Part of my job is keeping track of all our services and software and how they integrate with one another.
To visualize this, a few times a year I try to map it all out using a mind mapping program. This time around was preparing for next year, and including all the new stuff that came in to use since I did this exercise last.
It tends to be a little confusing for someone who’s not “in it” on a daily basis. So, during my one-on-one with the marketing team leader, she referred to it as my “Serial Killer Board”.
I couldn’t stop laughing.
The power of late night thoughts.
I listen to a lot of music. Mostly 🤘rock 🎸from the 90’s/early 2000’s in the vein of Jawbox, Jimmy Eat World, Sting, Toad the Wet Sprocket, etc.
🤷🏻♀️ Yes, I’m fully aware that I’m dating myself. 👵🏻
Anywho, there was a bass line that had been going through my head with zero other context. No lyrics, no melody, just a bass line. For MONTHS. I remember talking to a friend of mine who went through the 90’s with me about it earlier this year and he couldn’t place it either. It was quite amusing trying to replicate the bass line with my voice.
Last night I was drifting off to sleep and a song title popped into my head from a band called Burning Airlines (Ex-Jawbox for those of you who are interested). I queued up the album on Spotify and THERE IT WAS 🤯. The bass line haunting my thoughts for nearly 12 months finally in my ears.
I could have gone to sleep and forgotten about it in the morning and continued to be haunted, but I made myself get up & get my phone to look up the song. The room that song was taking up in my brain was now free! 🎉
In much the same way, I keep a notebook by my bed and write down those random thoughts at night – and have had some fantastic ideas come from those late night brainstorms. I don’t ignore those sparks, even if I’m 🤏🏻 this close to sleep.
Keep a notebook 📓with you wherever you go so you catch all those seemingly insignificant things that run through your head. You never know when inspiration is gonna hit, and if you don’t record it, it never happened.
And this is the song…