by Catherine L. Tully
I’m curious…
When you have an article where you have to be creative…how do you come up with your direction? Are you the type of person who sits back and lets their mind drift until the idea hits you? Or are you someone who needs to do something more concrete, such as brainstorm a list of possibilities?
I’m a drifter. Sometimes I go to the swimming pool and do laps, letting my mind go. Other times I’ll just keep the ideas on simmer in the back of my head and daydream. Fortunately, this works for me. I’ve learned over time that my best work is done when I’m not at my desk.
With writing being such a solitary task, we often don’t know much about the process we each go through to get to that finished piece. So tell me…what’s your path to creating something that you are proud of?
I’d love to know.
Hi, Catherine,
Just saw your post on crafting an article, and I agree with you that our work is solitary and I think more than anything…you have to be open to ideas coming in – like when you’re swimming, washing dishes, or walking!
I just blogged about where I get ideas…everywhere and nowhere, but what you write about (following through) has to be a bit more structured to get the piece done.
I am a huge fan of mental percolation!
Barbara
Thanks Barbara, for your comment. I visited your site and just wanted to say how much I love your bio! It’s well-written and really draws you in!
I really am fascinated at how each of us goes about creating things…
Thanks for sharing your process!
Long bike ride or long run for me (preferably in the woods), but it has to be sans iPod to work. There’s something about a repetitive physical act that frees my mind. If I’m listening to music or a podcast, it clogs things up.
I can occasionally force a brainstorm list, but my favorite is when I wake up first thing in the morning with a couple ideas, a killer lead paragraph or a headline-subhead combo.
Jake-
I hear you on the repetative mvmt thing…
And the music thing. I can’t listen and do anything that requires me to think.
My ideas tend to pop in at times where it isn’t very convenient. But I’m glad they arrive no matter what!