I gave the picture below as the prompt for #100WordsonSaturday feature on Write Tribe yesterday. A friend messaged me to say that it was a tough prompt. I emailed her back three ways in which she could interpret it. I’m sure there are several other ways too, and I look forward to reading all of them. This otherwise very creative friend, was perhaps thinking too hard when she messaged me.
While I’m not attempting to interpret the prompt in this post, it got me thinking about ideas, how they occur to us and what we do with them.
Idea Factory
I’m constantly having the craziest ideas when I’m bathing, just before going to sleep or when lolling around in bed. I’ll ‘invent’ all sorts of stuff, come out with the weirdest solutions to things and enjoy myself doing that. I keep bugging my trying-hard-to-sleep husband, that someone should pay me for my ideas. In this fantasy, all I have to do is come out with the ideas, people snatch them up and pay me for them. José is certainly not impressed. Instead he might fall asleep mid-idea and mumble something unintelligible when I press him for a response.
My idea factory comes alive when I’m really not working on it. Things pop into my head when I don’t try too hard. I’m certain that’s how it works for most of us. It’s the disciplined ones among us that will then write these ideas down and see how they can be implemented.
The whole business of whether you can learn to be creative, think outside the box (should there be a box at all?) and idea generation is fascinating.
Today, I’m taking the easy way out and sharing a couple of links about idea creation with you.
Generating New Ideas – Think Differently and Spark Creativity – From Mind Tools
The ability to generate new ideas is an essential work skill today. You can acquire this skill by consciously practicing techniques that force your mind to forge new connections, break old thought patterns and consider new perspectives.
How to Encourage More Creative Thinking – Sparring Mind
A very well-researched article which will give you plenty of inputs on idea generation.
Do you own an idea factory too? 😉
As part of my August celebration, I’m reviving #AnythingGoesOnSunday – an invitation for you to add yours link for your Sunday posts to the linky below. No theme, no prompt – anything goes! However, I’d appreciate if you left a comment and visited at least two of the blogs linked before yours!
You know Corinne, I used to think that there should be some sort of way in which I could just photograph all the thoughts and ideas lurking inside my brain. Some of these comes and goes rather quickly at the most inappropriate moments.
Now that’s an idea right there, Vinitha! I know just what you mean.
I am so tired of having a great idea and then losing it that I FINALLY got myself a recorder attached to my person. Now all my ideas and reminders can be recorded as they ‘come’
I was just telling José that I need a recorder too, Carol. Nice to know it’s working for you!
It’s funny because years ago everyone used one and then we got away from it with our phones and ipads but I find it works better as a separate unit.
I agree, Carol. Do you have the dictaphone type with tiny cassettes? Or is yours more sophisticated?
I had the one with the mini cassettes but the other day it stopped working — too old I guess. I ordered one that has an usb connection and is voice activated as well.
Oh wow! I must look for a similar one too. Thanks, Carol!
You know Corrinne.. i was also thinking hard on that picture prompt given by you and couldn’t come up with anything. First it looked like a perfume bottle, but it has glitters in it. I think, you made all your blogging friends to wear thinking hats :p
Really.. i too think many times, should we think out of box? why that box should be there first of all? creativity has no limits.
I think we all must stretch our imaginations, Mahati. There’s nothing really fixed about the prompt – don’t even think about the bottle to begin with. 🙂 And I so agree with you – creativity is endless – that’s the beauty of it!
I’ve often considered where ideas come from. Sometimes, they just pop into your head. I’m inclined to believe in a Universal Consciousness. Consider the concept that all the great minds in the hereafter are working together, and somehow, certain people can tap into their reflections. This explains why certain inventors or artists had the same thought at roughly the same time when they lived without contact with each other. Just a THOUGHT.
That’s a really interesting perspective, Francene. I’m going to consider it and try to find more to read about this. Thank you for sharing! You are amazing!
Ideas in the shower, yes. I keep paper and pencil close to my bed because although I think I will remember my great idea, too many I forget if I don’t write them down. Just this morning I had the idea that my husband should build a shoe box. He said he would consider it better if I didn’t present a project to him the minute after he woke up!
I kept the paper and pen handy but was too lazy to write, Haralee. Must try that out again.
Our husbands should realize that being married to creative women comes with a price! 😉
Ideas follow no routine. Sometimes I wake up with an idea in mind and sometimes, no results even after thinking super hard. It would be unfair to call myself an idea factory for those of some reasons 😉
I like the hastag #AnythingGoesonASunday. It’s a real good one and makes sense after we write on prompts, themes and what not 🙂
I recalled all your journals, Parul and am certain you have a wealth of ideas there! Having ideas that work is quite different from having ideas, no? Mine can be totally ridiculous at times.
I’ve restarted the #AnythingGoesOnSunday linky to encourage those of us who write on Sundays to share! Thank you!