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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio.
Good morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is that inspiration is a discipline.
Consistently seek out thought-provoking, inspiring inputs if you want to produce the best outputs.
Today's tip comes from rapper Lecrae, by way of Jeremy Utley, Stanford Adjunct Professor of AI and Design.
Utley recounts teaching a class of graduate students with Lecrae and Lecrae telling the students that inspiration is a discipline.
Utley expanded on this and said the most wildly creative individuals I know are disciplined about cultivating the inputs to their thinking because they know it affects the outputs of their thinking.
I think he's right.
I tend to think inspiration is a discipline in two ways.
We can't just wait to be inspired.
Creative people regularly sit down and tell themselves they will work for several hours and they often get inspired during this time.
But I think it's also true in the way Utley is discussing, which is that if you are going to come up with good ideas, you need good kindling to light those fires.
You need to make sure you are seeking out inspiring inputs to make good outputs.
So how do you get those inspiring inputs?
For starters, we can all read widely.
Literature, history, science, politics.
We can see amazing performances.
We can visit art museums and other museums.
The best work that has been created now and in the past can inspire new work.
Another way to get inputs is to seek out opinions and tips.
This can be from podcasts blogs newsletters magazines, practical nonfiction books or political commentators on TV.
See what people have to say that's relevant to your context in direct or indirect ways.
We can also get out into nature.
For centuries, nature has been seen as a source of inspiration.
So become a keen observer.
Study any natural features that interest you.
Read writers like Mary Oliver, Annie Dillard, Wordsworth or Thoreau, who reflected a lot on the natural world.
If being still in nature doesn't move you, then go for what I like to call an idea walk.
When there is a tricky problem you need inspiration to solve, get moving.
No music, no podcast, no audiobooks.
Just you and nature.
As you walk, let your mind wander.
Something you see or a random thought that crosses your mind may spark just the insight you need.
Paying attention to how things work is another great source of inspiration.
This could mean watching glass blowers or iron workers touring a distillery or a cheese factory, or even just observing the check-in process at your dentist's office.
Are there processes that have analogies to your work?
People can definitely be a source of inspiration.
So spend time with interesting people and ask curious questions.
Invite people to elaborate on topics that light them up, even if you haven't thought much about them.
You'll get a window into content that is interesting, and it might spark your own thinking too.
There are so many places to find inspiring inputs.
As part of your weekly planning, it could be wise to reflect on your inputs from the week before and the insights and outputs they inspired.
Then look ahead to the next week.
What is likely to inspire you over the next seven days?
What can you add if there isn't something already there?
Now, obviously, there is a balance to be achieved here.
We can't just consume inputs or we will never produce outputs.
We all know people who put off doing their own creative work by consuming everything under the sun.
But it might be wise to organize your days to have a little bit of both.
I know successful creative people who produce in the morning and then, when their brains are tired, they consume in the afternoon.
It's a good way to practice the discipline of inspiration.
In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening.
And here's to making the most of our time.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas or feedback, you can reach me Before.
Breakfast is a production of iHeart Media.
For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Johnny Knoxville here.
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Hey, I'm Kyle McLaughlin.
You might know me as that guy from Twin Peaks, Sex and the City, or just The Internet Stand.
I have a new podcast called What Are We Even Doing, where I embark on a noble quest to understand the brilliant chaos of youth culture.
Each week, I invite someone fascinating to join me to talk about navigating this high-speed roller coaster we call reality.
Join me and my delightful guests every Thursday and let's get weird together in a good way.
Listen to What Are We Even Doing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
This is an iHeart Podcast.