I loved Cal Newport’s article today “On the Myth of Big Ideas.” I’m a big believer in the importance of creating space in your life in order to receive inspiration, that great ideas come to us during downtime activities. Sometimes you hear this described as “bed, bath, or bus.” For me, taking a walk around the neighborhood or mowing the lawn are a prime source of ideas. But we can’t just expect ideas to come to us.

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I have a notebook I write all of my first drafts in. When it comes out words seem to flow better. I have a lamp on my desk that I turn on when it’s time for writing or serious reading. When the lamp turns on I feel like my brain snaps to attention. There’s no magic in the notebook or the lamp. The magic is in the ritual they are a part of.

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