Welcome to Issue 53 of Writing and Other Stuff, a newsletter by me, Kim Scaravelli, with a focus on writing content and nurturing your creativity. Thanks for reading. If this email was forwarded to you, click here to get your own.

Generating ideas can be addictive.

I love brainstorming and I'm always thinking of new topics to write about and new things to do.

💥I'm an idea generating machine.

Creating POSSIBILITIES is a natural high. But here's the thing...

The mental BUZZ from all those ideas, swirling and twirling around in your head, can become overwhelming. Possibilities morph into pressures and a sort of creative inertia can settle in.

If you've been pondering for a while - and your pondering hasn't pared those ideas down into one or two do-able things - you need to give yourself a kick in the bum.

Pick something and get started. Because creativity isn't just about generating ideas, it's about bringing ideas to life!

Cool quote

“The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs.”

Vance Havner

How I Choose Which Ideas To Act On

When I've got multiple ideas competing for my time and attention, the first question I ask myself is: Which idea is the most interesting to me?

I know there are a zillion more practical questions, but ultimately, I will put more time, effort, and resources into something that interests me. Period.

Have you got a few brilliant ideas swirling around in your head right now? Which one is the most interesting to you? Grab it. Do it!

Stuff Worth Sharing

If you've got a surplus of ideas right now, here are a few fun articles on how to get them under control:

For the Word Nerds

I'm familiar with triggers. Those are things that spark negative emotions. But I only recently learned about glimmers.

Glimmers are small moments of joy or peace that arise from appreciating simple things like the sun on your face or the smell of a flower. The Newport Institute has an article that explains more about glimmers and how they work.

FYI: The term glimmers was coined in 2018, by Deb Dana, a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in complex trauma. She defined glimmers as "micro moments that begin to shape our system in very gentle ways."

As a verb, glimmer means shine, so it was clever to incorporate that positive vibe into a new, meaningful noun. 🥳Congrats to Deb Dana for a skillful bit of word wizardry!

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