gathering clues

One of my favourite podcasts is ‘Dialectic’. I recently listened to a conversation with Billy Oppenheimer. See the full transcript and episode here .

An idea that has stuck is that a lot of ‘searching’ and creative inspiration is in the ‘clue stage’. Suppose you have a vague idea of a piece or topic you want to write about, for example : The importance of play.

It’s best not to go straight into it, but to look for inspiration, clues. From where? Everything around you. Popular media, obscure books/media, the conversation an elderly couple are having in line at the grocery store, the way a tired businessman starts dancing to some live music (happened yesterday).

The goal is to be open to everything. To pay deep attention, because when we are only really listening when we’re captured, enraptured by something.

A reminder of the importance of your media diet. What you consume, what you think about – you become.

And anyone who has paid attention to their thoughts realises that >90% of your thoughts, have been ’thought’ before - its on a habit loop.