Remember how I told you your ideas are kind of like fireflies? They flitter about. They glow and go dim. To get a better look at them, you have to catch them and bring them into the light.
Well, oddly enough, you can catch your ideas with the very same device I used to catch fireflies when I was a boy: a mason jar. Only in this case, the mason jar becomes an idea jar, a place to store all your flashes of insight, potential projects, and half-baked schemes. And since you probably have lots of ideas, the bigger the jar the better.
All you have to do is jot down your ideas on scraps of paper, fold them up, and drop them into your idea jar. Then walk away.
Later, when you have the time, the real fun begins. You just pluck a random idea from the jar and play with it.
You can write about it, draw a picture of it, or create a model of it from a lump of clay. You can talk to it and ask it questions, or even argue with it. The point is simply to do something, anything, with one of your ideas.
You could do this once a day or once a week or once a month, each time selecting another one of your ideas at random and seeing what you can make of it. It’s a pressure-free way to start treating your ideas as if they deserve your attention, and they do.
Of course, you know it doesn’t have to be a jar. It could be a file folder or a shoebox or anything you like, but I think it’s good to keep each idea on a separate piece of paper. That way you can truly select one at random and not waste all your time trying to decide which one to explore.
Make this a habit and you’ll get better at it. You’ll find yourself coming up with new and interesting ways to turn your ideas into something more than just vague notions.
Why not start now? Grab a pen and some scraps of paper and start gathering your ideas. Then toss them in the jar. Can’t wait to see your collection.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Love the image of a fireflies in a mason jars.
I carry an index card size notebook and a purple pen in my back pocket wherever I go to capture ideas. Rereading it always inspires an idea to write about or draw or starts the wheels turning for a new project.
Thanks, again, Ken!!
.-= Sandy Dempsey´s last blog ..Exploring Work and Career: Part Three =-.
And thank you, Sandy.
I love the purple pen.
Ken
Chinese takeout cartons are also great for this. I did some seminars where we handed those out at the beginning for people to trap ideas that came during the event.
I love it!
This is such a great idea… This is also good for kids too, thanks for sharing!! Now I gotta go find a jar…
.-= Mommy Reporter´s last blog ..FAO Schwarz boutiques to open in Toys R’ Us stores =-.
They’re also good for sun tea.
I like the cookie jar metaphor. It makes the concept of keeping ideas something that will stick in your mind – better than just grab a pen and paper, etc.
I also like your blog. I think you have a good thing going here.
Thanks, Hal.
The jar’s really good for those ideas that aren’t quite ready for prime time. You might not be ready to devote your full attention to them, but you can still play around with them every now and then.
I like your idea. Very clever and a great way to teach the family about creativity and idea generation. I get most of my ideas in the shower or while driving. I even recently discovered a new waterproof notepad called AquaNotes that lets me catch my flashes of insight without having to get out of the shower to write them down.
Hi, Cal.
I just discovered AquaNotes via Twitter. The creators have an account. You can follow them at http://twitter.com/ShowerThinker