Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
It’s one of the questions writers dread. People who don’t see themselves as creative ask this with genuine curiosity, though, like it’s some holy mystery they don’t have access to. And to be sure, a brilliant novel (or any piece of art) can seem confounding: how did they do that? I feel it myself as I read, and even more so when I contemplate a piece of art or music or dance (although with those, I know that I don’t have the skill to pull it off; with writing, I can’t help but compare how I might have executed the idea with the one on the page).
Some writers have way too many ideas. Ideas are constantly popping off, often at inconvenient times. In traffic, in the shower, in the middle of a scene for another story... They struggle to keep up with the flood, and to figure out which ones to follow through.
Other writers feel the anxiety of not knowing when the next idea will come. Will it be a good idea? Why am I blank? Am I blocked? Maybe I’m not a real writer. Maybe my career is over...
Of course, any writer may feel both of these during their writing life. There’s no good or bad; it’s just the way things are in that moment.
I’m thinking of this particularly since I’m re-reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic. Her theory is that ideas are semi-sentient, actively looking for a way to manifest in the world. I confess, the first time I read the book, I resisted this theory. It didn’t feel relatable to my experience.
She says:
“Ideas are a disembodied, energetic life-form. They are completely separate from us, but capable of interacting with us – albeit strangely. Ideas have no material body, but they do have consciousness, and they most certainly have will. Ideas are driven by a single impulse: to be made manifest. And the only way an idea can be made manifest in our world is through collaboration with a human partner.” (p. 35)
She goes on to say what happens when an idea lands, but the person isn’t interested, is too afraid, or for whatever reason isn’t in a position to help manifest the idea in the world, it simply moves on to someone else. And of course, there is the theory of Multiple Discovery, whereby several completely disconnected people in different parts of the world manifest the same idea. This has happened with many inventions in the past. And most of us, I suspect, can relate to having read a book, or thought of a business idea, or some other idea, and seen it out in the world and seethed: “I could have done that! That’s my idea!”
But you didn’t. It left you, and went on to someone else who did want to work with it. And maybe that’s okay. It might not have been the right time for you. You might have been busy with another idea. Or, you might have been closed off to ideas – too consumed with daily life, or Candy Crush, or maybe clinically depressed, to consider it for more than a moment.
Whether you agree with Gilbert’s theory or not, I’m now of the mind that it’s a wonderful way to think about creativity and inspiration. It takes the ego out of it, and allows a certain freedom. Ideas will always be there, if you are open to them. And if an idea doesn’t work out for you, it may come to fruition somewhere else.
How do you make it more likely that ideas will come to you?
Stay open – Do you ever catch yourself, when inspiration comes, saying, “oh, but it will never work”? Or doubting the time, energy, and skill it will take to do the project? In other words, do you have a negativity bias that makes you focus on all the reasons you should say no to an idea? Ideas come to those who are open to them. Practice saying Yes. Write your ideas down. Listen to your inner voice.
Be willing to experiment – Don't feel like every idea has to be THE idea, the one that will be life-changing. Fill the well regularly by exploring new places, new activities, new forms of writing. Play with ideas as they come. See if the initial excitement settles into something deeper.
Show Up Often – Ideas come to those who expect them. W. Somerset Maugham famously said, ““I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp.” Be willing to make space and time for your creativity, and ideas will be much more likely to find you.
Commit – Once you have an idea, commit to working with it. Give it time and everygy. Put your all into it. You may have experienced what happens when you let an idea languish too long without working toward it. I had a novel I worked on for years, that just wasn’t working out. I let it go for too long, and by the time I got back to it, I’d lost all desire to work on it. It was DOA. No matter how much I pushed myself, I couldn’t summon any energy or desire for it. I had to set it aside.
Which brings up the question, How can you tell it’s an idea you want to commit to? Experimentation, play, and commitment all play a big part. Sometimes you work with an idea for a while, and it never develops into anything. Or you realize the idea isn’t enough to carry the weight of a novel, but might make a good short story, essay, or poem. The main thing is, you should feel excited, and maybe a little scared. It has to be meaningful to you in some way. If you’re just chasing a trend, the fire will die very quickly.
And remember, big ideas often come with a big dose of fear as well (can I do this? Should I do this? How will this change my life?). If you think of an idea as choosing you, as wanting to manifest through you, then maybe that can carry you through the initial fear, because it's less about you than about helping the idea to manifest in the world.
You are absolutely worthy of whatever ideas find you. And no two people, starting with the same idea, will ever have the same results. So there is nothing to fear – there are plenty of ideas, and you will be the unique crucible to transform them into a work of art that only you can create.
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