Recently I was talking with a friend….
A creative… (like you and I)….
She’s knee deep in some exciting new work……
Beginnings are the best. Aren’t they?
New…. endless possibilities….ideas… buzzing about in your head.…..
it’s exciting….but it’s also exhausting…..
Kim… my head actually hurts.
Can you relate?
Head spinning…. can’t sleep……everything you see… sparks a new possibility……
Although, I’ve been doing this work for several years……the creative buzzi-ness…. still finds me.
a new class….. technique… prop or drop…..a new season
Creativity can be ALL consuming……. even exhausting…..
It’s one thing to have amazing ideas….. another to actually make things happen.
too many ideas can be paralyzing…..
My not so secret weapon….to stop the ‘head-hurting’ creative spinning…..a Brain-Dump.
I love the practice of writing things down….
Paper…a journal…… a nice pen and I’m set.
(this is my fav fountain pen (it’s retractible)…. this is a close second)…..
David Allen (author of Getting Things Done) talks a lot about the ‘brain dump’……
Getting things out of your head…onto paper…..
His is more systematized than mine……
(I’m re-listening to the audiobook…… perhaps I can share some take -ways when I’m done…… )
For me…it’s a random ‘dump’……. anything and everything in my head…… onto the page…. Not categories…or system….
Simply a way to ‘make space’…. for the good stuff…..
All the random thoughts….take up valuable space …… (blog post/ IG ideas, appointments, house to-dos, phone calls….. on and on…..)
My theory….
It’s not the new and exciting creative ideas….making our head hurt…..
It’s simply …. a lack of space for the ideas to ‘settle in.’……
There’s only so much room in there ….
Good ideas need space…..to breathe…..
The brain-dump….. can clear the way.
I swear it works……
I simply let it all out….a random list of anything and everything……
Non-ordered……this and thats…. out and onto the page…..
I do this at least once a week….always Monday morning…and often in the evening……
Before I start… I try to set the mood….
a cuppa tea… sometimes soft music… but most often silence…….
a favourite candle……
and I’m off…. for as long as it takes……anything and everything onto the page.
Once I’m done… my random list sits at my desk…..
when a thought pops in….. I jot it down too….. (especially during a pomodoro session)……then move on with my ‘task’ at hand.
That’s it…that’s all…..
My ‘not so secret’ cure for the creative headache.
Over to you.
Can you relate to the creative head-hurting buzzi-ness?
Do you already ‘brain-dump’?
I’d love to hear your thoughts… Please share in the comments below.
xx, Kim
Props To:
Harp music in my little film: Aeleen Sclater
Tea cup and saucer: Anthropologie
Candle (Santal 26 / the most delicious scent ever): Le Labo
Hi Kim dear, I started journaling about a year ago and find it very therapeutic and super rewarding! I write down anything causing me stress but also gratitude offerings for each day. Projects – ideas – you bet ! I write them all down and try out ideas on paper and it is sooooo helpful! From my sometimes overcrowded mind to paper and I feel better.
That said, there is still nothing better for thinking and organizing your mind’s contents than walking the dog!
Hugs, K.
Yes, I brain dump and do all sorts of writing. Almost any writing has benefits. The one problem I have with the brain dump and systems I’ve tried is that when I want to go back to an idea, a phrase, bit of dialogue, whatever – it can be hard to locate. Setting up sections for various topics doesn’t work well either. That’s a perfect opportunity for the inner censor to kick in and can cause good stuff to get lost. at present I’m trying a multipurpose journal where I’ve created sections for various things: story ideas, dialogue,etc; scrapping themes and colors; reading lists; wish lists – you name it. Tried to stick to topics of major importance. Then there is what I call the free write section for uncensored stream of conscious writing. When re-reading a brain dump or free write, I’m using various colors of highlighters and pens to note things I want to come back to. Later in the week I’ll skim through that section and see if the highlighted items are still of interest. If they still strike a chord, I’ll copy that bit to the appropriate section so I can find it again. Still not ideal. [Sigh] Creative minds are rarely tidy!
