{"id":23,"date":"2020-06-08T03:32:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-08T09:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/?p=23"},"modified":"2021-02-12T12:32:22","modified_gmt":"2021-02-12T19:32:22","slug":"it-starts-with-an-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/it-starts-with-an-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"It Starts with an Idea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Gail Lowe<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes it drops into your mind complete with ribbon and bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes you get a picture, a few words, and your mind has to chase the story down one sentence at a time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It doesn\u2019t matter how it arrives. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s what you do with it.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m an expert daydreamer.<\/strong> I feel quite comfortable claiming the status because I\u2019ve clocked way more than the recommended 10,000 hours that Malcolm Gladwell wrote about in Outliers. Apparently, experts are disputing the 10,000-hour-claim, but I have been watching Malcolm on Master Class, and I like his style, so I\u2019m going with what Malcolm says*.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

*See, Malcom and I are now on a first-name basis. Lean in\u2026 I\u2019m whispering:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can do that when the other person doesn\u2019t know you exist.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyhoo, back to the topic at hand\u2026oh yes, daydreaming. I think my muse has more access to me when I\u2019m daydreaming or doing things that empty my mind and make room for extraordinary ideas to come through. I have this image of two muses sitting in a boat on a celestial lake with fishing rods. One muse pipes up and says to the other: \u201cGot one!\u201d I think some creative force is always out there fishing, waiting for us creative types to take a bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s what happens after we take that bite that separates the starters from the finishers. Ideas have to be developed. Daydreaming alone isn\u2019t going to get the job done. I figured that out the hard way, and now I\u2019m working towards my 10,000 hours as a finisher. My muse checks in every once in a while to see how I\u2019m doing. I appreciate that immensely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I have also discovered that there are amazing creative types here on earth, ready to help:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n