“So you just sit there and, eventually, as the mind quietens, odd ideas and notions relevant to your puzzle start popping in your mind. But they are…odd! And the reason they seem odd is that they’re not what our usual logical, critical, analytical mind is used to. They don’t arrive in the form of words, in neatly typed little sentences. Because they come from your unconscious, they speak the language of the unconscious.
New and ‘woolly’ ideas shouldn’t be attacked by your logical brain until they’ve had time to grow, to become clearer and sturdier. New ideas are rather like small creatures. They’re easily strangled.
When the juices are not flowing, don’t beat yourself up and wonder if you should retrain as a priest.
Just sit around and play, until your unconscious is ready to cough up some stuff. Getting discouraged is a total waste of your time.”
John Cleese, Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide (2020)
brettworks 