When I’ve got a problem to solve or a new idea I want to bring into the world, I use a variation of Julia Cameron’s “Morning Pages” Method.
I should preface this by saying that I don’t know why it works, just that it does work—at least for me.
Here’s a brief overview of the version I use:
1.) Just before going to bed at night, pick a problem you’re trying to solve or an idea you’d like to bring to reality.
2.) Phrase it in the form of a question, e.g.:
What would I need to do to solve X problem or launch Y idea?
3.) As soon as possible after waking up the next morning, grab an A4 notepad, and;
4.) Write unfiltered for three full pages on whatever the problem or idea is.
I emphasize unfiltered above because it’s the most important element. The aim is to simply empty the contents of your mind down onto the page.
As Seth Godin says:
“Good ideas come from bad ideas, but only if there are enough of them.”
It usually takes a while to get “warmed up”, but once the pen is flowing, I’m surprised by what I find myself writing. Often solutions or creative breakthroughs appear—things I would never have thought of otherwise.
