Feedback: When Do You Get Your Best Ideas?

A few weeks ago, I did a post where I described the three activities which freed up my subconscious mind to give me my best ideas (jogging, mowing the yard and showering). I asked for feedback from readers about their best inspirations for ideas. I promised I would share the results, so here they are.

The Nightfly said his best ideas often come at inopportune times:

"I get my best ideas when I'm too bushed to actually bother with the work of writing them up. Or I get them at work, which is the same difference. I've gotten in the habit of carrying a pen and some 3x5 index cards all over the place, which means that I have a pile of them at home waiting for further action."

Katalina replied that she gets her best ideas "when I am asleep":

"Most of what I call my...“book” material comes from my dreams. There have been some nights...where I have had dreams and have woke up saying to myself, “...now that is a great material for a short story or book!” I have rushed to my computer...and have typed everything (and I do mean every little detail from scenes to character descriptions) that I can recall from the dream...Other ideas have come to me when I am driving (alone)...[Also], walking...the thoughts just come to me and as soon as I return home, I enter the thoughts into the computer..."

Katalina said she also gets ideas when she is swimming (she's a native Hawaii girl, you know), and also, because she is an amateur bookbinder, she gets "a lot of ideas for pages and covers from magazines, books in the libraries [and] antique shows."

Kate could identify with Katalina's invigorating dunks as a source of good ideas:

"Swimming was always good for me too...also playing the piano (I don't play very well, but it does seem to help me transcend my conscious mind). Otherwise...I find I just have to start writing, or talking, and the thoughts just start flowing. My husband is a great sounding board, and my thoughts are always much more fleshed out when I've had a chance to talk them out with him."

So, there you have it. The way I see it, I have much more boring sources of inspiration than my fellow bloggers. I'd much rather be getting the idea for my next post swimming off Wakiki or playing Beethoven instead of cutting weeds, but God gives each of us what we need. And I guess boredom and routine will continue to fuel my creative fire, even if it's a bit...boring.

Quote of the day:

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."

--Jack London

"Or a lawnmower."

--Muley