Cultivating Ideas

This is my 10^th article, writing 3 times a week is more tasking than I imagined initially. I stared at this screen for many minutes contemplating what to write about, or if I should just put this off till tomorrow. Writing comes easy to some people it seems; I have friends that write all three of their articles in a day! I can’t even wrap my head around that. Where do they get their inspiration from? I usually struggle with one or two posts during the week then allow the pressure of deadline to force me on the last day. Obviously not an efficient way to go about this task, so join me as I explore ways to get ideas and inspiration for writing

Where do ideas come from?

Many people think that ideas come from the mind, but the brain only plays a little role in idea generation. Ideas are typically born from a combination of factors including imagination (mind), observation, experience and knowledge. Interestingly, ignorance can also be a motivating force when generating ideas as sometimes our knowledge of facts and limitations prevent us from thinking outside the box. Now that we know where ideas come from, how do we cultivate them?

The quality of your ideas depends on the quality of materials you feed your mind. What you observe (see, hear, feel); what you experience (outside of your comforts); what you learn (from books, and life experiences)

Meditation

I know your mind quickly went to some kind of yoga mat, burning incense and some droning chant or mantra. Meditation need not be so complicated, as with many things there are levels to it. It may be virtually impossible for you to engage in that kind of meditation (cross legged, eyes closed, oooommm) and experience the ambiguous benefits like transcendence. The goal of meditation is to quiet your mind and free yourself of the troubles of the day, meditation can be achieved in ordinary repetitive tasks like washing dishes or taking a bath (wonder why you always seem to get interesting ideas in the shower). Mindfulness is a skill you can develop to have your mind work better in generating ideas.

Write down ideas as they come

Ideas can be very slippery, especially in today’s world of a million and one distractions. The average person gets about 6000 distinct thoughts daily, among which may be a few innovative or disruptive ideas (many times in the most unusual places), but without a system to trap these ideas, they usually go unnoticed or shy away at a corner of our minds when we try to remember them. If you are unable to take action on an idea, it pays to write it down, then you can come back to it at a more convenient time. Employ the services of a note and pen while meditating or going about your day.

Ask questions (be curious)

Ask and question questions. Curiosity acts as a catalyst for creativity by prompting questions and exploration. It encourages a mindset of seeking understanding and solutions. This can lead to diverse range of ideas; ideas can even birth more ideas. When you’re curious you’re more likely to explore new perspectives, connect seemingly unrelated concepts, and uncover novel insights, nurturing a fertile ground for idea generation.

In conclusion, ideas come from every where and everything. If you keep your mind uncluttered and develop a curious mindset, creativity will flow naturally. Take deeper breaths!

Jefe