When I have a piece of writing in mind, what I have, in fact, is a mental bucket: an attractor for and generator of thought. It’s like a thematic gravity well, a magnet for what would otherwise be a mess of iron filings. I’ll read books differently and listen differently in conversations. In particular I’ll remember everything better; everything

if you were able to unshackle yourself from the limits of the present moment, and draw on weeks, months, or even years of accumulated imagination. I call this approach the “slow burn”—allowing bits of thought matter to slowly simmer like a delicious pot of stew brewing on the stove. It is a calmer, more sustainable approach to creativity that

• Borrow ideas shamelessly. A blog post, a doodle, a conversation—treat them as creative ingredients.


• Add your perspective. What’s your unique take? How can you connect this idea to something else?


• Keep a swipe file. This could be a digital folder, a notebook, or even a Pinterest board filled with things that inspire you.