My eyes are heavy and my head has sunk blissfully into my pillow. Another day passed and I am ready for a good night’s slumber . . . and then something odd happens. My brain decides it is not ready for sleep and all these ideas start to flood in. It’s like a door to a creative part of my brain that was not awake (or acknowledged) during the day has been opened. And I HAVE to walk through it.
In the past I did not take advantage of these Creative Surges and would believe I would “remember the message in the morning” only to have the details be a distant memory. The inspired genius idea or thought not to be recovered and perhaps a missed opportunity went with it.
After having this happen to me one time too many, what I learned to do is to have a notebook by my bed for ideas, sketches and thoughts. I have even been known to get up at 2 AM and go to the computer to type what I have in my head – to get it out so that I can rest and go to sleep! Sometimes it takes a few minutes, and other times it has taken a couple of hours – but I have to get it out.
I have done this with business ideas, Staging plans and projects – where I visualizing the end result. I have had this happen when developing a marketing campaign or idea. I have written articles and stories based on Creative Surges. I have had ideas and brainstorms for our family, my life – and been amazed at what clear thoughts or solutions come when I turn off my own conscious thinking.
I remember one of my first Creative Surges happened when I was 18 and was asked to write an article for a magazine. The article was about what it was like being an identical twin on a performance team – which had been my life for 8 years. So I wrote a nice article and went to bed. Then I had a Creative Surge and the entire content and tone of the article completely changed in my head. I got up and wrote and wrote and wrote! The resulting article was so much better and inspired than the original, and the overall tone, message and flow was completely different than the original – and not something I thought I wanted to write. It was not until my mind wandered to my Creative Zone that I was able to envision something totally fresh and new.
I have written blog posts or had ideas floating in my head about something I wanted to share and it is not until I am in a quiet place of rest that my thoughts are free to flow! I have to go to my Creative Zone where my Creative Surges happen. So it reminds me to allow my Creative Surges to happen during the day too . . . get to a place where I am not just “doing” things all the time but to allow myself time to rest, get quiet, even lie down – and let my mind wander.
When is your Creative time and do you let your inner Creative Surge happen? For me “zoning out” is not about tuning out – it’s about tuning IN to my inner creative self – and allowing the “genius” that is in all of us to come out and inspire!
Paper ready, pen poised – Bring on the Creativity! Get in the Zone and watch your inner genius arise!
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