Ways to Capture Ideas
Ideas come to us in different situations and at different times. The purpose of this entry is to give a few examples of ways to capture ideas before they are forgotten. Forget ideas? Yes, I don’t know about you, but I’ve had great ideas come to me in the shower that I’ve forgotten by the time I dry off. The following is a short list of ways to capture ideas:
Write ideas down
Keep a notepad by your bed, so that when you wake up in the morning you can write about your dreams. You may have dreamed about something that is impacting your daily life. By writing down your dreams, you are able to analyze trends that may help you find a solution to your problems. I like to carry 3×5 cards! I learned from this from the President of an organization I worked with. They are small enough that you can keep one in a pocket or purse to write down ideas at any time. Keep a journal. You can record the thoughts and ideas that you have had during the day. Many times the act of writing down your ideas spurs more ideas. This is the great benefit of writing down ideas.
Record yourself talking
While more expensive than a notepad, a small tape or digital recorder is a nice thing to have handy to capture ideas that may be flowing through your head. I’ve spoken with a few people who keep a recorder in their car, so that you can capture your thoughts while stuck in traffic.
Get creative
While I’m not much of an artist, I find that painting, drawing, song writing, and story writing can be great ways to capture ideas. Some things are more easily expressed through the arts. Many times our true feelings are able to come out through the arts.
Find an “idea friend”
You may think that you have a good idea, but your close friend/spouse is going to inform you that your idea has a few problems. Since this is not terribly good for the creative process, I recommend finding an “idea friend” - someone who can see the potential of your ideas and help you to brainstorm. What starts out as an okay idea can quickly become a great idea with an “idea friend.”
Draw a flowchart
I am a visual learner. I need to see what my idea looks like in the grand scheme of things, so I will typically create a flowchart. Now, I know that professional flow-charting has defined symbols and rules, but I’m talking about just throwing down some circles and lines. Another option would be to create a time line to visualize the timing of your idea.
With this list I’ve tried to throw out a couple of ways to capture your ideas more effectively. I would love to see your comments on this subject and learn some new ways to capture my ideas.