Summer LotusApr 20 · 4 min read
A worthwhile activity that gives me a gem of an idea
It came as a surprise to myself that I can write though I have not been approved by any publication or have won many audiences. The good and successful authors on the medium are always saying, “ Keep showing up”, “ Be consistent”.
I have been following some of these great writers. This morning, I picked Niklas Goke to decipher his thinking and find out why he is so productive in his works. One video I watched was “How Ideas Actually Form”. It was from his website where he conducts courses on “ How to write like a pro”
I like his analogy between the video game called final fantasy and writing. Especially on how he came to write about Spiderman because he had been exposed to his shampoo bottle with “Spiderman” on it. It is about the subconscious that we could all tap from.
That ideas do not just arrive in numbers and clear images. We need to tap on our subconscious network for ideas. This is indeed a powerful idea. We just need to draw from within our minds. Reading is not my only source for writing now.
I have also looked at my articles to probe further into where my source of information and inspiration came from.
A lot of it is from my own experiences. With sixty years under my belt, some episodes stood out in my mind that had influenced and shaped me the way I am today. Whether it was a childhood traumatic event or an extremely elated one, if they are worthy and of benefit to others, I could write about them.
Some were from my travels. Looking at my boxes of printed photos and my digital ones, I have done wonderful traveling as well as sports like scuba-diving and skiing. Because of these activities, more destinations have opened up before me. They beckoned and enticed me to go whenever there were opportunities. Photographs evoke memories and can inspire creativity. They become my source of inspiration for my writing.
I look forward to traveling again once this COVID-19 crisis blows over.
I received my ideas through observation. For instance, I noticed that my domestic helper is an excellent cook. I do not mince my words. She has worked in my house for 22 years now. Her forte is cooking and I called her my ‘Michelin’ chef. She can incorporate the best of Singaporean, Peranakan as well as Indonesian taste into her cooking. She produces high quality and delicious meals because she is passionate, patient and hardworking.
So, any chance I could, I would ask her for her recipe as she cooks each time and I would take pictures. Eventually, I created an e-book about her cooking which attests to all her efforts. My family loves it and I have decided to put them on online sale. I hope to share the success with her. She felt very appreciated. Since then, she has come up with more innovative dishes on her own by surfing the internet.
I have become more cognizant of what is happening to myself and what is going around me. Recently, I started to have a craving for Gelato, something that I cannot explain. I would look for a good Gelato parlor and savor my pistachio or dark chocolate ice-cream. Then it dawned on me that I could write about the art of making good gelato. That would require a lot of research. If I know about it enough, I may even start a small gelato outlet and live out this dream! I also would have another topic for my e-book.
Becoming analytical and attentive would help too like I did when I watched Niklas Goke’s video. It is only by following successful writers that one can improve. Many of these successful writers have a huge base of fans. It is very generous of them to share their success tips. By imbibing their ideas, we can then put through our thought processes and spin out something authentic.
Every writer has his or her strengths. We could spend more time among their works to pick up the gems. This is the fastest way to improve writing.
This article is written on the spur of the moment just by watching one of Niklas Goke’s video and I believed that if we can continue to follow the leaders of the medium writers, we are headed for success!