I tune into my Home Station in my quiet thinking morning routine — meditation, yoga (playing an album of my choice) and then 90mins of fiction writing in the quiet community of my lit Zoom pals around the world. I feel connected to the capital R human realm thru meditation, yoga movement, music then the unfurling of my creative mind! Hello Home Station, keep the ideas flowing Josh! 🙌
I love the idea of a "home station." As a composer, there is always music in my head, but sometimes it's in the background, and sometimes its loud and clear. Often it needs a little coaxing to get from background to foreground, and your strategies could be very helpful, as they apply to music as well as visual art. One tactic I use is to "sneak up on myself," and casually get to work composing for "just a few minutes" which often leads to more creativity than I expected, with less pressure.
One home station technique I use, (apparently in the auguste company of Miro and Basquiat!) is, once I have an idea of any kind whatsoever, even a “bad” one, I just start throwing stuff at the paper. I’ve told my students many many times (and I CONSTANTLY have to remind myself), there are no mistakes. You throw something at the paper and even if it is exactly what you don’t want, with that knowledge, you are one step closer to what you do want. Then you re-work it, again and again, 1% better each time, till you get somewhere. Shakespeare put it this way: “by indirections find directions out.”
I love that. And it’s an important message. Pretty much all ideas start out flawed or raw or half baked. But what I get from what you’re saying JT is that it’s like there is a world of ideas and the price of entry—to get past the velvet ropes—is to bring an idea. Doesn’t matter how “bad” it is. That “bad” idea will get you into the world of ideas. And without it, you’re standing out there in the rain trying to get the doorman’s attention. 😆
I connect to my “home station” often when I’m walking my pup around my neighborhood in the morning. Being outside in fresh air and hearing birds and looking at the sun, sky, clouds, trees, leaves, wind etc. opens my mind and heart. I purposefully don’t listen to any music or podcast when I’m walking, as I know this is when a word, a few words or a whole poem may come to me.
Nature girl: Pups,air, birds, sun, sky, clouds, tress, leaves, wind. I’m the same. What’s amazing about being in nature is not just that’s it’s fruitful for ideas, but being in nature itself just slows you down, takes down your temperature, empties you out from overstimulation, which really prepares you for actually getting ideas. So nature is like a double— it both quiets you down and brings you ideas.
Excellent post, Josh! I don't have much of a daily routine so my trick is to recognise when the home station is broadcasting and to tune into it. The vital next step is to record what I'm hearing even though some voices in my head may be saying 'that's not much of an idea' or 'don't bother, you'll remember it.' Preferred capture methods are 'Apple Notes' for lyrics and ideas and 'Voice Memos' for music as they're accessible on phone.
Oh yeah. The dreaded “don’t bother you’ll remember it”
I love taking my bike rides and I can get so many ideas during them and usually I can remember one or two and then a point comes where I have to stop and put the ideas into notes into my phone or message them to me which is definitely a bike ride Buzzkill. It’s almost like the ideas are saying “either take me seriously or I’ll go visit someone else.“
Haha! Quincy Jones said that, when the muse knocked on his door, he thought he better answer it before it went down the street to Henry Mancini's house.
Such a thought-provoking post. When I'm really in the groove, I tend to tune into my home station when I'm trying to fall asleep, which unfortunately wakes me up! But I'll take inspiration wherever I can get it.
Falling asleep. Yes it’s such a dilemma. It feels so good to have those ideas and just drift off into dreams and sometimes when you force yourself to wake up and jot down your ideas now you’re wide awake. If that’s what happens to you too.
Great ideas come to me very suddenly when I’m about to do some laundry or vacuum or do other housework, which necessitates procrastinating these chores before the brilliant idea I just had loses its sparkle. Funny how it works that way.
Actually they’re writing ideas. I’m writing these days more than art-making. I have to rush to my phone and “write” it in my notes. Then I’m off and running!
Haha that’s so funny cause when I first saw your note I somehow thought it was from my sister who is a musician and I wrote down do you rush to your “keyboard” and then I realized it wasn’t her so I went back and took “keyboard” out and wrote in “drawing board.” and now maybe I just need to change it back 😆
I tune into my Home Station in my quiet thinking morning routine — meditation, yoga (playing an album of my choice) and then 90mins of fiction writing in the quiet community of my lit Zoom pals around the world. I feel connected to the capital R human realm thru meditation, yoga movement, music then the unfurling of my creative mind! Hello Home Station, keep the ideas flowing Josh! 🙌
Quiet thinking!
