Capturing Creativity - Part 2

Posted on December 4, 2007
Filed Under Creativity, Posts

There you are off to the post office on foot, when suddenly you are seized by a wonderful idea. This could be an for a blog post, interesting web design, lyrics to the second verse of your latest song, or whatever.

You feel the power of this idea, and it is easy to imagine the wonderful places it may take you. You can see how it could lead to this twist and turn, this beautiful design, or that lovely phrase.

You have just been hit with the creative hammer, right on the head. When these things strike, it is truly a blessing. These things don’t necessarily come everyday, so when they do it is imperative that we make note of it. But instead, what do you do?

I know my brain. I will be able to remember it when I get home.

OR…

If it is such a huge idea, It will come to me again.

OR, perhaps pathetically…

Wow. What an awesome idea. Too bad I don’t have anything to write on.

Why-oh-why do we slap our creative powers in the face? When you feel that surge of adrenaline, the electricity of insight, or the high that comes with these great ideas, why don’t you WRITE IT DOWN? It is such an easy thing to do.

There are a few reasons for not writing down your ideas:

1.) You don’t see them for what they are

This boggles the mind, because when these ideas come, they do everything in their power to make themselves known. Your heart-rate increases, everything vanishes from your perception apart from the idea , and there is genuine giddiness. How can you not see them?

I know some of you may think, “That has never happened to me. I must not be creative.” Could it be that it has never happened? Or is it more likely, the ideas do not seem to arrive because you are not open to the possibility of them being there?

This is clear to me only because I am open to the arrival of these ideas.

It wasn’t always this way, of course. These things have been arriving all my life, but I never really took notice of them. I thought they were just daydreams, and therefore, I’d better focus on something more important. Oh, the shame! But one day, I decided to follow the next idea that came; follow it to wherever it went.

And I was shocked.

It went to so many places and led to many avenues that I had not imagined possible. There were interesting directions, compelling directions; too many to follow. The only way I could keep up was to write these things down as quickly as possible.

There might be an inclination to only follow the ideas that are familiar to you. For example, if you are a fiction writer, your urge might lead you to pursue ideas that have been done one million times before, because you think them to be safe. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS. Chase after the things that are scary and unfamiliar. Go for the ideas that make you say, “What the hell?” Even if it seems crazy to do so. Follow it and find out just how crazy it might be.

The world does not need any more safe art.

2.) You think you don’t have the ability to pull it off

I’ll make this as simple as possible for you:

If you have the ability to dream it, you have the ability to create it.

If you think of anything in this world that has been built, designed, or otherwise created by humanity, this has always been the case.

I know some smart-ass is thinking, “Well, what if I want to create something like Michelangelo’s David? If I dream it, does that mean I’ll be able to build it?”

First, are you a sculptor? Do you constantly imagine and think about your magnum opus? Is it your greatest and highest passion to design a thing of beauty for generations to come? Is sculpting the thing you were born to do? Are you constantly building things out of whatever you can find? If so, then I say go for it.

Let’s not get into nit-picky semantics here. If you are following your abiding interest, you will take it as far as you can go with it. That is the nature of this passion. If you have it, you will take it to the end. And everyone has it. Whether they believe it or not.

3.) You arrogantly think you will remember it for later

Do you regularly forget your car keys, or are they constantly misplaced? Do you get to the store then realize you didn’t bring any money? Do you forget people’s names? Yes?

Then, you will forget your ideas.

They will slip away the way dreams escapes us as we move about in the morning. Don’t just bask in the excitement of your new idea; record it in some way that suits you.

It isn’t only due to weak powers of memory, though. Having that high of momentary creative birth is a peak state that cannot be maintained indefinitely. Your idea could well pass on, as the surge in energy slowly slips away.

Don’t let this happen to you!

What to do?

CAPTURE THESE IDEAS AS THEY COME.

Carry a small notebook and a pen. As these things come, jot them down in any way that allows you to remember them.

Most likely, your means of note taking will be as unique as your own personal expression. Highly ordered people will have lists upon lists of stuff, organized neatly into a system that is easily retrievable for them. A painter might mix words with multi-colored images. A musician might use a mixture of the treble and bass clef, filling them in with color based on the mood they wish to convey.

Idea capture should be something to look forward to, not a tedious task. It might be necessary to match the system to your personal traits. Anything that allows you to continue capturing ideas.

Losing a passionate idea is like losing a child. Never let them stray too far.

In the third, and final part of this series, I will show my own methods of note taking and idea capturing. Stay tuned!

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