Where Do the Ideas Come From?

Today, We Answer A Common Reader Question

Figured I’d take to day to answer a question about Day By Day that I’m often asked.

Which is, how do you come up with a topic to write about each and every day?

The question feels sort of impossible to answer because it’s based on the assumption that writing (and art in general) comes (solely) out of inspiration. That’s not how it works, at least not if you want to - you know - do art regularly.

(Inspiration DOES play a role, but that’s a topic for another time.)

So my answer to the question usually goes something like, I turn the light on in my office, open my laptop and, well, write. You get good at doing things by doing them. That’s it. That’s the secret.

There’s also a fair amount of what I call infrastructure preparation to writing a daily newsletter that goes beyond the actual words. For example, where in each of my days can I find 20-30 minutes? Home responsibilities come first, so if I can’t find time in one day, is there another day where I can crank out three or four essays and schedule them? What’s Little Bean’s schedule look like, and what sort of prep work does an upcoming Interviews By Uma require? Do I have pictures at my fingertips for what I want to write about? Do I have time to do at least one go-through edit? I’m thinking about that stuff all the time.

As for ideas, that’s the easy part believe it or not. On my phone, I have a spreadsheet of dozens of potential newsletter essay ideas that I keep adding to and never seem to run out of. Want to hear a couple? I’ll write them below exactly like they are sitting on my phone.

~ Wendy S IBU 3/5

~ Listening to her play piano anywhere

~ Flailing Idiot

~ Who are The Fofers

~ The mob pit

You get the idea. If somebody were just to read the notes, that might not mean much, but I get the code. And some days, a quick glance at the list is all I need to get rolling.

Finally, literally as I was finishing the sentence you just read above, Little Bean came walking over to show me the completed foam core of the animal head she’s building. Her next step will be to build out the surface of the core with fur and coloring and so forth. The mouth on that head opens and closes by the way.

And I thought to myself, huh, that’s perfect for tonight. I asked her if I could post the photo above and she said sure, as long as I ask you all what you think about it.

And that’s it. One more post sent out to you, dear reader. And in case you’re curious, this is post #593 since Day by Day began.

We’ll close tonight with about a minute of the one and only Harry Valentino of High Fade absolutely killing it at the Portland House of Music on Wednesday. As you can see, Little Bean and I were basically on the stage with them. Just three dudes from Scotland in kilts at full blast for an hour and a half. We’ll have a big report and story on that adventure next week.

Thanks for listening and please keep the questions coming!