This photo of my grand-daughter Natalie was taken on Valentine’s Day. Her Pre-K teacher had come up with the idea that each child would have a personal ‘bag’ in which to collect and hold their Valentine cards. When I first saw this wonderful idea, I thought to myself,” How cute! Where did she ever come up with this idea?”
For those of us enchanted by the thought of creating something out of nothing, a new idea is key. We tend to covet ideas but the interesting thing is that ‘ideas’ are all around us. They float in our homes, inside our minds, behind doors-sleeping until we decide to wake them. I’ve learned that good ideas aren’t impossible, they just lay in wait for recognition. I am a writer, a knitter, a painter, and I must cultivate the ability to see – and then catch – my own ideas. And, that’s not always an easy thing to do!
One way I catch ideas is to take a walk. I am fortunate to live close to the beach so heading outside for that salty refreshing breath of air works every time. It forces my heart to beat faster, pushes more blood and oxygen to my brain – essentially energizing it – and therefore priming it for fresh ideas.
Another way of catching ideas is to value them. My ideas hold worth and when I believe that they do, I find I have more of them. Sometimes even a simple spark of encouragement or external praise can provide value to my creative voice. Which in turn gives me the confidence to explore them more fully. And, who knows? It might lead me to my greatest work yet!
