I wrote the title for this blog over the weekend when my schedule dictated I would publish it. After having had a rough time in my mind since then and not being able to write during that time, funnily enough I can’t remember what I meant for this post to be about. I guess there’s something in that about writing down important details when we have them, if they are important enough to warrant keeping a record.
When I am writing or planning out a story, or a poem, or a blog post, I often get inspiration while I am out walking. Sometimes an idea strikes when I’ve managed to release my mind into the nothingness while lying down and attempting to catch the elusive beast: rest. When I had my previous phone I had a simple notepad app that I would type these thoughts out with. The problem I had was trawling through these unlabelled notes to find the specific one I was looking for – it was difficult to remember where each one was in the list. But I usually managed… somehow. With this new phone I’ve tried to find a simple helpful app, which also syncs with Google Drive. I’ve yet to find one I like which will encourage me to use it. As an alternative I also prefer writing with a pen and paper (though this has been more difficult to do for longer periods since dislocating eight bones in my wrist in 2015.)
Sometimes I forget I have a phone capable of typing out notes again, after having managed without a phone for over month. So I repeat the idea or story snippet over and over in my head until I think I have it memorised well enough to make it to a computer. Great!
Unfortunately, when I pass through the usually several doorways which lead to the computer or o n and paper to record the idea I neglect to do it straight away, or just straight up forget.
I sometimes think along the lines of Stephen King when this happens: if the idea is good enough I’ll remember it, or it will come back even more well rounded in the future when I’m ready for it. Other times, the feeling starts at the back of my mind and I try my hardest to remember whatever it was I thought was, “the new best idea I’ve ever had!”
This happens with songs too, guitar riffs and catchy lyrical hooks mostly. They pop into my head while I’m walking but I neglect to put them on paper before they just as quickly trot off again!
I guess what I’m trying to say here is ideas will come along, more often than we believe they will. If we try too hard to hold onto ones that aren’t quite able to be recalled from our memory banks at the time, we risk missing the many other great ideas we will think up!
Everyone has great ideas waiting to be shared. It’s just a matter of finding out what gets our foot tapping, our tongue hanging out the side of our mouth while we hastily scribble thoughts on paper with a look of determined concentration.
If you need to remember one thing, maybe this is a good one: keep on keeping on being awesome, because you are.
PEACE.
Cover photo by Erik Mclean from Pexels.
(P.S. it is a little humorous to me that as I struggle with sleep, I also struggle to think of words I think I know, or recall snippets of info that should be second nature to me. Even though a little humorous it can still be very frustrating at times.)
Hard lines, heavy times, and handblocks 
Hamish, I can relate to your article. When I first started writing, I would get inspiration on my walks. A few hours later, I would sit down to write and forget what the idea was. I started to record my thoughts while walking but I couldn’t understand everything I said. Mostly due to being out of breath. Now I sometimes write the post in my head and journal it when I get home. It has worked out better for me. Keep moving forward. Scott
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Thank you for sharing a bit about your writing process. It is sometimes helpful for me to focus my mind on a current writing project rather than letting it wander on its own. Even among the beauty of the trees, the wonderful sounds of the birds, and the goodness of getting exercise, sometimes writing that blog in my head really gets me keen on writing it when I make it back home.
Keep moving forward too my friend.
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Hamish, So much of this post is familiar territory! I keep paper in my purse to scribble down ideas when I have to wait at an appointment, jump out of bed and rush into the other room and write down ideas before returning to bed. I keep a paper beside me to make notes throughout the day. Many times, commenting on someone’s blog post, I think of something new or remember an experience. We really have so much material floating around in our brains that we could use as inspiration if we could ever remember!!
Have a great day, Hamish! 🙂
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It’s so very true! The stories we can think up and tell from our own life experience, and our conversations and beautiful meetings with others in all of the various ways we can meet!
I hope you continue to find enough space on the paper for the plethora ideas I always see in your poems and messages we exchange! 😊
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