Let’s be honest for a while, we’ve all experienced at some point in our lives – the maddening phenomenon of ideas vanishing into thin air the moment we grab a pen.
I’ve been stuck in this phenomenon so many times that I don’t even recall how many. And as a writer, I can confidently say that I’m not alone in this.
It’s like trying to catch a butterfly with your bare hands, only to watch it flutter away, leaving you bewildered and empty-handed.
I remember this one time when I was standing in the shower, minding my own business, when suddenly a brilliant idea strikes my brain like a lightning bolt. I was convinced it was pure gold, the kind that will make my creative dreams come true. But here’s the catch: as soon as I stepped out, grabbed a towel, and reached for a pen to jot it down,
poof! It vanished,
leaving me staring at a blank page in utter disbelief. If you can relate, my friend, you’re in good company.
Or how about that time when you woke up from a vivid dream with a plotline so ingenious it could rival Shakespeare, only to watch it evaporate into the ether the moment you reached for a pen? 😵
I don’t understand what is this mystery but I guess there could be an explanation.
The most perplexing part is when inspiration strikes at the oddest of times and places. I’ve come to accept that inspiration has a wicked sense of humour, toying with us and disappearing into the abyss of forgetfulness. But hey, at least we can share a laugh over it. 💡
I think, that the disappearing act of ideas can be somewhere related to overthinking and self-doubt. As soon as we set out to put our thoughts onto paper, our minds can become flooded with doubts and questions. Is this idea really as good as it seemed?
Another aspect to consider is the elusive nature of the “Eureka” moment. Holding onto that initial ideas can be a challenging task. Our minds are constantly buzzing with thoughts and distractions, making it all too easy for that fleeting idea to slip away as quickly as it arrived.
Moreover, ideas thrive in freedom and spontaneity. They flourish when our minds are open, allowing thoughts to flow naturally. Trapped on paper, they escape our grasp. Ideas are wild, untamed creatures that demand the freedom to roam and evolve.
One time, while brainstorming with friends, we found ourselves in fits of laughter over a silly joke. Suddenly, a brilliant idea sparked amidst laughter. The joyful moment left a lasting imprint, etching the remarkable idea into my memory.
So, I guess this is a weird way to grasp the idea. The next time you feel the grip of frustration as an idea slips away, take a moment to embrace laughter. And who knows, maybe the laughter itself will become the source of inspiration, leading you to ideas that are as entertaining as they are brilliant.
To be honest, I’m writing this blog post randomly because earlier today I had an amazing idea to write about, but unfortunately, it slipped from my mind. Therefore, I’m writing this instead. 🙂
I hope you enjoyed this too!
Leave a comment if you ever had this phenomenon or have a better way to retain the idea before it slip away.
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I know exactly what you are talking about, and you are right to associate a great idea with a great event if possible or it can even be a stressful event. It creates a picture in your brain. The experts say you remember pictures much better than words or thoughts.
I do my darndest to at least start the article immediately and go back to it later. I have about 30 of those!! LOL
Hey Dennis, good to hear from you again. Oh, I see you're juggling 30 articles, that's quite the writing extravaganza you've got going on there, my friend.
Also, I was wondering you haven't posted anything for a while. Hope you'll get back it soon. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! 🙏
I’m so glad it’s not just me. If I don’t stop and write down my ideas right away, they are gone.
Nah! you're not alone. I guess every writer have faced this weirdly frustrating phenomenon. LOL!
It happens with me all the time. The most annoying one is when you wake up with an idea and the very next second you don't remember anything......!
A couple of days ago, I had a poem planned in my mind any right after i woke up, i couldn't remember a single word😒
Why do we get brilliant ideas in the bathroom only?? 🤔
Though I've started keeping either a pen and notebook or my phone (notes app) all the time with me!
I can totally relate, and I'm sure many others can too. 😅
But hey, kudos to you for coming up with a clever solution! Keeping a trusty pen and notebook or your phone. Just remember to be quick!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. Happy writing!
Am SOOOOOOOO glad to know it's not just me!!! I keep a running list of titles in my phone; but sometimes, when I finally get the Blog Post, all I can think, is, "I wonder what the thought was behind THIS title!!!"
