Toothbrush Moments

Solutions to my writing problems hit me at different places and different times.  It rarely happens when I am sitting in front of the computer, staring at the screen, trying to determine how to get myself out of a corner I’ve written myself into.  Instead, I find myself inspired when it is awkward to write things down.  The most common time the spark appears is what I’ve started thinking of as toothbrush moments.

The ideas hit me when I am standing in front of my bathroom mirror.  Maybe it’s something about the repetitive motion of the brush over my teeth that causes my active brain to shift into neutral gear.  But at least once a week, an idea or a solution to a problem will pop into my brain.  I scramble to grab my phone and type it in between spitting out mouthfulls of foram. I’ve come to think of them as “toothbrush moments.”

The other place that ideas pop into my head is at my day job.  My job is primarily data entry. My focus is on typing numbers.  It leaves my subconcious free to grind over problems.  At least once a week I will stop typing, grab the closest scrap of paper, scribble something on it, and shove it into my pocket.

As helpful as these little moments are, I wish there were happening more consistently. Or at least have them happen at a time when I can sit down and expand on them instead of trying to dicipher my handwriting six to nine hours later.  The other option will be to move my computer into the bathroom.