Creative Pep Talk #102: Write It Down

This might be the most functionally important pep talk ever—and you may even know it already! It bears repeating, though, and I tell you why in this super-short episode.

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Transcript: Write It Down

Please note: This is an unedited transcript, provided as a courtesy, and reflects the actual conversation as closely as possible. Please forgive any typographical or grammatical errors.

Nancy Norbeck [00:00:06]:
Welcome to Follow Your Curiosity. Ordinary people, extraordinary creativity. Here’s how to get unstuck. I’m your host, creativity coach, Nancy Norbeck. Let’s go.

Nancy Norbeck [00:00:19]:
Hey, everybody, this is Nancy Norbeck, and I am back with this week’s Creative Pep Talk. And this week, I have a doozy of a creativity tip for you. In fact, it is probably the. The biggest, most important creativity tip I could possibly give you. In fact, it is such an important creativity tip for you that I will bet you that you have heard it before a million times. And I’ll bet you it’s incredibly obvious to the point where you’re going to hear it and you’re going to think, duh. And that tip is, write it down. You’ve heard me say this in so many interviews with so many people.

Nancy Norbeck [00:01:00]:
When you get a good idea, for the love of all that’s holy, write it down. So why am I telling you this if it’s that obvious? Because it is also, despite being obvious, the easiest thing in the world to forget to do. I cannot tell you how many times I have lost an idea that was fantastic. And I knew it at the time because I did not think to write it down. And I am not alone. And the reason I know that is because that’s why it’s come up so many times on the podcast in all those interviews, because it’s so easy to forget to write it down. You have the idea, the phone rings, the doorbell rings, you have to go pick up your kids at school, your boss wants something, something happens, and the next thing you know, you have completely lost that idea because it never even occurred to you to write it down before. You answered the door, got in the car, dealt with your boss, whatever the heck it was, and now you’re left sitting there going, oh, shit, what was.

Nancy Norbeck [00:02:07]:
Was fantastic. What was it? And nine times out of 10, it doesn’t come back. So I give you this one from a place of deep knowing, because it has happened to me so many times. And my bet is that as you’re listening to this, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you don’t, count yourself very lucky. But for the love of all that’s holy, and. And there are many holy things in this world. You have a phone in your pocket, I suspect, and if you don’t, you probably have something to write with handy at almost any given moment when you get that good idea, write it down.

Nancy Norbeck [00:02:52]:
Write it down. Put it someplace safe where you’re not going to lose it, so that you are not sitting here later kicking yourself because you forgot to write it down. Take it from somebody who knows. Take it from yourself if you are also someone who knows, because it’s a kind of pain you don’t want to experience or experience again. So write it down. That’s my advice for this week and frankly, for every week. So I don’t think that I need to ask you to let me know what happens with this one. But feel free to if you’d like, because I always love to hear from you.

Nancy Norbeck [00:03:26]:
And with that, I’ll see you next time.

Nancy Norbeck [00:03:30]:
If this episode resonated with you, or if you’re feeling a little bit less than confident in your creative process right now, join me at the Spark on Substack as we form a community that supports and and celebrates each other’s creative courage. It’s free and it’s also where I’ll be adding programs for subscribers and listeners. The link is in your podcast app, so sign up today. See you there and see you next week. Follow Your Curiosity is produced by me, Nancy Norbeck, with music by Joseph McDade. If you like Follow Your Curiosity, please subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And don’t forget to tell your friends. It really helps me reach new listeners.