Where Do Your Ideas Come From?
April 18th, 2007, by Michael StelznerDo your daily routines feel like a bad version of the movie Groundhog Day?
Are you in an endlessly repetitive pattern that leaves no time for thought?
When do fresh ideas come to you and why?
I was surfing the blogosphere, wondering what to write about. Then I hit upon a post by David Garfinkel that inspired me to ask these questions:
What inspires you? What keeps the creative juices rolling?
Bloggers, writers and creative folks will nearly all agree that their ideas are inspired from somewhere.
I want to know: where do your ideas come?
I will kick off this dialog with a bit about where my ideas come from:
- Other people: I enjoy reading what other creative types are saying and doing. This sparks some connections in my brain that often lead to new ideas.
- Other industries: I like looking at industries outside of mine for inspiration. For example, I was on a blog that had a chat feature. I added that feature to my product pages near the buy button. Never seen it done like that, but got the idea in a non-traditional way.
- Prayer: I pray daily for creative ideas. My Lord often delivers with some pretty amazing response.
Where do you go to get your ideas? What is your source of creative inspiration?
Lets talk…
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April 19th, 2007 at 7:35 am
Good question to ask. I recently updated my info requests over on Google Alerts. This has given me a new influx of web content in various subjects like writing for the web, article writing, marketing, etc. I am amazed at the immediate servings of postings that I now have access to.
I think the most important part of getting ideas is a journalists training or nose. Not sure how I acquired it, although I was a journalism major many moons ago. But it is the ability to spot the really news worthy point in information that can sometimes be hidden in reports and posts.
It is more important to me to be able to sift through the stuff and find what’s important to my clients and readers that others may not see.
Lastly, I get ideas when I’m away from the computer, in the car, on the tennis courts, working out, or buying vegetables for dinner. Somehow my overactive brain works better with some distance and doing things that are relaxing. All of a sudden I realize the most important point I may have missed. Then I use my cell phone to call myself and leave a message so I don’t forget…;-)
April 19th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Patsi;
Great idea on the Google Alerts!
Mike
April 19th, 2007 at 9:38 am
You mention prayer in your post. Could you elaborate on that a bit?
April 19th, 2007 at 9:42 am
Sure Mike.
I ask the Lord for creativity and he delivers.
I do a lot of praying and find it very helpful.
It’s not like I get a telegraph from God, but my ideas seem to flow more smoothly with some prayer.
I know it is not politically correct to mention prayer, but I am a strong believer in it.
Cheers!
Mike
April 19th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
I’m getting very tired (bored with, annoyed, yadda, yadda, yadda) with politically correct. I’m glad to know that there are others out there that look to the Lord for guidance. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Him. Thanks, Mike, for your political “incorrectness”!
April 19th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Hi Lisa - Bless you and thanks so much for your reply. He is my strength. - Mike
April 19th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Driving. I get so many ideas when I’m driving that I had to break down and buy a digital recorder. And it’s not just ideas, sometimes it’s full-blown paragraphs (for the business writing I do) and scenes (for the fiction writing that I do). There have been times that I discovered, while transcribing these recordings, that I essentially wrote an entire fact sheet while driving.
Walking. Three years ago I had the privilege of hearing Garrison Keillor speak at a writer’s conference, and he stated he was a big advocate for writers “staying close to the ground”. Walking is the best way to stay close to the ground, and he recommends that “writers do it for three or four hours a day…or as much as their schedules will permit”.
April 19th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Whitney - I think you are onto something. I perhaps need a recorder because, like you, I get ideas while driving.
I end up calling my office and leaving messages all the time.
Mike
April 22nd, 2007 at 9:03 am
I, too, get inspiration from prayer.
Just the other day, I was in a terrible jam. A client wanted what she called a “report”, and when I delivered the first draft, she informed me that was not what she wanted. I reviewed the specs, sent her examples, according to her specs, and she sent me back what I and almost everyone else - except her - would call a white paper.
Not knowing the first thing about writing a white paper, I sat quietly and prayed for God’s assistance–and, as always, he delivered with super fast speed. The result: I found this Web site, ordered, downloaded, read the eBook, and delivered a knock-your-socks-off executive summary. Thank you so much!
God is definitely good and prayer always helps!
April 23rd, 2007 at 6:45 am
Hi Kikiy;
Great story and thanks for sharing!
Mike
January 7th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
There have been times I literally prayed before Googling something. That’s how I found the college I eventually graduated from. He does answer prayer.