“Where do story ideas come from?” and the related, “Is creativity a limited well?” are the questions I want to address today.
The answer to both of these questions, I think, is the same.
Life.
Specifically, your life.
And as long as you have a pulse and desire to create, there will be a never-ending well of inspiration and ideas to write about.
The trick is holding space for that life. To carving out time just to think with yourself for a moment. To appreciate the ray of sunshine peeking out of the clouds and wonder what life on a planet with two suns might be like. Or to watch starlings chase off a crow and see an analogy to the strength the small can have when they work together. Or to hold your tongue just a little when children endeavour to dig the very biggest and deepest hole they have ever dug before — right in the middle of your garden:
and then take note their proud, dirt-covered faces when you come to take a picture:
And with that held moment of appreciation of life, suddenly you have a picture book:
Well, suddenly might be slightly inaccurate. But don’t worry. I got you. I’m super excited to share my story making process. From inspiration (like dirt digging boys), to writing, to editing, to thumb nailing, to sketching, to polishing, and finally, to publishing! (With a few more steps in between!)
If you have any questions, please let me know and I’ll try to answer them!