Have you ever had an idea that was brilliant in your head but completely worthless once it left that comfy incubator between your ears? I heard something that inspired me and my brain cells began to fire as I mentally formulated a brilliant post. I was excited and could barely wait to sit down and write.
Twenty minutes later, I sat at my keyboard tapping out my idea. I wrote two paragraphs and read in horror a jumbled, confusing mush of ideas that made me want to weep with embarrassment. I tried in earnest to fix it, and several mixed metaphors and half formed ideas later, I decided to close the document and walk away.
I had a bowl of spinach, which cured my brain fog and mood. An hour later, I returned to the post and declared it a horrible, depressing mess.
I learned two things:
- Spinach is magical (for me at least)
- Sometimes what you write really does stink, admit it and move on.
What have you learned this week?
For some decidely non-stinky writing, check out these posts by writers who clearly eat their spinach:
- Trees of Gestures – Amy Palko sees beauty in what some describe urban blight.
- The Sound of Rain – Janice Cartier’s writing always sings. Somehow she even makes melancholy magical.
- Love Conkers All – A beautiful post by published author Stephen Fry.
- Stories to Pave the Path to Dreams – Emma Newman is a writer to watch, this post captures that restless feeling we all experience on the road to change.
Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.
September 16th, 2009 on 8:22 am
Love this analogy, Karen! It’s like every x number of articles I write — it’s a great idea at first, but doesn’t materialize in writing very well.
Meryl K Evans´s last blog ..Book Review: Get Known before the Book Deal
Reply
Karen Swim
Reply:
September 16th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Meryl, lol, I can totally relate! I guess the clunkers help keep us humble.
Reply
September 16th, 2009 on 8:23 am
Karen,
“Have you ever had an idea that was brilliant in your head but completely worthless once it left that comfy incubator between your ears?”
Yes – multiple times a week. Yesterday, in fact, I had what I thought was a brilliant idea for a post on a topic where I could use an even brillianter headline: Brain Surgery Salad. Then I told my daughter about it, and she looked at me like it was time to take Dad in for some inkblot tests.
Seemed like a good idea at the time. That’s why I like having sounding boards: they have saved me from embarrassment multiple times. Next time I’ll try spinach.
Brad Shorr´s last blog ..Against Happiness, by Eric G. Wilson, Book Review
Reply
Karen Swim
Reply:
September 16th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Brad, lol! Brain Surgery Salad. LOL. Well I can see how that would have sounded really good in your head.
Sounding boards are good, I wish I had someone around more often to keep me on this side of sanity because I can easily veer off course!
Reply
September 16th, 2009 on 8:27 am
Karen, It’s amazing that when I awaken with an idea, I have to pound it out on paper to get the expression of it just right. Sometimes just setting it aside after the first ideas are down and coming back to it another day, gives the “pot” a chance to boil. My brain works on it subconsciously as I do other things. All of a sudden, I get the “aha” and go back to my desk. Do you ever experience that?
Robyn McMaster´s last blog ..Introducing Top Leadership Brainpower at World Business Forum
Reply
Karen Swim
Reply:
September 16th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Robyn, that happens to me too! When I consciously walk away, my subconscious seems to work it out without the stress of me forcing it. I have had those aha moments while running, driving, and other places far from the computer. It suddenly all comes together beautifully and effortlessly. Is that the impact of a different part of your brain working on the solution?
Reply
September 16th, 2009 on 9:03 am
Karen,
I can’t personally say that spinach in particular works for me in that situation – something involving an intake of caffeine would no doubt have a much greater effect from my personal point of view.
But seriously, I think that we all have times like that, and I think that it can be great to get up and walk away for a short while. Then, you can come back to your writing with some fresh thinking and either promptly ditch it or continue but in a much fresher and clearer state of mind.
Andrew´s last blog ..Back home/back online!
Reply
Karen Swim
Reply:
September 16th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Welcome Back Andrew! I loved your family picture! Spinach, seriously it’s magical.
You are right we all have those moments when we need to refresh. In this case, it was um just really awful, lol! But, later there may have been an idea in there that will reveal itself and I’ll write it with clarity.
Reply
September 16th, 2009 on 10:42 am
Oh man… thank you.
I happen to LOVE spinach too. As much as I love those delicious tidbits you’ve shared with us.
And It’s good to know my semesters with Baudelaire and all those French Romantics may have paid off after all… LOL
And those stinkeroos we make?…just makes the next piece better.
Reply
Karen Swim
Reply:
September 16th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Janice, I bet even your stinkerroos are artsy!
I’m looking forward to the day when you when are being honored for your work, and I can point to the front page spread and say, “She likes spinach too!” 
Reply
September 16th, 2009 on 2:02 pm
You are so funny Karen – and look, even if the idea didn’t work out the learning you did from it has got us all smiling, talking and no doubt chomping on spinach
Joanna Young´s last blog ..Writing with the Language of Possibility: Part 3 of a 3 Part Series
Reply
Karen Swim
Reply:
September 16th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Joanna, lol! I never thought of it but it is a bit like turning lemons into lemonade, writing style.
I think this was more fun than the brilliance originally planned!
Reply
September 16th, 2009 on 4:27 pm
Chocolate chip cookies work better I have found.
GL HOFFMAN´s last blog ..Joe Wilson’s Most Embarrassing Moments
Reply
Karen Swim
Reply:
September 16th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
GL, well nothing beats baked goods, ever!
Reply
September 16th, 2009 on 9:19 pm
Hi Karen – That happens to me all the time – especially with fiction – it always sounds better in my head. I will have to try spinach too.
This week I have learned that I shouldn’t stop writing – even when I’m depressed, as my ideas dry up. Next time I’m going to force myself to do Morning Pages.
Reply
September 17th, 2009 on 2:05 am
I’ve learned to let myself write bad stuff – it’s totally freeing and after leaving it for a bit when I come back to it, I’m able to see what needs to get fixed.
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome´s last blog ..No, I Won’t Talk to You: Why Someday Syndrome Offers Email-Based Coaching
Reply
September 17th, 2009 on 8:05 am
Karen,
Spinach is definitely not one of my favorite dishes! I replace it with muffin and cafe latte and the change of the surroundings. And I find it very helpful to talk to others about it – sometimes a friend makes a remark about a piece of writing or an idea being stuck in my head and – whoosh, I find the right way again!
Ulla Hennig´s last blog ..Writing Prompts – Lesson learned with RocketMoms
Reply
September 17th, 2009 on 8:19 am
Spinach? Spinach! (scratches head) I’ll have to try that one
Thanks for the lovely words, nice to know that someone thinks I’m one to watch for my writing, and not concerns about madness…
I so understand about the idea turning into a mess on the page. I often start one post, only to find that it’s actually three posts all wrestling with each other like scruffy schoolboys. Then I have to send the dreaded Censor in to break them up, choose one to listen to whilst the others skulk off to stand in the corner, waiting for their turn.
What was I saying about madness again?
Emma Newman´s last blog ..A change is as good as a writer’s retreat…
Reply
September 17th, 2009 on 5:50 pm
“Spinach is magical”.
For you, and Popeye, both.
Reply
September 20th, 2009 on 10:14 pm
Great ideas do come but most of the time we have difficulty materializing it. It’s ok to have jumbled composition at first, that is the manifestation of creativity at work. Let it flow, then later on use logic to put it in understandable form.
Walter´s last blog ..How to unleash your true capacity
Reply
October 15th, 2009 on 1:51 am
Hi,
thanks for the great quality of your blog, each time i come here, i’m amazed.
black hattitude.
Reply