“I wish you had a GMC,” Gracee sighed. “So you could have a TV in here.”
If you’re going to be a writer, Gracee, you’ve got to look around. You miss too much treasure with your eyes on a screen–TV, Barbie computer, Nintendo.
Like there. That place almost looks like it used to be a little motel, but there are always cars there. Look outside that door. There’s a little tricycle. I think people live in those rooms. Who do you think lives there? Why do they live there?
Look at those beautiful tall flowers. I wish I had a garden like that. Who do you think planted it? Who takes care of it? What are they like?
Why are those fire hydrants all painted yellow and blue? (She later decided that whoever painted them must be University of Michigan fans. I would have painted them green and white.)
Why do you suppose that house is for sale? It doesn’t look like anybody’s lived there in months.
Did you see that bird?
Just look at the colors of that tree. The leaves are changing already.
I prattled on and on.
Then she asked, “Is that fire hydrant real silver?”
I don’t know. Let’s stop and check it out.
I whipped the car around and into the parking lot of the fire station. We got out of the car.
Nice hydrant. Real? Replica? I don’t know. There’s a water cover. Maybe real. But what if there is something hidden under there? Some kind of treasure? What if there is a secret behind this hydrant? What might be inside it if not water?
We could have gone in and asked questions and found out for sure. But we really didn’t want to.
We got back in the car.
“That was fun!” Gracee declared.
That’s the idea about ideas. Finding them should be fun. And sometimes they find us. We need to loosen up.
Here are some things that work for me. At least I’m working on them.
1. Get enough rest. Great ideas do not come to the weary.
2. Nourish your body. Eat healthy. Drink water. Don’t overdose on M&M’s. And, oh yes, exercise.
3. Nourish your spirit. Spend time in the Word daily.
4. Clear the clutter. In your surroundings. In your head. Learn to say no and let go.
5. Cultivate silence. Turn off the noise.
6. Cultivate stillness. Just. Sit. Still.
7. Read. Widely.
8. Engage in wordless recreation. Take a walk. Go for a bike ride. Bake something. Make something.
9. Develop eyes of wonder and awe. Rediscover your inner child. Play with blocks. Color. Swing. Get down on the ground. Look up. Notice details.
10. Take a journey to your past. Remember.
11. Be present on the page. Lock your editor up. Just write. What’s around you? What’s in your head? Free flow.
12. If all else fails, take a shower. Much more than water flows in water.
This post is part of the Christian Writers blog chain on Where We Get Our Ideas For Our Stories. See what others are saying. The schedule (still in process) is on my Links page above.
Your ideas are spot-on, Sandra. I just went for a run and was writing in my head the whole time. I’d neglected exercise for the entire summer because it seemed like I didn’t have time. Now I realize the movement of my body would have been mentally productive as well. Oh well, lesson learned.
I know. I always wonder why I put it off. It seems to save time in the long run. (Hee hee. I made a pun.)
Hi Sandy –
Wonderful list! Isn’t this what kids do before they get wrapped up in computer games? What’s this? What’s that? Why are frogs green?
I’m learning to stop, look, and listen when something catches my attention.
Blessings,
Susan 🙂
And sometimes we need to stop, look, and listen for something to catch our attention. 🙂
Great post…a recipe for living as well as writing.
I’ll confess that I first read #6 as cultivate silliness and thought, “Now there’s someone after my own heart.” Maybe that could become number 13. A person who can’t laugh at the world won’t see the contradictions and irony built into every situation.
Peace and Blessings
Cultivate silliness. Love it! That, too. 🙂
Oh, Sandy! I love this! Great ideas! I would love to be a stow-away on one of your jaunts with sweet Gracee. Too fun! Blessings to you both!
Oh, we would love that, too! What fun we’d have.
