Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
Speaker 1: tip is that inspiration is a discipline. Consistently seek out
Speaker 1: thought provoking, inspiring inputs if you want to produce the
Speaker 1: best outputs. Today's tip comes from rapper Lecree by way
Speaker 1: of Jeremy Utley, Stanford Adjunct Professor of AI and Design.
Speaker 1: Utley recounts teaching a class of graduate students with lacray
Speaker 1: and La Craye, telling the students that inspiration is a discipline.
Speaker 1: Utley expanded on this and said, the most wildly creative
Speaker 1: individuals I know are disciplined about cultivating the inputs to
Speaker 1: their thinking because they know it affects the outputs of
Speaker 1: their thinking. I think he's right. I tend to think
Speaker 1: inspiration is a discipline in two ways. We can't just
Speaker 1: wait to be inspired. Creative people regularly sit down and
Speaker 1: tell themselves they will work for several hours, and they
Speaker 1: often get inspired during this time. But I think it's
Speaker 1: also true in the way Utley is discussing, which is
Speaker 1: that if you are going to come up with good ideas,
Speaker 1: you need good kindling to light those fires. You need
Speaker 1: to make sure you are seeking out inspiring inputs to
Speaker 1: make good outputs. So how do you get those inspiring inputs?
Speaker 1: For starters, we can all read widely literature, history, science, politics.
Speaker 1: We can see amazing performances. We can visit art museums
Speaker 1: and other museums. The best work that has been created
Speaker 1: now and in the past can inspire new work. Another
Speaker 1: way to get inputs is to seek out opinions and tips.
Speaker 1: This can be from podcasts, blogs, newsletters, magazines, practical nonfiction books,
Speaker 1: or political commentators on TV. See what people have to
Speaker 1: say that's relevant to your context. Indirect or indirect ways.
Speaker 1: We can also get out into nature. For centuries, nature
Speaker 1: has been seen as a source of inspiration, So become
Speaker 1: a keen observer. Study any natural features that interest you.
Speaker 1: Read writers like Mary Oliver, Annie Dillard, Wordsworth, or Thireaux
Speaker 1: who reflected a lot on the natural world. If being
Speaker 1: still in nature doesn't move you, then go for what
Speaker 1: I like to call an ideal walk. When there is
Speaker 1: a tricky problem you need inspiration to solve. Get moving.
Speaker 1: No music, no podcasts, no audio books, just you and nature.
Speaker 1: As you walk, let your mind wander something you see,
Speaker 1: or a random thought that crosses your mind may spark
Speaker 1: just the insight you need. Paying attention to how things
Speaker 1: work is another great source of inspiration. This could mean
Speaker 1: watching glass blowers or iron workers, touring a distillery or
Speaker 1: a cheese factory, or even just observing the check in
Speaker 1: process at your dentist's office. Are there processes that have
Speaker 1: analogies to your work? People can definitely be a source
Speaker 1: of in perspiration, So spend time with interesting people and
Speaker 1: ask curious questions. Invite people to elaborate on topics that
Speaker 1: light them up, even if you haven't thought much about them.
Speaker 1: You'll get a window into content that is interesting and
Speaker 1: it might spark your own thinking too. There are so
Speaker 1: many places to find inspiring inputs. As part of your
Speaker 1: weekly planning, it could be wise to reflect on your
Speaker 1: inputs from the week before and the insights and outputs
Speaker 1: they inspired. Then look ahead to the next week. What
Speaker 1: is likely to inspire you over the next seven days?
Speaker 1: What can you add if there isn't something already there now?
Speaker 1: Obviously there is a balance to be achieved here. We
Speaker 1: can't just consume inputs or we will never produce outputs.
Speaker 1: We all know people who put off doing their own
Speaker 1: creative work by consuming everything under the sun. But it
Speaker 1: might be wise to organize your days to have a
Speaker 1: little bit of both. I know successful creative people who
Speaker 1: produce in the morning and then when their brains are tired,
Speaker 1: they consume in the afternoon. It's a good way to
Speaker 1: practice the discipline of inspiration in the meantime. This is Laura.
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
Speaker 1: our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfas. If you've
Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at
Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a
Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit
Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
Speaker 1: your favorite shows.