I love the idea of a "home station." As a composer, there is always music in my head, but sometimes it's in the background, and sometimes its loud and clear. Often it needs a little coaxing to get from background to foreground, and your strategies could be very helpful, as they apply to music as well as visual art. One tactic I use is to "sneak up on myself," and casually get to work composing for "just a few minutes" which often leads to more creativity than I expected, with less pressure.
Love the way you put this, “sneaking up on myself.” Def has worked for me also.
I love that “sneak up on yourself” and say “just for a few minutes”
I’m going to steal that the next time I thought pops through my head
One home station technique I use, (apparently in the auguste company of Miro and Basquiat!) is, once I have an idea of any kind whatsoever, even a “bad” one, I just start throwing stuff at the paper. I’ve told my students many many times (and I CONSTANTLY have to remind myself), there are no mistakes. You throw something at the paper and even if it is exactly what you don’t want, with that knowledge, you are one step closer to what you do want. Then you re-work it, again and again, 1% better each time, till you get somewhere. Shakespeare put it this way: “by indirections find directions out.”
I love that. And it’s an important message. Pretty much all ideas start out flawed or raw or half baked. But what I get from what you’re saying JT is that it’s like there is a world of ideas and the price of entry—to get past the velvet ropes—is to bring an idea. Doesn’t matter how “bad” it is. That “bad” idea will get you into the world of ideas. And without it, you’re standing out there in the rain trying to get the doorman’s attention. 😆
I connect to my “home station” often when I’m walking my pup around my neighborhood in the morning. Being outside in fresh air and hearing birds and looking at the sun, sky, clouds, trees, leaves, wind etc. opens my mind and heart. I purposefully don’t listen to any music or podcast when I’m walking, as I know this is when a word, a few words or a whole poem may come to me.
Nature girl: Pups,air, birds, sun, sky, clouds, tress, leaves, wind. I’m the same. What’s amazing about being in nature is not just that’s it’s fruitful for ideas, but being in nature itself just slows you down, takes down your temperature, empties you out from overstimulation, which really prepares you for actually getting ideas. So nature is like a double— it both quiets you down and brings you ideas.
If that makes sense.
Excellent post, Josh! I don't have much of a daily routine so my trick is to recognise when the home station is broadcasting and to tune into it. The vital next step is to record what I'm hearing even though some voices in my head may be saying 'that's not much of an idea' or 'don't bother, you'll remember it.' Preferred capture methods are 'Apple Notes' for lyrics and ideas and 'Voice Memos' for music as they're accessible on phone.
Oh yeah. The dreaded “don’t bother you’ll remember it”
I love taking my bike rides and I can get so many ideas during them and usually I can remember one or two and then a point comes where I have to stop and put the ideas into notes into my phone or message them to me which is definitely a bike ride Buzzkill. It’s almost like the ideas are saying “either take me seriously or I’ll go visit someone else.“
Haha! Quincy Jones said that, when the muse knocked on his door, he thought he better answer it before it went down the street to Henry Mancini's house.
😂😂😂 The muse can be sublime but also a jealous, demanding, withholding sucker.
You inspire me to find out
Haha yeah Svend. You have a million activities where you can get ideas in the spaces between. I always find physical activity really helps me think.
Such a thought-provoking post. When I'm really in the groove, I tend to tune into my home station when I'm trying to fall asleep, which unfortunately wakes me up! But I'll take inspiration wherever I can get it.
Falling asleep. Yes it’s such a dilemma. It feels so good to have those ideas and just drift off into dreams and sometimes when you force yourself to wake up and jot down your ideas now you’re wide awake. If that’s what happens to you too.
Great ideas come to me very suddenly when I’m about to do some laundry or vacuum or do other housework, which necessitates procrastinating these chores before the brilliant idea I just had loses its sparkle. Funny how it works that way.
Do you have to rush to the drawing board when you get the ideas? Or do they stay in your mind?
Actually they’re writing ideas. I’m writing these days more than art-making. I have to rush to my phone and “write” it in my notes. Then I’m off and running!
Haha that’s so funny cause when I first saw your note I somehow thought it was from my sister who is a musician and I wrote down do you rush to your “keyboard” and then I realized it wasn’t her so I went back and took “keyboard” out and wrote in “drawing board.” and now maybe I just need to change it back 😆