Where Ideas Come to Me
Eureka! Eureka!
In the 3rd century BC, the Greek mathematician, physicist, and inventor Archimedes was tasked by King Hiero II of Syracuse to determine the purity of gold in the king’s crown. While taking a bath, Archimedes noticed that his body displaced water and discovered the principle of buoyancy (now known as Archimedes’ principle). Legend has it that in his excitement, he shouted “Eureka!” (“I found it!”) and ran through the streets.
Do you have moments or places where ideas suddenly come to you? Perhaps you’ve never really thought about it.
For me, I’m constantly grappling with problems at work. Questions like, “How should I solve this?” “What if I combine this and that?” “Why isn’t this program running?” “How can I refine this design further?” are always on my mind.
When faced with a problem, my first step is to gather information online or ask AI. Since my work involves designing and coding, most issues arise and are resolved at my desk.
However, not every problem can be solved with the internet or AI. While AI may eventually surpass my expectations and provide solutions to almost everything, we’re not there yet.
So, let me ask you again: do you have specific moments or places where ideas tend to come to you?
For me, it happens occasionally during walks, when I’m in the bathroom (both No.1 and No.2), or like Archimedes, while I’m in the bath. These are moments when ideas just seem to appear out of nowhere.
Why does this happen?
The reason isn’t entirely clear, but it could be that going somewhere different (away from the desk or computer), moving my body, or a combination of both puts my brain in a different state. Stepping away from the usual environment might refresh the mind, making it easier to come up with new ideas.
That said, if I were to go for a walk, take a bath, or go to the bathroom every time I hit a roadblock or needed an idea, I’d spend the entire day doing those things and get nothing done. Plus, these activities don’t always guarantee that an idea will come.
Still, knowing that certain times or places are conducive to idea generation is incredibly helpful. For example, intentionally scheduling walks, taking regular breaks to refresh, and integrating these habits into your routine can be beneficial.
If you haven’t thought about your own idea-generating moments or places, it might be worthwhile to reflect on past instances when ideas came to you. By identifying and valuing these moments, you can create habits that promote creative thinking, leading to more frequent “Eureka!” moments.
At AEDI, we are a web design and graphic design company based in Kurashiki, Okayama. We offer a wide range of services, including website design/development, WordPress development, multilingual site construction, UI/UX design, logo design, flyer design, leaflet/brochure/catalog design, poster design, character design for games and mascots, motion graphics, animation, and branding for companies, services, and products. Our services are available not only in Okayama and Kurashiki but also nationwide. If you have plans for website or graphic design creation, or branding, please feel free to contact us. We will tackle your web and design challenges by employing methods that promote idea generation to solve problems effectively.