Wonderful story, Sandy, and some great ideas for stimulating ideas. 🙂
I’d like to add “hula hoop” to #9 (and maybe #2 as well, since it’s my primary form of exercise these days). It’s way beyond the toy store hoops and waist hooping we did as kids, and learning new moves and tricks is a challenge to both body and brain, which helps keep you young and young at heart. (Okay, done with the hooping plug. Back to our regularly scheduled comments…)
I’m not very good with the hoop. Maybe I need to try again. Cheap exercise.
Well-written and thought provoking. I’m trying to inspire the Creative Writers in my family too.
I used writing as an excuse not to exercise. Thanks for the reminder that staying healthy and exercising helps me to think clearly and imaginate. 🙂
We usually don’t give up food or sleep. (Though I admit I have sometimes when I get engrossed.) Why do we think we can give up movement, which is just as important?
What a great mom! Teaching your child to cultivate creativeness. The water one is so true (maybe because of the negative ions?). Good post!
Negative ions? That’s an interesting thought. Thanks.
How do you get our posts to show up with our comments? Cool feature!
CommentLuv. It’s a WordPress plugin. I think it just became available for Blogger.
Sandra, such great advice. I believe that the gift of the creative, whether writer, artist, photographer or whatever is the ability to see inspiration everywhere. The world is an idea when you look rather than just see. It is a beautiful thing to see stories, patterns and ideas hiding everywhere, and to allow yourself time to simply allow them to flow. So much of my writing happens long before I pick up a pen or sit down at a computer.
“The world is an idea when you look rather than just see.”
Oh, I love that!
Loved your story 🙂 Loved your list! I might add a #13, don’t forget to step out of the writer’s tower and connect with people. And I enjoy your writing overall. New follower here. Came over from Terri Tiffany’s site
Welcome, Kenda. And thank you! You are right. We need to maintain those human connections. Now I’m heading over to your house to return your visit. I’m in the mood for tea. 🙂
I love #10:) And maybe I said this before but I like your Voice. Your daughter has a way cool mom who makes her think and look!
Warm fuzzies! Thanks. Oh, and for my new readers, Gracee is my granddaughter. I guess she has a cool grandma 😀
what an awesome exchange with you and your daughter. Reminds me of my Bella…and LOVE these ideas…I totally agree with the shower…all my ideas come from there and the kitchen sink while washing dishes. Since my first creative outlet is art, I tend to explore textures and colors and patterns to get the juices flowing again. And worship – whether I’m writing or doing art, worship lyrics always send my mind in far off places…
Worship music, yes! I love to turn it up, close my eyes, and just feel it. Thanks for mentioning it!
I love this list. And I gotta go with adding the cultivation of silliness. I need to print this and post it all over my world!
Now, on a different note (potential pun there):
“On the banks of the Red Cedar,
is a school that’s known to all.
Its specialty is winning,
and those Spartans play great ball!”
I’d have painted them green and white, too! ; )
Go Green!
Except my husband graduated green (bachelor’s) AND blue (master’s) . . .
Go Green!
What a fabulous list! I especially loved the last one – how true! I have actually had lots of inspiration while in the tub or shower!
There’s just something about water. 😉
Sorry so late in commenting on this wonderful post! It’s obvious that you love life!
#4 hit me. I tend to enjoy all the different things that life can offer a little too much, and get overwhelmed with the too many “yeses” I’ve uttered without careful thought. Time to declutter!
Otherwise I’ll never get to even #1 or #2. 🙂
Great post, Sandy – one that I would print and leave pasted above my desk for some gentle reminders.
Blessings to you!
P.S. – you don’t LOOK like a grandma!
Thanks, Kat!
And for your P.S. XOXO! 😀
Wow some really practical ideas here. I’ll have to put some of these into practice. This chain is really pointing out to me that so many people find their ideas in the world around them. I must pay more attention to the world outside rather than just the worlds in my head.
Between the world outside and the world inside, it’s a wonder some of us just don’t blow up.
I’ve got to figure out how to get into your site. 😛
Fan TAS tic post. 🙂 My husband has said time and again that the shower should be called ‘the idea box’.