Where Ideas Come From…

Aurora by Kjetil Skogli (Norway)

Starting the 2011 Picture Book Marathon, I realized that I needed some new ideas. For me that has never been a problem but for some it is more terrifying then writing.

One of the questions that most writers or artists are asked is where their ideas come from. Some might give a list of ways to find ideas, some may say they come from their experiences and their childhood. However many say, “How can you not have ideas?” But that doesn’t help the panic of not having a good idea when you need it, does it?

Inspiration comes from a Late Latin word that means “to breathe or blow into”. Anyone who has had a great idea knows that feeling. It’s like a wind blowing into your brain, clearing cobwebs and revealing something that was there all along. 

So relax and let a muse blow away those cobwebs and reveal those ideas. They are there and they are yours. Focus on something besides the need to have a great idea. Look at the sky, smell the earth (or snow if you live in the mid west or eastern US), pet your cat, stare at the fire and let the ideas blow in.
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That said; I dreamt my picture book idea for day one of the 2011 Picture Book Marathon. One down....