Where do ideas come from?
This is an age-old question that creatives and professionals alike have asked and attempted to answer for aeons. Perhaps our ideas come from lived experiences or the art we consume. Perhaps ideas are birthed from tried and tested concepts, making them reincarnations of old ideas. Perhaps they’re metaphysical gifts bestowed upon us by the universe. Perhaps it’s some combination of, or none of the above.
One thing I've found to be true in my experience is that ideas come when we create the space for them. I use the word “space” with intention, to refer not necessarily to one’s physical environment (although this may have a significant impact on our ability to generate ideas), but to figuratively refer to the time to wonder, the freedom to wander, and the latitude to just be. In other words, the space for boredom.
I write this at the end of a particularly busy week. I’ve been engulfed in a project that’s been difficult and rewarding in equal measure, the implication being I've hardly had time to breathe, not to mention time to be bored, and I can feel it in the quality (or lack thereof) of the creative ideas I've had this week. Towards the end of the week, I realised that while I’d no doubt been exposed to interesting ideas by virtue of the books and articles I’d read, shows I’d watched and music I’d listened to, I hadn’t carved out the time to let these ideas germinate and bear fruit in my mind. I have little doubt that the ideas came to me as they usually do, but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to recognise, cultivate, and execute them. In this vein, I’m reminded of the words of Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who recognised and popularised the concept of flow:
"Try to be surprised by something every day. It could be something you see, hear, or read about. Stop to look at the unusual car parked at the curb, taste the new item on the cafeteria menu, actually listen to your colleague at the office. How is this different from other similar cars, dishes or conversations? What is its essence? Don't assume that you already know what these things are all about, or that even if you knew them, they wouldn't matter anyway. Experience this one thing for what it is, not what you think it is. Be open to what the world is telling you. Life is nothing more than a stream of experiences — the more widely and deeply you swim in it, the richer your life will be." - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
While every single word of the above quote resonates, perhaps the line that stays with me the most is the idea that life is nothing more than a stream of experiences. We are the sum total of the things we pay attention to, and while it’s important to pursue interesting and worthwhile experiences, we need to remember to foster an environment with the right ingredients for ideas to germinate. These ingredients include the raw materials that form the basis of our ideas – in other words, the right food for thought, the openness to approach seemingly everyday experiences with curiosity thus allowing for serendipitous discovery, and the space for boredom.
PS: I did some more sketching this week. The events and conversations depicted may or may not have happened…
P.S.: My debut non-fiction book, Art Is The Way, and my middle-grade novella, A Hollade Christmas, are out everywhere now. You can get them in all good bookstores and from all major online vendors.