New ideas emerge when the mind wanders.

I have this ritual I do every morning that I started when I was young. When I would wake up, the first thing would I do while gazing at my ceiling was think, “What do I want to do today?” I would factor in the weather, the time, and my resources and come up with a handful of options. And when I decided, normally while in the shower, I would do it. Normally I would do it alone.

It would be as simple as thinking, “Today, I want to go hiking and take photos.” Then I would throw on clothes, grab my camera, and run out the door. Taking these spontaneous trips forced me to be present. I would be aware of every detail: the texture of the tree bark, the calming smell of the leaves, and the faint rumbling of a nearby stream. I wanted to absorb these details and store them away. I did this because I knew that when I made it back to bed that night, I would return a better person than who I was when I first woke up that day.

I noticed the more I experienced, the better I became at solving problems, problems either related to life or design. This library of information curated in the mind inevitably grows, but the valuable thing is learning to tap into that library and use it when you need it. New ideas emerge when the mind wanders, and these ideas are what keep me hungry as a creative.

Knowledge and experiences are what give me the most value in my life. The rest, in my opinion, is bullshit that distracts you from what matters to you. So what I would ask of you is to take the time to be present. Notice the small, fleeting details. It could do you some good.

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