the higher track where I discover new ideas and inspiration as my mind races around that track.
I found my stimuli for jumping to a new track when I was in college: my best ideas would come during lectures that were only slightly interesting. Something the professor said would act as a gateway spark to a new mental track. My mind would stay on that track because I couldn’t leave class and the white noise of their voice kept me focused. Meanwhile, I would fill page after page of my journal with new ideas, sketches, questions, and thoughts.
I’m not in college anymore, but I’ve found ways to reproduce the stimuli. Now I bring my journal to a coffee shop in a busy bookstore and pick out a couple books that look interesting. I open to a random chapter and skim till something catches my attention: “Woah! I’ve never thought about that.” Inspiration begets more inspiration as I begin to take notes and ask myself questions about my ideas (it’s like daydreaming but with ideas). Meanwhile, I’m jotting down what I’m thinking creating fodder for future blog posts and projects.
So in the end, you don’t have to wait for inspiration. Force yourself into a situation where you won’t have routine interruptions and then provide yourself with something to stimulate your mind. But always write thoughts down, because inspiration is perishable.
About Josh:
Josh Neuroth is a Business & UX Designer at SpokeHQ. You can find him on Twitter or his blog at joshneuroth.com.
I love what Blaine Hogan calls this type of non-waiting. “Scratching when you don’t itch”
🙂
Ya! Blaine’s brilliant. 🙂 that’s one of the reasons I’m stoked to have him on the http://www.sundaymag.tv project. 🙂
I love what Blaine Hogan calls this type of non-waiting. “Scratching when you don’t itch”
🙂
Ya! Blaine’s brilliant. 🙂 that’s one of the reasons I’m stoked to have him on the http://www.sundaymag.tv project. 🙂
This is brilliant! I can’t tell you how many ideas I’ve lost because I didn’t write them down… Thinking, maybe if I get my mind into that state I was in when I had the idea, it’ll come back. Nope…
Great post!
-Tyler
Josh is a real OG 🙂
This is brilliant! I can’t tell you how many ideas I’ve lost because I didn’t write them down… Thinking, maybe if I get my mind into that state I was in when I had the idea, it’ll come back. Nope…
Great post!
-Tyler
Josh is a real OG 🙂
So true. Ironically, I’m coming at it from another side. After a long creative dry spell, I’m back to feeling how I did five years ago. Maybe creativity needs to have a directed purpose to thrive too.
Careful publicizing that. You might get some jealous creatives wanting to knock you off your game. 😀
So true. Ironically, I’m coming at it from another side. After a long creative dry spell, I’m back to feeling how I did five years ago. Maybe creativity needs to have a directed purpose to thrive too.
Careful publicizing that. You might get some jealous creatives wanting to knock you off your game. 😀