Where's Your Net?

If you're in the business of creating anything ... or even if you're not in the "business" of it ... you've got to have a place to catch your ideas.

Or if you're like me, you have a bunch of places.

For many years, I'd have inspiring conversations with clients, be driving and a song lyric would hit me the right way, or I'd be in that idea-generating machine called a shower, and I'd have some idea that would beckon to be written about. How many times had I said to myself, "I should write a blog about that."

I always knew I was a "writer;" there's something about this form of expression that works for me. I always knew I wanted to write and maybe find a way to make that a part of my job. Or at least do it for fun. Or both.

But so many years when by where I'd let ideas just stay ideas in my head. So many ideas have bubbled up and then just fizzled out.

This year I decided to challenge myself to publish a blog post everyday. The only parameters were that I had to hit publish every day. They needed a title, a one-sentence excerpt/summary, and at least one sentence in the post. Then I'd find an image that vaguely related to one of those and attach that to the post for the blog page or when sharing on social media. That's it.

The experiment was to see what happened when I wrote every day. My hypothesis was that somehow I'd find something to write about. Almost half-way through the year now, I have found something to write about everyday. This blog has become the "net" that catches all those ideas that float in my head throughout the day.

I also have a note on my phone where I have a list of things that will hopefully remind me of the inspiration I had in moments like those outlined above.

They say things like:

"the hero's journey - the call in coming from inside the house"

"Wanting is evidence of having"

"Manifestation Math"

"What can I forgive myself for in advance?"

Most of those I haven't event written about yet! I'm waiting for a time that I sit down to do my practice and nothing comes. Most of the time, something comes.

It's like I've set up a permanent fish camp in my mind by sitting down to write everyday. I've got spare ideas in my phone notes net waiting, but often, the mental net already has something waiting to be harvested.

So whatever your creative endeavor is ... what's your net? I'm starting to believe that keeping the note on my phone has helped me keep ideas in my mental net top of mind. Things aren't slipping through like they used to.

If you're trying to get a project off the ground, generate ideas, write a new poem, or just want to think of something new to make for dinner, try keeping a list of all kinds of ideas somewhere and see if your mental stash grows too.

It seems to me that once you start catching ideas, more come. The mind likes it when it sees you're paying attention.