Lightning Rods of Inspiration

Ever come upon a co-worker sitting at their desk just sort of staring into space (or their computer screen)? You ask what’s going on and they answer in a dull and defeated voice that they are waiting for inspiration to strike.

WHAT…???
Do you also sit on your arse waiting for dinner to make itself? For the lawn to grow shorter? For the sidewalks to shovel themselves after a snow? For your clothes to jump out of the closest and force themselves upon your body and thrust you out the door to start your day?

Waiting for inspiration? Puh-leeeze!
You may as well wait for lightning to strike.

As a matter of fact, you’ve probably heard a flash of brilliance described that way — as a lightning stike. The worst offenders of this ‘wait-and-see’ approach to inspiration are the people who’ve experienced a flash of insight in the past. I’m not saying the occasional lightning strike doesn’t happen. I’m just saying the odds are against it.

You know how you increase your chances of a lightning strike?
You erect lightning rods.

I’d like to share a few “lightning rods” of inspiration to erect around your work area. They will help provide an easy path for creativity to find its way to your brain, but you gotta be holding them — using them — in order for the creative lightning to strike YOU instead of dissipating harmlesssly into the ground.

Quote Collections
Hearing or reading the right line at the right time can dramatically affect your thought process. Here are a few personal recommendations on the quote resources I use. These all have plenty of burn marks from lightning strikes…

• 401 Design Meditations collected by Catherine Fishel
• The Quotable Walt Disney compiled by Dave Smith
• The Imagineering Way by The Imagineers
• Fast Company Magazine’s First Impression Email Newsletter
• JustSell.com’s Sales Quotes Email Newsletter

I’ll have more idea conducting lightning rods to soon!