Making inspiration a habit: 5 steps to more ideas
Let’s talk about the joys (and occasional horrors) of creativity and making stuff.
In an earlier newsletter, I mentioned that I generate more ideas than I know what to do with. Again, this was not a boast — after all, that essay was about getting an idea to a finished product. But it made me ask “how do I generate ideas?”
I realized the beginnings of my process trace all the way back to a book my father gave to his young science-fiction obsessed son, Notes to a Science Fiction Writer by Ben Bova. That book started me on the path to taking ideas seriously, and not just as things bestowed by pixies with a magic wand.
So here’s my process that I’ve used to generate ideas for videos, instructional design gigs, comedy plays, this post itself, and even Danny O’Hare.
Step 1: Feed your brain
I was talking with an artist at a film festival reception, and was delighted to hear that he was a poet. I asked, “Who’s your favorite poet?” And he replied, “Oh, I never read poetry.” I excused myself as quickly as was polite.
This was not a guy who was serious about his craft. And odds were, he wasn’t good at it.
People who are good at what they do — filmmakers, marketers, content designers, and yes, poets — are voracious consumers of what others have done and are doing in their field. They are constantly learning from the successes, and the mistakes, of their peers.
The only way to avoid repeating what has already been done is to know what has already been done. And if you’re not already a fan of the kind of work you do, why not? It’s time to become one.
Staying informed in your field was one of the first pieces of idea advice from Mr. Bova in Notes to a Science Fiction Writer. And it’s vital.
So consume, consume, consume. Follow the rockstars of your field. Study the old masters. Look for the unknown gems. Subscribe to all feeds, magazines, newsletters, and podcasts. Check the award winners and nominees in your field and examine the work that got them recognized. Know the trends.
And don’t take any one source’s word for what’s good — find it yourself. Look for what affects you. That’s part of building not just ideas, but your voice.
Step 2: Look at your brain sideways
Now that you’re putting interesting stuff into your head, you can build your unique perspective on what you know. It’s like taking a metaphoric step away from your own brain, and looking back at it from a new angle.
Think of it like a location or activity that gets popular on the Instas or the Toks. Soon your feed is full of the same shot, the same gag over and over. Yawn.
But then somebody posts a drone view. Or they show up 6:15 in the morning, right as the sun does. Or they turn around and take a picture of the crowd waiting to take their identical shots. And suddenly you’re seeing more. Something different. And you’re interested again. It’s the new perspective that turns that over-done subject into something new.
So how do you get a drone into your head? How do you sneak up on yourself at 6:15 in the morning? Luckily, there are a couple of easy ways to get a new perspective:
Ask “what if?”
This is another recommendation from Mr. Bova. And it’s the classic Science Fiction question, isn’t it? The question that launched a thousand Martian invasions: “What if there were Martians who were more advanced than us?” The question that turned Neo into a human battery for hyper-intelligent AIs: “What if machine-based life turned on their creators?” Here’s a couple of ways to build a “what if?”:
Take something new, and think about the next step (Slack started as an in-house tool for a game development team. Then they had the idea to expand it so others could use it.)
Take something established, and change one key aspect of it. (Twitter took SMS messaging technology from cell phones, and applied it to the web.)
Mash ideas together
”It’s Die Hard on a bus.” Remember that movie pitch? It sounded absolutely ridiculous—and then it became the movie Speed, one of the most successful of the many “Die Hard on a…” movies of the 80’s and 90’s.
Once you start to get your ideas, try pressing them against each other to see if they stick. Especially if they really don’t seem compatible.
Sticking two things that “don’t belong” to each other is like panning for gold—you get a lot of gravel, but boy howdy, there are some awesome nuggets.
Hey, did somebody incredibly cool forward this to you? You can press the button below to receive your very own copies! Then you’ll be cool, too! (Actually, you’re already cool. And this button will make you even cooler!)
