Paper Is Your Friend.
I say this with a great deal of caution because I hate paper. Hate the stuff! I'm a digital baby, man. I love the fact that I can store all the crap that used to clog up my physical existence on a 3x6-inch device or 2-pound laptop.
Every time I see a piece of paper a sick, tight feeling wells up in my belly, and slowly works its way up my esophagus, into my spine, and finally makes its way to my brain, where it registers as disgust and horror. Laugh all you want. I'm not kidding.
However!
Today I learned that paper can be my friend. Little 5x7 index cards to be exact.
Lately I've been doing these morning brainstorming sessions at one of many local coffee shops. (I bounce around so as to not outwear my welcome.)
These brainstorming sessions are electronics-free. They are not welcome, and not allowed. All I bring is my pen and a stack of these little cards.
I write about all kinds of stuff. Some of it's ideas. Some of it's feelings. Some of it's cool products or features that I could add to those products. A lot of it is content, as the marketing âgeniusesâ call it. (Let's not respect it too much by calling it an âarticleâ or a âpostâ or a âphotographâ or a âhelpful resourceâ.)
Anyhoo, writing on paper every morning has been great! As a matter of fact, I'm writing this post right now on paper. And, for some reason, ideas flow so differently in analog. It's crazy. I thought it was a freak-occurance the first time, but then it kept happening.
It's really cool and I intend to keep it up.
There is absolutely no reason to develop ideas on a computer. I can't think of a single endeavor, creative or otherwise, that can't be worked out on paper. You know, the substance we've been using for thousands of years to write down cool shit.
When I'm done working on paper, then I go home and open a computer. There are some strict rules here, too:
The only time the computer should be opened is when your final work is beginning, and there's no choice. For example, you have to write that code, or digitize that sketch, or lay out that magazine cover for the client.
When the computer is opened, the only software that should be ignited is the one you are using to do your work. No web browser! No notifications!
If you need to email someone, compose the email in text edit. (Or here, on Write.as, as I do.) Then copy it into your mail client and send quickly! What good does it do to go poking around in there? it will only occupy your mind with shit that doesn't matter right this minute.
I quickly take a photo of these index cards, send them puppies to Evernote, and then toss them into the firey abyss that is the recycling container.
Whoever is reading this, hopefully this helps you a bit.