How to spark up new ideas.

The Creator's Compass #040

‘La Grenouillère’ by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1869

My video for this week (or last week for all of my subscribers on Substack—paid and free! ❤️), is all about my spark file.

But what is a spark file? How does it work? What are the other alternatives to generating creative ideas for projects or artworks?

I stole the idea of the spark file from

Austin Kleon

, but apparently it’s originally a concept of author Steven Johnson.

The basic principle behind the spark file is to use it to catalogue all of your ideas whenever they arise. I grab a sheet of paper the instant an idea comes, and scribble it down.

Then, I throw it into my spark file, and basically forget about it. The next time I need a creative idea I whip it out and skim through what’s there. Some ideas will be perfect straight away. Others remind me of their existence, and remind me that I need to come back to them soon, when the time is right.