Step 3: Gotta catch ‘em all
When you get in the habit of consuming and asking questions, ideas will start arriving. Randomly. At inconvenient times. They arrive fast, and they leave fast. You will not remember that brilliant fix to your code in the morning. So you need to write it down/record it/tattoo it on your forearm now.
David Allen, in his most excellent Getting Things Done uses the term ubiquitous capture. Simply put, you need to be ready. When an idea occurs to you, you need to be able to record it right then.
It doesn’t matter how. For many years I carried a pen and a Moleskine Pocket Reporter Notebook everywhere. Now I use Things on my iPhone. (I do miss that notebook, though.) Use whatever lets you record the idea now.
And remember, some of your ideas will be bad. That’s a given. Nobody comes up with winners every time. But the key thing is: it’s too early to tell.
An idea has arrived? Thank your muse, and accept the gift. Don’t worry if it’s dopey or unachievable. Capture now—judge later.
Step 4: Form a relationship with your ideas
I know a successful artist who captures ideas and snippets on the back of envelopes. It’s a full-on Emily Dickinson-type capture method. But she doesn’t leave her ideas there.
She then transfers all that content to a series of notebooks. She captures her ideas, and then puts them all together where she can easily review them.
Give your ideas a home
Whatever your capture method, keep all your ideas together, in someplace safe and accessible. And then when you review them, they’ll all be next to each other. Which makes it easier for you to ask “what if” and to experiment with mashing them together.
Watch them for changes
You and your world will constantly change. So even your old ideas will mature and mutate. Don’t give up on an old idea. Let it sit comfortably. Its day may come.
Know the different kinds of ideas
Some ideas are destinations: nuggets of info, snippets of tactics. Others are signposts: they just point and say “dig here.” Some are just questions (“what came before the Big Bang?”). All are valuable. Even if you don’t know what to do with them, keep them where you can return to them.
And sometimes you’ll get only half an idea. Record it anyway. Someday, its other half may arrive. And great will be the rejoicing.
Remember that ideas are relationships
Getting an idea is like falling in love. At least for me. I know now that most of my ideas have a kind of attraction half life. For a day or so, they are the greatest thing I have ever thought of. So I give myself a little time to be besotted, to write all the possibilities of the new idea, to make plans.
Sometimes the attraction stays, and the idea turns into a long term project. Often, I begin to see flaws in the idea as it stands now, and I know I need to let it go.
But it still stays recorded with all my other ideas. And sometimes I change, or the world changes, or I find another idea to attach to the old one, and I return to it. And then I’m glad I found it a home to wait in.
Just like with people, be respectful and gentle of your former ideas. Do not lose contact with them. They can become a foundation of thought that returns to you when you need them most.
Step 5: Let your ideas sit lightly
Just because you thought of a cool concept, that doesn’t mean you have to do something with it. Ideas are just that: ideas. Things of thought, lighter than hydrogen.
An idea isn’t an action item. It’s a possibility. And you will encounter, scientifically speaking, gazillions of possibilities in your life. It’s OK if you have more ideas than you can possibly get to. And it’s also OK if you have a single idea that drives you.
After all, I’m just talking about ideas here. They’re important, but they are just the start. Once you have them, the actions are up to you.
I look forward to seeing the actions your ideas inspire you to.
Until then, I remain,
Your pal,
Jamie
P.S. New name, same great taste
You may have noticed that the newsletter is now called “(required field) transmissions”. The old title, “The (required field) Productions newsletter” had it’s own charm, in a Captain Obvious kind of way, but I like this new one. Shorter, snazzier, with a touch of a retro vibe from the word “transmission.” As if this is a broadcast you can only get on shortwave.
Some of these articles are cross-posted to my LinkedIn account, where I pretend to be an adult. But you newsletter folks get everything, even the stuff that’s just fun. Especially the stuff that’s just fun
I hope you tune in next time for more thrilling(?) adventures!