Separating input and output in the creative process

One of the biggest mistakes creatives make is combining research (input) and writing (output) into a single session. I've put together a little process for indexing ideas, very similar to Maria Popova's strategy for paper books, that makes creative output much easier.

Once you put a process around archiving things that inspire you, you'll never run out of research for your creative work. You can riff on someone else's idea, apply an accepted principal to a new field or curate interesting tidbits you've come across.

Instead of dedicating time to information gathering, you can build small habits into the rest of your work. What used to be a silo becomes a layer.

This is my first post on the Ghost blog. Whether you love it or hate it, I'd be interested to hear your feedback.

Read the post (~6 minutes)


Have a great day!

Jimmy


Swipe File is a short newsletter that delivers a small dose of inspiration each morning.

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