When a powerful, wonderful, engaging idea grabs a hold of my mind, my thinking alters. I start seeing colors and possibilities that are "this close" tangible. The conceptual chemisty is magical. Cell upon cell ignites, passing charges across my synapses. I don't see myself. I don't feel time passing. I am inside the idea. I am train of thought speeding to a destination.Energy dispels any self-consciousness, as my eyes turn inward to visuals of what the idea is, how it works, watching it tick and move. It’s not that different from a mother imagining a baby a few weeks into pregnancy. Yet it's different completely because my imagining becomes true.
When the idea is forming, I share the concept with caution so that folk listening catch a glimpse and understand what they’re seeing. One by one I approach people whose opinion I value, and I use words and metaphors to bring them into my dream. Each of the people I talk to offers a tiny revision, a little tweak. Each tweak makes the idea simpler, more elegant. The concept gets clearer and more intelligent.
My feet feel the feedback of the floor as I move from mind to mind, person to person letting all of them try on the concept. Do they need alternations to make it fit their world view? A few conversational nips and tucks and then, it suits them. It suits me. The process has smoothed out the rough edges. I turn my mind and my hands to crafting the idea in 3-D.
The idea begins to become a product, a service, a something that others can read and make use of. Before I can finish people are askng if they might try it.
Setting my feet to run, praying for the wings at my sides, this idea has it’s own vibrant life.
I’ve always known how get up to fight again when I fail.
What do you do when a dream idea becomes a living reality? What do you do when you succeed fabulously? I think I might have to know these answers soon.
−me strauss Letting me be
6 comments:
Liz,I wonder if the answers to questions like the ones you pose at the end don't answer themelves as you move into them? I think that there are certain questions that just can't be answered in advance.
I hear so much excitement and investment in this post. It feels contagious. That's a great way to start a gorgeous autumn Sunday. Thank you.
Hi Dawn!
Oh yes those questions at the end are definitely rhetorical, but still worth thinking about. Yes, it's exciting -- more to tell you. :)
It feels as my head has broken wide open and I've put the top down to my car so that the sky is incredibly visible.
You, my dear, ARE singular elelgance.
Ah, Marti,
Would that were true! Thank you so much. The good feelings are mutual. You know that.
I remember reading something years ago regarding ideas and writing. It said "Never share your fire".
When we have creative bursts our first inclination is to share. For me, letting the idea 'incubate' just seems to work for me. When my idea is in finished form, it's then that I share. I do like the idea of letting people offer up a revision of sorts. Very interesting concept.
As always, this is a deep post with seemingly endless value.
Thanks for sharing, Liz.
~michaelm
Hi Michael,
What wisdom you give me in your comment. This fire is burning afterglow. It's the glow that is lasting and needs sharing to keep me going.
That's some wonderful compliment you wrote there. I hold it close.
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