How ideas are born

Often we only see the most photogenic part of the process

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There's a widespread misconception about ideas: many believe they appear out of nowhere, like a revelation.

“I’m washing the dishes and bam, an idea just pops into my head” 😂

That's never happened to me personally. I have had moments of clarity that feel like a revelation, but I've NEVER had an idea come to me out of nowhere.

Behind every idea there are many hours of research, doubts, tests, conversations, open browser tabs, loose notes on the phone, and moments of thinking that I wasn't getting anywhere.

A lot of time is invested... and most of the time it goes unseen.

And what's interesting is that this feeling that ideas are more of a process than a "moment of illumination" isn't new. Interestingly, none of the authors who studied creativity talk about magic. They talk about observation, connections, time, and work. 👇

1. James Webb Young: Ideas are connections

In 1939, publicist James Webb Young wrote A Technique for Producing Ideas , a book that is still a reference for those who work in creativity today.

His approach was simple but powerful:

A new idea doesn't arise from nothing. It's a new combination of elements that already existed.

According to Young, the creative process has several stages: gathering information, processing it, letting it sit, and finally, finding an unexpected connection.

Revelation exists, but it happens after the work. Not before.

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2. Steven Johnson: Ideas are slow hunches

In Where Good Ideas Come From , Steven Johnson questions the romanticized image of the Eureka moment.

For him, many of the best ideas don't appear suddenly, but begin as incomplete intuitions. He calls them slow hunches .

These are ideas that stay with us for months or years. We never fully understand them, but they don't disappear either...

They continue to grow in the background until they find the necessary connections to take shape.

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3. Austin Kleon: Creative people are collectors

Austin Kleon, author of Steal Like an Artist , argues that creativity has less to do with inventing and more to do with observing. He says that creative people are collectors: of references, images, conversations, books, experiences, and questions.

And the more diverse that universe of influences, the greater the possibilities for generating new connections. His perspective is a good reminder that ideas need raw material.

Before creating, one must nourish oneself.

A similar idea appears in The Artist's Way , where Julia Cameron talks about the importance of "feeding the wellspring": filling our lives with experiences, interests, and discoveries so that creativity has something to feed on.

So, how are ideas born?

I don't have a definitive answer.

But after reading all these authors, and struggling with my own creative processes for years, I suspect they are born much earlier than we think.

They are born when something catches our attention.

When we save a reference.

When we ask a question.

When we read something that leaves us thinking.

When we keep going over a topic even though we haven't found the answer yet.

And then, on an ordinary day, while we walk, take a bath, or clean a countertop, everything seems to fall into place.

And we thought we had a revelation.

But perhaps the idea had been traveling with us for weeks, months, or even years.