Many of the world’s greatest minds have been stimulated by “walking meditation”. An outwardly aimless, impromptu stroll around a garden or park is an inspirational excursion accessible to most. Set out with the intention of freeing the mind to invite an upwelling of content relevant to whatever you may be seeking.
The effortless flow of ideas will take you by surprise. Remain non-judgmental. Don’t analyse the thoughts blipping onto your mind’s screen. Creative nuggets will glint brightly when they surface among the dross of mental chatter.
Should you temporarily forget one of your “AHA moments”, merely retrace your steps slowly, backwards (I kid you not)… and the errant, momentarily elusive thought will pop back into your mind as unexpectedly as it originally surfaced. Sounds folksy, but it works. Try it!
Another (perhaps obvious) insight: There’s a link between gastronomic indulgence and good conversation that acts as a powerful idea generator. I also love the use of disposable paper table cloths in continental bistros… it’s a great working surface for jotting down concepts that splash from the subconscious as liberally as vinaigrette from your salad.
And don’t underestimate the use of a table serviette: NASA engineer Frank Bill Burcham’s simple sketch on a paper napkin led to the development of the jet engine. As your innermost thoughts expose themselves, deliciously assailing your senses, jot down the inklings of a poem or a contents page for that book you’ve been long procrastinating…
Interesting musings, Gavin. I just happened to have watched a video talk on TED this afternoon, where the author Elizabeth Gilbert (who wrote Eat, Pray, Love) touches upon some of these exact same ideas, like taking a walk in the country. Here’s the link to her riveting talk:
http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html