I’ve taken the fantastic habit of writing as soon as I step into the subway. I don’t know why, but it always seems to be the wrong time to have an idea. I find myself surrounded by people laden with shopping bags, and even though I isolate myself with my music, someone asks me something and prevents me from focusing on what I would like. Then I get home and suddenly everything fades away!
I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this too: the flow of ideas crowding the mind when you don’t have the opportunity to jot them down. In my specific case, I can think of entire pole dance choreographies by putting on music and letting my thoughts flow. I can even feel the strain of the muscles, the pain on the skin, and the cold metal on my heated body. In truth, the best ideas of my life have come when I was focused on doing something else.
But what’s behind all this?
According to NLP, the human mind is divided into conscious and subconscious, and the latter plays an important role in processing information and generating ideas. When you focus on a task, the conscious mind can handle specific activities while the subconscious continues to work in the background, contributing to generating ideas and creative solutions. This conception derives from NLP theories that integrate concepts from psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience.
But how can one further develop this ability, essential to having a more flexible and receptive mind to good ideas?
1. Mind Mapping: Take a piece of paper and write the task you’re working on in the center. Then, around it, start freely writing down any idea that comes to mind on a completely different topic. Try to find connections or analogies between the two. This exercise can stimulate creativity and lead to new perspectives on the original task.
2. Creative Break: When you feel stuck on a task, give yourself a creative break dedicated to a completely different activity. It could be drawing, taking a walk outdoors, reading a book, or listening to music. Let your mind relax and distract itself; often ideas will come spontaneously during these breaks.
3. Problem Reversal: Reformulate the task you’re facing in the opposite way. For example, if you’re trying to solve a problem, ask yourself what the worst possible solution would be. This exercise can help you think creatively and generate innovative ideas.
4. Forced Brainstorming: Make a list of words or concepts completely different from the task you’re doing. Then, try to connect these elements to the original task, even if they seem unrelated. This will force you to think unconventionally and may lead to creative solutions.
5. Change of Environment: If possible, change the environment you’re working in. Working in a new or stimulating place can help stimulate the mind and foster new ideas. You could try working in a café, in a park, or in a library. But also get used to writing and taking notes in the worst possible conditions. This is a fundamental step for anyone, so don’t be ashamed to have a pen and notebook in hand at all times.
Yes, I’m talking about shame.
I don’t know if this is something that only concerns me, or if other people can relate to it too, especially aspiring writers.
Sometimes ideas come, as I said, at the worst times. In my case, often on the metro, but even worse when I’m out with friends, when I’m working, when I’m in line at the supermarket ready to pay, or even, in the worst case, during concerts and nights out dancing at a club.
Once, even at Sonar!
Yet, I always abandoned the thought because I didn’t want to be seen with a notebook and pen in hand. After all, it’s a rather outdated and out-of-fashion thing.
But I paid the price because those ideas never came back. They ended up in oblivion, or worse, they were developed by someone else.
I can say that among these ideas, there is much more than Scotch tape as a bracelet designed by Balenciaga. So, instead of seeking perfection, the ambition to sit in front of the computer in a perfectly furnished room, with a cup of hot chocolate by your side and the cat purring on your lap, aspire to write on your phone while dealing with something else (but not while operating heavy machinery… so pay attention to the environment), get used to exploiting the thoughts that come to you without worrying that it’s not the best of possible environments.
I’m writing this to you while waiting for the ferry that takes me to one of my best friend’s birthday parties; I was just interrupted by a guy who wanted to sell me weed, and quite a few people are watching me curiously.
Remember that the important thing is to be open and flexible in thinking, and to experiment with different approaches until you find the one that works best for you.
Miss Adore
