So the other day, a good friend of mine pointed out that I have talked about the ideas in my I AM post before. I was gonna text him “shut the hell up!” but I got distracted and completely forgot about it. Mostly because I have a rap battle to write for and I’ve been trying to stick to a strict schedule of writing.  And so it was time for me to write my Thursday post (late Sunday night nonetheless) and here I am trying to think of ideas. And I got to thinking about the truth that none of my ideas are truly original. Every single one of my ideas is really just a blend of a whole lot of other ideas that I’ve been exposed to. And that essentially, most of my ideas are just versions of older ideas. Which are just versions of other ideas from other people.

I like to read alot, so my influences and my ideas can come from all sorts of sources. And I was thinking about the danger of what my friend was saying and how some people are so caught up in a search for originality. It becomes an attachment and an excuse to not getting anything done. If you take a look at most self-help literature, especially the most effective ones, essentially its the same message with a bit of unique flavor added by the author’s experiences. A lot like how chicken can be cooked in different ways.

So yes, we will repeat ourselves. Over and over again. And it’s not a bad thing. Our views on certain things can change and the way we write about a specific topic can  reflect that. We just have to not be afraid of repeating ourselves and repeating someone’s idea for that matter. Everything’s already been done, and the most important thing is we keep on creating newer versions of the things we’ve already learned. This way the cycle keeps on going.

A lot of ideas are constantly crashing through my head. I might not pay attention to a lot of verbal sounds, but I see a simple word and it can set off a chain reaction of events which lead into more chain reactions which lead into more chain reactions! Whether its simply walking in a store or reading a book, one of the ways ideas come through me is through the written word.

And since I come across a lot of different words everyday, there is just a constant flow of thought that if I am not careful can utterly just make a mess of everything. I get so absolutely frustrated when I think of something and then BAM! It disappears forever because I didn’t take the time to write it down. Well, millions of lost ideas later, I thought that no matter what I will do my best to jot down my ideas. From little scraps to a notebook that is always in my car to my trusty macbook pro, every idea is recorded and kept for future use.

There are so many benefits to writing down everything that is inspiring you!

Deeer, So You Don’t Forget Anything

The obvious benefit being of course that every idea you have is at your disposal whenever, wherever. There is not a single idea left out. What’s funny is that an idea today that might not be so good can be quite exciting a few days or even a few months later. And yes, one idea can inspire another idea which in turn can inspire another idea.  And since you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything, your mind can be more focused on coming up with some new possibilities. Allowing you to truly pay attention.

Listening To Infinity

When I write down my ideas the very moment I get them, I feel as if I am constantly brainstorming, no matter where I am. Once I’ve decided on an endpoint, I can be absolutely anywhere, from driving a car to eating a subway and feel as if ideas related to my goal are just popping out of nowhere. It’s very exciting and to me a great use of my time. People can just be walking around feeling very bored, but to be honest, sometimes I just do not understand how that is even possible.
I sometimes feel there isn’t enough hours to get all my ideas out.

Being Grateful

On a more spiritual level, when I take the time to write down an idea, I feel as if I am saying a thank you to the universe that inspired it. It is very easy to feel let down and uninspired, but when we truly listen and pay attention, we see ideas are always in abundance around us. A challenge involving a goal of mine can come up and I know if Im patient, there is just an idea waiting to be written down. And when it shows up, I know Im ready to write it down.

image from designbymkg

Upon return, I conjure what was seen.
I let it pulse and boil within my limbs.
I lay my pencil to the porous page,
And let my lunatic indulge itself.

-Incubus “NEBULA”

Starting a project can seem really daunting at times. The blank page always laughing like a hyena at us, doubting our very ability to do what we were meant to do.  “THIS ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH!” scaring us to the point where we don’t wanna write forward.

But we know what must be done MUST be done!

Yet we find ourselves stuck and ideas are absolutely nowhere to be found.

So what do we do when there’s a plateau?

We keep walking !

What really helps me is opening up my TextEdit and just letting loose.

Going from one idea to the next. And seeing what happens from there.

There is a certain beauty in not stopping what we’ve started. Just persevering through the plateau in order to finish. This is where the fun of letting our experience and subconscious allow us to create something out of nothing. Where we stop at nothing. judge nothing. and let everything happen.From one idea to the next. stream of consciousness. no corrections.

just connections.

If I wanted to talk about how undergroundhiphop.com has changed my life, I can do that ! If I wanted to talk about how excited I am for summer, I can do that too.

Remember, the point of brainstorming is just to get going.

Just getting every idea down on paper. Whether its just words, phrases, novels, pictures…. ANYTHING. Just get it down!

Afterwards, you can take a look at the chaos you’ve created and see that a pattern has emerged amongst the rubbles.

If not, who cares??!! TRY AGAIN!!!!

how do you guys like to get your creative juices going?

For a minute there, I lost myself

-RadioHead “Karma Police”

Seeing the world clearly is what buddhism is all about.  Being able to describe what I see, learn and feel on a daily basis has always been the most enjoyable experience for me. Writing has allowed me to experience simple things and realize how special even just lying down on a bed or drinking orange juice can be. Or the relative impermanence of an activity like writing a blog post.

Words come and go.

And when you lose yourself in the sentences that have just been dying to be shared, you start to notice the color and feel of everything around you.

Anyone who loves to write will tell you that it always feels like what they were meant to do.

To describe and share what they’ve gone through. To vent. To laugh. Sometimes to just go crazy.

To connect.

To give.

When people talk about doing the one thing that matters, this is it for me. Writing is simultaneously when the world shuts down and invites me in. Nothing/Everything matters when I am seeking out these sentences. With writing, I can attempt to share the truth and even for a second, free myself from judgement.

I can be aware.