Haha! You know sometimes even the best-laid plans can leave us scratching our heads when the moment to write arrives. 😅🤣
But fear not, let your creativity guide you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Happy writing and may the lost thoughts behind titles eventually reveal themselves in all their glory! 🙌
Great post Ritish!
I totally hear you on this one. Whatever am I’m going to write tomorrow! Don’t be surprised if you get like 10 reblogs on this one!!
😂😘
Well, this made me thinking now 🤔 What you're up to 😅
I manage the flow of inspiration by speaking aloud the idea and recording it often via my Apple Watch voice memos as I wear my watch all the time. If I was in the shower I repeat the idea aloud and sometimes turn it into a song that I sing for the remainder of my shower until I record it on my watch, iPhone audibly or send myself a text so it’s not lost.
That's a really creative approach. Tony. You've got a full-on idea-recording studio going on! 😅
Keep rocking those tunes and capturing your brilliant ideas.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
Haha very relatable 😅
Yeah, I guess every writer can relate 🤣
Thank you. I appreciate your faithfulness in sharing this. I do understand. I personally found that encouragement even limited often fuelled in me this desire to keep writing. I once had little notebooks around the house with small pencils. I would quickly write down even a word that came. Even in my most frantic days I was often surprised by what fleeting thoughts I captured. I value what you share and the encouragement you give to others.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Faye. Having those little notebooks and pencils scattered around your house was a brilliant idea. You never know when inspiration strikes.
I'm certain you'll continue to surprise yourself with the profound ideas you capture. 🙏🙌
I find that too, so I try to take quick notes in my phone. My ideas usually come when I'm driving, so jotting something down, or using Siri to create a note is a useful way of using technology. I guess if your ideas come to you in the shower, shouting out to Siri would be a way to capture the idea! Plus you can tell a joke!
Absolutely, that's indeed a great strategy to capture ideas on the go. Shouting out to Siri in the shower can be quite entertaining too 😅
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Tamara! Have a lovely day
Lol! That could be very funny! Hope your weekend is awesome!
Sure Tamara 😃
It's lovely very optimistic and fresh.
Looking forward to read more of your work
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Thank you! Just gone through some of you blogs and I really liked it 🙌
Thank you so much sir for your time and honest feedback
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Writers block can go fly a kite, or take a hike, or whatever it likes to do. Ideas come and ideas go, but it’s frustrating when they go too fast! Just like dreams. We all have fantastical things in our dreams, but as soon as we wake up, they’re gone in an instant! Thank you for the laugh. If you’re in the shower and inspiration bursts in, maybe you could have a waterproof pad and pen (I’m sure they make em), so you could write it down without leaving the shower.
I couldn't agree more.
I can almost see it now - the shower becoming the birthplace of literary genius. I bet the waterproof notepad industry is secretly run by a team of frustrated writers 😅 Anyways, Happy writing, my friend!
The perfect ending to a great post! 😀 Oh, this happens so often to me I have even stopped being annoyed by myself! 😀The only way to remember is to keep saying the idea over and over until it is written down but often other thoughts will battle their way through or I'll be interrupted! But just as your lost idea led to this post, often something else, another idea, comes along!
It's so good to hear from you again, Annika. Welcome back! 💗
And thankyou so much for sharing your thoughts on this. We writer are all on a same boat 😅
Absolutely, thanks for this!
Thanks! Enjoy your day.
You too 😌
Yes I relate to this very much... If I have a whole string of ideas and try to write them down... Invariably the last two have slipped my mind before capturing them.
It's a very interesting subject to ponder.
We all are under a same umbrella. Isn't it? But who know those escaped ideas would come back to you in another unexpected way.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, it is indeed an interesting subject.
👍👍
As I told you in one of your other posts, this is relatable!
Conclusion : Never trust your brain with ideas!!😅😜
Of course 😅😅
And thank you so much for actively engaging with our posts. If you ever want to publish your wisdom with us here on Aspiring Blog, you're more than welcome.
Thank you Ritish! Very kind of you 😊
Absolutely relatable. I think most writers will surely associate with this same thought
Thanks a bunch for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. It's awesome to know I'm not alone 😅
Yup you are not alone here