If you are in need of creative inspiration, consider borrowing a 5-year-old. Specifically, you’ll want one who is stuck in the age of eternal questions. (By which I mean both that there is no end to the questions and that said questions tend to be about eternity).
If, upon meeting you, the 5-year-old doesn’t immediately spout a question that makes your brain hurt, you’ll need to appear busy with some other matter. Try doing your taxes or hand-sewing without a thimble. It may also help if you are not particularly fond of explaining complex issues to children, or if you first evade a more mundane question. When you least expect it and are unprepared to answer, they will ask.
It can be tricky if the child refuses to repeat themselves (and yes—they will still expect a response either way), but make sure to memorize it word-for-word. The ideal question makes little to no sense, especially at first. If you can give a satisfactory answer in under five minutes, you will need to hold out for another question. It will come along eventually, unless the child is not in the mood that day.
Once you have been berated for your inadequate response and gone home, the inspiring question should take root in two to three weeks. During this time, it is unlikely that you will develop an answer, but you will feel something lurking outside your conscious mind.
This is merely due to your brain making connections, which you will become aware of much later in the process. If you are patient—frequently recalling but never focusing your full attention on the inspiring question—you will be rewarded.
On a random day, when you are involved in something completely unrelated, your mind will present you with a promising connection. This can be anything from a short phrase to a nearly complete poem. Of course, it is rarely a complete response to the inspiring question (and even more rarely is it a response that the child would have accepted), but that was never the point.
The child has almost certainly forgotten the question entirely. If it was a borrowed child, you are unlikely to have an opportunity to present your epiphany either way (I can promise you that their parents have no interest in presenting it to the child on your behalf).
Now that you have your idea, it may still take some time for you to figure out where it wants to go. It may morph into a different concept entirely by the time you commit it to paper (or word document). If you are lucky, the original inspiration may multiply, giving you several related but wholly independent opportunities.
The important part is to let your new muse lead. Be patient, allow each idea to unfold in its own time, and it may take you someplace you’ve never dared to go by yourself.
- An Unconventional Source of Inspiration - September 9, 2024
- How To Be a Writer (in 5 easy steps) - April 30, 2021