I really like the idea of writing in a journal so that I can ‘brain dump’ all of the ideas flying around in my head. I recently moved house and lost my beloved dog Kody so I feel really flat. I have so many thoughts bouncing around in my head all the time, but I feel stuck and I am unable to produce photographs that I like. I have had my camera and props out a few times but end up putting it all away without any success. Its like I have lost every shred of creativity. I have tried to be kind to myself and just allow time to relax and not force the issue. Its been 3 months now. I am hoping it will come back!!
hi Julie
I’m so sorry to hear this……
I had a patch like that some time ago….. back when i was painting…. I thought I may never create again…… Then out of nowhere….creativity returned.
what if you tried something completely different…..
like doodling or hand lettering…… with no pressure….
I’m not sure if that would help….. but perhaps it’s a though.
sending love… xx
Thanks Kim. I am trying to just step away from my camera. I am doing a bit of reading.
This is an excellent post, Kim! i have this urge to categorize and write down every single thing in my life. If you take a look at my notes you’ll find pages for my interests, my wishes, what I should be proud of in my life, my plans, ideas for my short stories, how I would like my lifestyle to be and many many more…
My notes are a crucial part of my life. Without them, I will feel like something is missing and I’ll be very confused!
have a great day! enjoy your weekend.
I soooooo understand. I am a photography enthusiast and poet, and both require action and the right light. The light of early morning or dusk gives me the best results in photos, the right light of courage, for poetry. But like you, I need music to set my mood and total silence. March on, Kim! Anita
Hello Kim – this is truly a wonderfully effective suggestion and am currently doing just that…”a brain dump” with my latest post. The swirl of ideas can become paralyzing but taking a small bit of time to jot them down is so helpful. Thank you for the continuous and glorious beauty you share through your creativity and thoughtfulness Kim – written and visual treasures I hold dear. Happiest of holidays to you and yours Kim – xoxo JoanMarie
very inspiring, thanks for sharing, I will try this for sure!
OK, I know you wrote this one for me!! I have been using the brain dump method for journaling but sometimes I forget to do that with all the ideas and plans floating around in my head. Thanks for the reminder Kim.
Your ideas are always most inspiring and practical. And, by the way…..love the harp music by the fab Aeleen. Having witnessed it in person is glorious.
This helps when I’m in a creative rut…but lately I’ve been having a string of migraines and just the thought of writing and/or thinking hurts! GAAAHHH…This too shall pass, it always does. I’ve started on some new meds I hope will kick in. In the meantime, some good wishes and/or prayers would be so welcome! xoxoxo
I have several notebooks and scraps of paper with notes, ideas, etc. all over with no real organization. I am often distracted and I am always in need of a brain dump. Thank you for sharing.
Still experimenting with journaling my creative thoughts. Have not found a system that works well with me. I would call myself an organized creative who wants it both right AND left brained. I want to get all the ideas out, but I want to be able to find them, and organize them, and…See why a brain does not fully work for me? I seem to see the the dump page as a to-do list instead of a relief valve. I keep giving the to-do list time and energy. And it stays there, in the recesses of my brain, until I actually catch up with the items on the list.
Said another way, a friend had a baby in late March. I promised I would scrapbook pages for her as a baby gift. I had a vague idea of what to do. I spent time learning the process of digital scrapbooking. I gathered materials. And finally produced a page 2 days ago. Because it was way back in my mind, I did not bug her to send pictures to inspire me. I had exactly 3 pictures to work with.
In the end, I am grateful I got one page produced. And many others over the last month. If brain dumping for creative space in my brain is the solution, then I shall try to let the written results have their own life. Trust the process, Susan. Trust that what is worth creating will come to past. Trust yourself.
Whew, I feel better now. lol
oh, you know I love this, Kim!
yes to lists and brain dump and the space that follows…
I like that term “brain dump” I’m getting better at it…it takes practice and purpose for sure.
Hi, I also brain dump. I have a shelf full of notebooks on different topics, spanning creative ideas through to medical hacks, “things that sell” and a craft journal. I also have a giant diary on my desk and that gets all the daily/weekly/routine stuff written in. I write everything in that up to months in advanced so my life is so organised it’s not funny. This means there is so much room in my head for all the new ideas that I get massive headaches and have to have a lie down.
My biggest problem though, is that all the stuff written in the notebooks comes back to haunt you…..because you haven’t done it yet. I’ve been going back to cross out things once a year that were done, and I’ve done maybe about 2% of it. Now that’s scary!