Fishing for an Idea

I woke up today, looked at the ceiling and thought "I will find something worth writing about." My eyes scanned the blue green walls of the room; a finger or two doing a drum solo on the desk. Blinds opened part way; letting in sunlight and a temporarily serene view. Temporary, because the lusty growl of a lawnmower shattered the silence.

As the day progressed, my mind struggled to create that brilliant writing idea. The sun beat down on weary souls forced to navigate the neighborhood streets. Maybe an infusion of fresh air would cleanse my brain? Three steps out the door; breathe through the nose, out through the mouth. Anything new? Nah.

How about television? The screen treats me to a scene of a war movie. Lets ride the channel surf; drama, comedy, reality show... I realized that my brain had probably prematurely aged during this time. Power off.

10 P.M. The sun had gone to give a hug to the other side of the world. My mind weary from searching, I looked at the single lamp illuminating the room. And then I see it. A notebook; it's covered in a fine film of dust. I had finally realized my folly.

Good ideas can't be found. Epiphanies don't appear from flooding your brain with endorphins or being inspired by a outdoor gear commercial. Ideas just don't show up when your try to scour for them with radar. This post... written in that neglected notebook. Writing naturally let that innate creativity flow outwards; staring at a computer screen brought me nowhere. I'm used to being methodical; society demands efficiency and aggressiveness to solve problems. But the lack of an idea wasn't a problem. I was gently reminded that when it comes to creativity, you just gotta let it be.