“Where do you get your ideas from?”
I was asked this recently, and I replied that I see ideas everywhere.
I’ll notice something - a visual, a sentence in a book, a view, a part of a conversation - and an idea forms in my brain. Sometimes it’s just a fragment, and sometimes it seems to download, fully formed.
And I then realised that wasn’t the whole story.
When I reflected on it further I realised that I’ve been increasing my capacity to have ideas over time. I’ve been building a habit.
It’s a practice, not a gift.
When I reflect back I can see what’s been useful:
1) Set a filter | What are you looking for inspiration about? What to do next in your career, business or life? Places to live, things to learn about, people you would love to talk to? Decide on a lens.
2) Widen your perspective | Be open to inspiration everywhere. Notice what you are drawn to in your everyday life, pay attention to what stands out.
3) Catch your ideas as they arrive | Write them down, record a voicenote, take a picture...
4) Give them a home | Create a place to put them, at whatever stage they are at. For me this is the Notes app on my phone. For you it might be Pinterest, or a notebook, or an app like OneNote or EverNote. The goal is to have a greenhouse for your ideas. An incubator. A way of keeping them warm and safe.
5) Learn from them | Review and cluster them. Organise them and notice the themes that come up. Pick a few to test out. Use them in some way - there is so much information to gather about what you find shiny, exciting, interesting.
And remember…
Like any good innovation funnel, not every idea is going to make it through. Not every idea will turn out to be a good one. And it can be hard to tell at the beginning - don’t filter out too soon!
Some of my ideas that felt earth shattering at the time died in the greenhouse.
Others turned into something completely different after being nurtured for a while.
Some that felt unremarkable - almost not worth capturing - created a big impact.
So start and see where you go. Practice makes progress, and the more ideas you have, the better ideas you can have.
Do you have a greenhouse for your ideas?
And how can you create one to nurture and learn from what inspires you?
Wishing you all a wonderful week,
