I’ve been slowly making my way through Malcolm Gladwell’s Masterclass on Writing. It’s been a great watch from a fascinating author.

Gladwell had an interesting analogy on finding new ideas: use what’s in and around a person’s ‘bookshelf’

• Get inspiration from their ‘bookshelf’: You likely have an interesting friend who knows weird tidbits, odd facts, and peculiar stories. When you’re stuck, meet with this friend and share openly about your project and work.

  • How to apply this: Ask their thoughts on your project, and see if it triggers any ideas. You know you’ve struck gold when they start to say things like “Oh, this reminds me of __”. Their orthogonal thought might catalyze a new perspective you might have never have considered.

• Look for related ‘bookshelves’: Your interesting friend probably hangs out with other interesting friends. Gladwell shares: Just as the library organizes books by related topics, it’s in your advantage to scan the shelf above, below, and next to the ‘book’ you like.

  • How to apply this: How do you find other ‘books’ on other shelves related to the ‘book’ you like (your friend)? Ask your friend to introduce you to someone in their network: aka another ‘shelf’. Where one good idea is, there are many.

So when you’re looking for your next big idea, keep reading and searching. It’s okay if it leads to nowhere; there is a lot to learn on the journey.