To be totally truthy, I’ve been struggling writing about this topic all morning- how do you talk about “how to find original ideas” in an original way? Eek! Conundrum!
I started writing about how our minds are kinda like radios- constantly on, always chattering- sometimes you’ll find good music, sometimes only static, all depending on what frequency you’re tuned into.
It was going to be a how-to post on tuning into the “creative inspiration station” in your brain. But it was quickly becoming lame. And just wasn’t truthy enough.
So now I’m back to the drawing board, and starting from there- the truth.
Truth is, I value myself a lot on the basis of originality and individuality. It’s a cornerstone of who I think I am, the one thing I know about myself for sure- I am original.
And the fact is, we all are original. We all are a uniquely combined set of DNA and life experience that is unlike anyone else out there. But the weird thing is- we think a lot alike, in a lot of ways.
It’s kind of freaky really. Even right here on the blog we witness everyday evidence that we’re not alone in these thoughts we have of ourselves and the world around us. And so it’s no wonder we’re often on the same wavelength as each other when it comes to the formation of ideas.
It could be said there are really no original ideas left, and when you knock everything down to its base, I have to agree.
But there are original people- you being one of them. People who can take an idea that we’ve all heard before and turn it into something we’ve never even imagined.
Your perspective, imagination and interests are what gives you the ability to create something “new”, different or innovative.
So I really believe the more we can turn the crowd noise down and tune into our own thoughts (Jen shares some ideas in her post today on how-to) the better we can come up with ideas that are not only truly fresh ways of looking at something, but that also really resonate with others.
And the more opportunities we give to ourselves to get out and experience life, to indulge our interests and curiosities, to try the things we’ve always wanted to try, the faster and clearer and sparkier those ideas come.
When I was sitting at my notebook this morning staring blankly, no interesting ideas were coming through. So I got up, had some kitty cuddle time, made some coffee and took a break. And then I thought- “why don’t I just write about how I’m having trouble writing about this, and see where it goes.”
And that’s the seed where original ideas begin, I think- in exploring the truth of your individual perspective, and seeing where it goes.
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Check out Jen’s post on how she comes up with new ideas and gets inspiration (with some pics from our beach trip!)
Share your thoughts/tips/struggles around original ideas and inspiration on your blog too, and we’ll post a link right here for our readers to check out!
Gillian from Craftzilla Conquers the World on creating time for originality & creativity
Kelly from Living Apockylypse on how to stay original & embrace your differences
Courtney from Chakra Glow on original content and nature as inspiration
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How do you put your unique spin on things to make them original? Where do you find inspiration to come up with new ideas? How do you turn the crowd noise down and tune into your own thoughts?
[...] Truthy Tuesdays on the Maven Circle blog and on our personal blogs. Here’s where you can find Jena’s post about finding original ideas and inspiration and mine is below. [...]
This is a great topic for TT. It is so easy to worry about anything you do not being “original” enough, but I agree that there probably aren’t any more original ideas. Absolutely WE are original and as long as we are bringing our own unique perspective to something and changing it, refreshing it, etc. it can take on a new life!
Exactly!! And that’s exactly what you do with your jewelry, your latest stuff especially. It really is your unique view and I love that! :) jena
It’s funny how often I think about a blog post topic and a few days later someone else has written a post on the same subject. How does that even happen? But we all have different thoughts and perspectives and ideas around a general topic that means we can still add some new light on the idea.
I never lack for ideas – I can’t keep up with them! but sometimes I come back to those ideas a couple of days later and they don’t seem as great as when I first came up with them – the harsh light of day can take the shine of them. But if you come up with 10 ideas, you can usually find one or 2 that you still love in a day or two.
My biggest challenge is getting things written down when the right feel is flowing – turning that idea into something inspiring and articulate. Some days, I write and it feels clunky and awkward. Other days, the angels are singing and the words flow beautifully with just the right tone and feel. It often happens while I am at my day job which is a little inconvenient though….. You should see the collection of scribbled post it notes I have!
Haha! I bet your post it collection rivals my crazy notepad collection! I’m like you, I have to write ideas down as they come cause they come so fast sometimes and it is nice to scribble in a fever and come back later to see what sticks or where those nuggets of ideas can go. Thanks for sharing, Coral! -jena
And again, I think we struck the same thread of this idea –not that original ideas are exactly what matters, but taking your own unique perspective and point of view into account :) That’s pretty much what my post is about this week too–about giving ourselves space to just create and to be our own unique selves.
http://craftzillaconquerstheworld.blogspot.com/2012/09/finding-time-for-originality-and.html
Haha, of course! Thanks for participating Gillian! Love that you’re setting some goals for yourself around time- that’s the hardest part when it comes to ideas I think- finding time to get them down, and roll with them! -jena
[...] ask have really got me thinking, so I thought I would share my thoughts on this week’s topic: originality & where you find inspiration. Why don’t you join us & share your thoughts? Source: observando.net via Kelly on [...]
I agree – it’s all about our individual truths and perspectives. So fitting for a Truthy Tuesday!
I really enjoy these weekly prompts as they always make me stop to think about what my own creativity means to me. Thank you so much!
Here’s my post this week:
http://www.thechakraglow.com/2012/09/truthy-tuesday-original-content.html