When it Brains, it Storms

Ugh, that was a palpably grotesque play on words. What do I do when I’ve got nothing and I need something? It depends what I’m looking for. If I’m trying to think of someone’s name, I’ll usually cycle through the alphabet considering each letter. After that fails, I might try to think of the different times and places I saw that person. If I can think of other people who were there, a simple Facebook stalk might do the trick. But what if I see someone who I recognize but can’t quite pinpoint how I know them? Like if I watch a movie and recognize a B-List actor, and can’t remember where else I’ve seen him/her. I suppose I just keep watching in that case. Listen to the voice, take note of the various facial expressions. Checking IMDB is cheating. It's important that we flex our brain muscles in moments like these.  #thoughtsquats #mindgrind # braingains

What if I’ve got a hot date but I don’t know where to take her? Hmmm, I’ll consult the CityPaper to see if anything interesting is going on that night. If all that’s happening on a Wednesday is open mic slap-poetry night at One World Café, I might think of different geographical neighborhoods and try to narrow it down that way. I picture the routes, bars, buildings and parks and try to think of what’s nearby, where I haven’t been. I’ll try to imagine what it would look like to be having a pleasant time with her, and then try to locate a venue that matches what I’d imagined. It almost never ends up how I’d planned it, but this is how I can at least select a time and place.

Right now I’m thinking about how I brainstorm. I’m brainstorming brainstorming techniques. It’s metacognitive inception! And how am I doing it? I tilt my head a little as I type, furrow my brow, and look off into the distance as the film reel spins in my mind’s eye. I picture myself thinking, chewing on a pencil eraser, spewing words onto a page and then rearranging them later. I think about those swirling fragments of thought that don’t quite cleave together, and that eureka moment when I find something shiny amidst the detritus.

Sometimes when I’m feeling uninspired and looking for novel ideas, I turn on the tv and start at channel 2. Without using the guide, I hit channel up, like the olden days, and give each show at least a 15 second chance. This guy is carving wood, these people are fording a river, Kim Kardashian is speaking into the camera, A line drive down the third base line, Animaniacs, Fox News, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, a Rhianna music video, the pope. I make an effort not to get sucked into anything, but to expose my mind to 100 different things in 15 minutes or so. It rattles the cobwebs loose sometimes. You aren’t allowed to use the guide though, that’s cheating!

I hope this is somewhat helpful. Oh, and here’s the Hoefler-Frere Jones article Laura mentioned:

Aaaaaaaand here's that Bieb video I mentioned earlier. I promise it gets good at 1:07

Class dismissed.