Writing when inspiration strikes
There will be few people on the planet, if any, that can hold their hands up and say that they can write whenever it is needed; Pen to paper and away they go. The truth is, we kind of have to wait for inspiration to strike before we can let those words flow from mind to page, but what happens if you’re in the middle of lunch, on a packed out train, or halfway through a yoga session? Luckily, I have been in all of those situations and more, so here is what you need to do…
Before we get into it, never assume that you’re going to remember that wording, that sentence, that blog idea, and hold it in your head until you’re back at your desk. I can tell you with confidence that there is more chance of seeing a pig fly past your window during a full moon than you remembering that. Again, there will be a select few who absorb information like a sponge and will remember it until their dying day, but for us mere mortals, it just isn’t going to stick.
Option 1 - Carry a notepad
Practical? Not really. Useful? Absolutely. Train trips and meandering walks in the park, this one is for you. It doesn’t have to be an A4 whopper, but it does have to be big enough to house your ideas and keep them warm until you can offload them where they belong. Don’t forget a pen, else it is going to be totally redundant, and you’re going to be really cross. Again, spoken from experience.
Option 2 - Utilise the notes app
Got a phone? Use your notes app. It doesn’t have to be war and peace, but it can be enough to jot down your initial thoughts and have them safely stored until you’re back on office turf.
Option 3 - Clutch a fistful of napkins
If options 1 and 2 have failed you and you’re at an establishment with either toilet paper or napkins, grab a load and get those thoughts written down. Beg, borrow, try not to steal a pen, an eyeliner, a lipstick, whatever is going where you are and write with the same vigour as you would have if it were a love interest’s phone number.
Option 4 - Let it go
Not the one you want to hear but sometimes the one that you need, let it go. If options 1 to 3 don't come up trumps for you, perhaps the universe is telling you to ~let it go~. There isn’t a finite amount of creativity within you; you are full of ideas and opportunities, so don’t get too bogged down with the one you can’t rush to note down. And hey, it might come back to you when you’re in the shower, walking the dog, making a coffee… Don’t get too attached and let it float away.
If you’re full of ideas and have no idea how to get them down on a page, you’re in luck because that is my speciality. Equally, if you’re struggling on the ideas front as well, I’ve got you. Get in touch, let’s talk it out, and create some magic on a page together.