If you are like me, you may not always know how to begin or further work on a creative piece. This could be a painting, a blog for your company, a song, a book, a film. Here are a few ideas we’ve come up with to help you in the process of ongoing inspiration.
Grab It When It Comes… and Keep It!
I have been a songwriter now for over a decade and a half. Rarely do I find a tune by clunking out keys on a piano or trying to come up with a hook or melody. It’s usually on the go that a tune or line will come to me. While listening to music, just jamming on my guitar, taking a walk, or lying in bed. My goal though is to value that idea or melody by ‘grabbing’ it. I grab my phone and record a voice memo. Raw as it is then, I can take a look at it later and create something with it. Most of my songs have happened that way.
Grab those ideas and at least save them for later.
A quick reference to a couple tools for this could be Voice Memos on the iPhone or Evernote. There are tons of options really.
Keep a Pool of Ideas Handy
You may need to create content on a consistent basis. Sitting and getting a pool of ideas down as a master list would be worthwhile. Later you come to it for a starting point.
This time of “idea pooling” could be with a group of people too. But make sure you don’t drill down on any concept too much. Use this time solely for gathering topics, ideas, titles, melody lines, or whatever creative form you are working with.
Stream of Consciousness
Have you ever just started writing, talking, or playing to see if you get in a flow or what comes out. Letting your stream of consciousness begin to flow can often breed some pretty incredible results.
Take a topic as a writer and just start writing. Don’t let distraction or your mind’s critique get in the way until after a bit. Just write, just sing, just begin to draw…. you may be surprised what comes out.