Picking Your Brain For Better Ideas

Being an original thinker is near-impossible. Combining ideas to come up with something original is more likely.

It’s a truth. The best creatives are the ones who are able to find a new middle in between two (or more) ideas that already exist. This is the kind of work that makes people smirk, remember and feel warm. The challenge, of course, is in finding enough inspiration… and that it’s balanced so that there’s not too many inputs (this creates analysis/paralysis… when there’s too much of something, and nothing stays down long enough to percolate). There are certain individuals who are amazing at curating (have you checked out Media Redefined?). Then, there are the curators who take the things that have existed, and add their own perspective. This is the world of Maria Popova and her incredible newsletter/website, Brain Pickings.

Life-learnings for you to pull from.

In 2013, Brain Pickings turned seven. To celebrate, Popova wrote an article featuring her seven learnings after seven years of reading, writing and living. It was such a powerful read, that the people at Holstee turned the learnings into a letterpress poster. The basis of the thinking can also be seen below in a presentation that Popova gave earlier this year at The DO Lectures event called, Build Pockets of Stillness Into Your Life.

This is some of the most profound, inspiring and powerful lessons you will ever watch on how to live a life worth living…