Kickstarting Your Creative Flow: The Art of Capturing Ideas

The Vanishing Act of Brilliant Ideas

Have you ever had an amazing idea that you thought was fantastic, only to have it vanish like a dream later? You were sure you'd remember it, but when you finally had time to explore it, poof! Gone without a trace. Life’s like that, isn't it?

We've all been there, especially when we're out walking or busy chatting with friends. It's frustrating, but here's the thing: if we don't note the idea down in some form, it will escape and get away from us.

The Creative's Lifeline: Always Be Prepared

For creative folks, always being prepared to capture ideas is essential. Consistent notetaking is the key to powering up your creativity and building a treasure trove of ideas to work with. Let's explore some tools and techniques to keep those creative juices flowing.

Humble Notebook: Your Creative Playground

The basic notebook is a fantastic place to start capturing ideas. Personally, I prefer a physical notebook because it provides:

• Distraction-free thinking space

• A place for lists, brainstorming, and planning

• Room for diagrams, sketches, and designs

• The ability to easily incorporate different colours

It's much more playful than digital alternatives, in my experience. You can easily flip through pages and review your past ideas, unlike digital notes that often disappear down an endless feed. But if you're a digital native and it works for you, stick with it!

Remember, your notebook isn't for perfection – it's a playground for your mind. Don't worry about spelling or grammar. Just get that ******* idea down!

Your Phone: A Pocket-Sized Idea Studio

While I love my physical notebook, my phone is better for recording melodic or rhythmic ideas or capturing inspiring scenes.

Here's a tip I recommend - use your camera app to record quick videos of you humming a tune or explaining an idea. It's faster than finding the voice recorder, and you're more likely to review a video later.

If you have your instrument handy, film yourself playing through a new song idea. You can see the chords you were playing so you can find them easier next time. It doesn't need to be perfect – it's just capturing the moment.

Digital Note-Taking Apps: Organize Your Inspiration

If you prefer digital notetaking, there are plenty of options:

• Evernote: Great for organizing notes with tags and folders

• Apple Notes

• Google Keep

• Notion

I find Evernote particularly useful for research and referencing articles, webpages, and links. You can even import photos of your physical notes! It just makes it easier to organize your research and projects.

AI Tools: Your Brainstorming Buddy

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity can be incredibly helpful for:

• Brainstorming ideas

• Outlining articles, books, copy, or scripts

• Editing

• Planning projects

• Market research

• Plenty of other things

Just remember that while AI can do a lot of work for you, it might not capture your authentic voice. Use it as a tool, not a replacement for your creativity.

The key to using AI effectively is writing clear, specific prompts. Be detailed about what you want, including style, word count, format, and depth.

Tip:

Tell it to “act as _______” - for example, “a professional business copy editor”, “a professional songwriting expert”, or “professional marketing expert.” It will do that for you and behave like whatever you tell it to.

Consistency is Crucial: Building the Note-Taking Habit

The real power of notetaking comes from consistency. Here are some tips to build the habit:

1. Start small: Write for just 5 minutes with your morning coffee

2. Always have a notebook (physical or digital) with you

3. Don't judge your ideas – write everything down

4. Review your notes regularly to spark new connections

Remember, perfection isn't the goal. Your notebook is for ideas, not finished masterpieces.

Your Creative Voice Matters

Your creative ideas are the lifeblood of your career, and it's crucial to have a bank full of them. Your creative voice is unique and valuable – the world needs your authentic perspective!

So, don't let those creative sparks slip away. Capture them, develop them, and then share them with the world!

Question: Were you taking note?

Get into the habit!