by Cami Walters-Nihipali
I have an idea!
Great!
Now what?
Get it out of your head and onto the page.
How?
That’s the relevant question: How do you get an idea from inside your head out onto the page when an idea strikes?
I bet if you ask 10 people, all of them will have an opinion about how to do this. The operative word there is OPINION. All of us are unique and different so it stands to reason that each of us has a unique methodology to approach new relationships, new jobs, new challenges, new ideas.
Here’s a truth: Everyone has ideas.
Another truth: Not everyone will take the idea and make it Into something. It takes effort, persistence, hard work, and some level of frustration to see it done.
Facing the challenge of a new idea and getting it onto the page comes down to these facets (in my opinion): knowing yourself, discipline, motivation, persistence and resilience.
Number one on that list: Knowing yourself.
So let’s begin there.
You need to know what makes you tick. What kind of learner are you (not sure? Here’s a video to get you started)? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Do you need small blocks of time? Giant blocks of time? People to bounce ideas with? A quiet place with no distractions? Are you an organizer? A coffee drinker? A snacker? Do you need directions and guidance or would you rather fly by the seat of your pants?
You get the idea right . . .
One of the most difficult parts of the writing process is doing the work through each of the phases. Writing is hard work. Arduous. At times it’s painful. But it’s also beautiful. Cathartic. Purposeful and imaginative.
To ease the struggle (which is real), it is important to have a strong sense of what makes you unique as a creative. Why? Because to get the idea from inside of you to the page it’s important to identify and understand your strengths and your weaknesses. Awareness of this will help you capitalize on what you need to avoid, or work around the pitfalls that might derail your progress.
With your idea in your head (it isn’t going anywhere), take some time this week to get very close and personal with yourself! Look critically at your successes and failures. Understand the nuances behind each of them. This heavy lifting for yourself will help you with your creative journey moving forward.
Here’s some questions to get you started. Come back for next week’s post armed with self-awareness because I want to see you achieve that step that many people aren’t able to get beyond: seeing that idea to fruition.
Next blog: Beyond the Lightbulb Moment
Questions/Reflections:
I am a [visual/auditory/kinesthetic] learner. (not sure? Click here.)
I am most productive at [specific time]. Explain and explore that.
When did I last feel successful? Explain and explore. What specifics do I think contributed to this success?
When did I epically fail? Explain and explore. What specifics do I think contributed to this fail?
How might the exploration of my success and my failure inform me about my creative process?
I am an [introvert/extrovert]. How does this impact my work?
My usual MO when I get an idea is to…
How has my usual MO proved successful? How has it hampered my forward progress?
Think about the last time I had an idea and the moment I got stuck. Explain and explore what happened.
What do I need in order to focus?