Since I've ratcheted-up my posting frequency from once a year to at least once a day(ish) I've noticed myself searching for inspiration and searching for suitable subjects in more places.

Whether it's the pressure to want to keep putting out (good) content or the strange "high" that I've been getting from writing more and thinking about different subjects, I've found a need to keep searching and exploring every angle of the things I encounter.  There's always a story somewhere, right?

An interesting byproduct of this has been the realization that I need quiet in order to write (for the most part).  In my design work and in the bit of development work that I do day after day, my iPod is always on, always pumping out some sort of audible assistance to help fill in the blanks.  But when writing articles, I've found myself to be distracted by the sounds, the lyrics, the musical energy, and I get thrown off easily.  Because of my work and personal schedule, I do most of my writing after everyone in the house has gone to bed (and with two kids, who can blame me, right? ;) ), but that's become a necessity now in trying to get thoughts onto paper.  Maybe that's why my iPad has become my go-to writing tool.  It helps me focus on the words and tune out all of the distractions around me.

What about your work environment? What makes you more productive in what you do?  Are there any tools that help you turn thoughts into actions faster?  Comments are "on" and the floor is yours!

Credit: Tod Baker

In Wisconsin we're fortunate to have four seasons, Spring, Mosquito, Deer, and Winter.  Ok, ok; Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall.  Two of these bring with them some outdoor activities that many homeowners are able to enjoy, lawn mowing and snow shoveling.  These are both activities that I dislike/hate/loathe, that is, until I realized how beneficial they are to my creativity.

Forget about the good that these activities do for a lawn or a sidewalk, focus on what they can do for your mind.  Aside from gems like this, I've started using this idle time to plan out articles and posts, brainstorm project options, or even rehearse some audio content that I'm looking to record.  (Yes, I talk to myself.  I'm a good listener.)  Between dodging the blueberry bushes and the monotonous drone of the engine, I can actually reach a point of semi-zen.

What activities do you do that may seem mentally unfulfilling?  How can you get some creative or enriching thoughts into your mind?  Are there activities that let you reach a point of mental clarity? Let's hear about 'em!  

While watching my oldest son play in our front yard, I found myself paying close attention to what he was doing and what games he was coming up with.  On the surface, it looked like he was talking to himself (something that I'm guilty of doing even at 30 years old).  But as I watched him playing, I was amazed at the little story that he had come up with for himself.  The all-powerful, and often ignored, imagination was hard at work.  Not only was his imagination running wild and making his play time fun, but it was helping him solve a problem, boredom.

For him, nothing was unattainable, nothing was too odd or unacceptable (he proudly proclaimed he was a superhero named "Tootsie Roll"), he was having fun the way he wanted to.  Watching this made me wonder where my imagination has gone.  It's not that it has disappeared completely, but I don't let it run as freely as I once did, or feel I could.  I've let myself become too complacent with solving problems and I've fallen into a trap that's all-too comfortable when it comes to generating ideas and taking action on new projects.  I've also noticed this in others as well.  We've become too obsessed with determining the worth of something based on what it's been designed to do and stop short of thinking what it wasn't designed to do.

Let's free our inner superhero, color outside the lines, imagine the unimaginable, and any other cliche you wish to add to this list.  Bottom line, let's get creative and bring back the fun, not only in our work, but in our lives!