“I Get Ideas”

As is the case for much of my inspiration, this article is a combination of an old song title and my daily caffeine high. Today’s song, “I Get Ideas”, originated in 1951.

( https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-i-get-ideas-by-tony-martin/ )

I was 6 years old then but, I’ll swear that I’ve known the entire lyrics all of my life. “I Get Ideas” is, of course, a love song, but, it also works perfectly for a writer’s mantra;

https://chopra.com/articles/what-is-a-mantra This link gave me the perfect definition for my use of the word.

“Like a seed planted with the intention of blossoming into a beautiful perennial, a mantra can be thought of as a seed for energizing an intention.” The “intention” here being to compose a brief, entertaining article.

The fuel for my mantra is my daily dose of caffeine. To fully grasp how the caffeine works for a writer, try this simple exercise:

Fill a large pan full of cold water. Set it on the burner with the flame on high and, stand (no fair sitting down) and watch it until the water reaches a full boil. The “watching” won’t be easy but, it’s essential. The pot of cold water is the writer’s brain immediately after he/she wakes up. The “full boil” is the equivalent of the caffeine high. Now you can start writing!

The ideas will begin to flow but, the challenge is; capturing them while they’re still “boiling”.

Here’s a sample: I did this. True story! Paint your big toe nails. The left one red, and the right one blue. The Red represents the political left and, of course, the Blue the political right. It didn’t go over well at the gym. Unintended consequences !!!

I’ll leave the rest of that story to your imagination.