Welcome back to Confessions of a Facilitation Artist. This week I’m sharing some deep insights from Chapter 3 of Questlove’s Creative Quest—all about Getting Started with creativity, igniting ideas, capturing inspiration, and embracing even the wildest thoughts.
Whether you’re new here or following the series, you don’t need to have read the book or listened to previous episodes to get value from this post. My aim with these reflections is to spark your own creative journey and share practical ways to show up for your creative self.
The Creative Process Is Always in Motion
Creativity is always a process—not just the product we finally hold in our hands or share with the world. As Questlove writes, “ideas swirl around us in a constant stream, moving fast through our brains.” The real challenge? It’s capturing those flashes before the muse moves on.
This reminds me of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic, which I discussed early this year in this post: creative impulses come to us, but if we don’t act on them quickly—if we don’t capture them—they vanish. I’ve felt that challenge deeply, and today I want to share some ways we can meet it head-on.
Igniting Creativity: Simple Practices That Work
When people ask me how to get inspired or spark ideas, I often say it’s about creating space for your mind to wander. Questlove highlights that coffee alone won’t do the trick—though I admit caffeine helps!
One of my favorite methods is taking a 10- to 15-minute walk, often multiple times a day. Sometimes I put on music that sparks my thinking, but mostly I let my mind roam freely, not filling it with constant information or podcasts. It’s during these walks that connections form, and ideas start to surprise me from nowhere.
In fact, when I facilitate strategy sprints, I offer participants a choice: sketch ideas for 15 minutes or step outside for a walk to let those ideas percolate. Guess what most choose? Walking. It sparks fresh thinking that writing alone can’t always ignite.
And while many of you get ideas in the shower, I have this dream of having a whiteboard everywhere for all the thoughts that come unbidden!
Finding Inspiration Through Observation
For those moments when you need a creative jumpstart, Questlove suggests honing your observation skills. One powerful practice? Visit a garden. There’s something life-giving about being among growing plants—pausing to notice details and growth nurtures creativity. I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, near the Meijer Sculpture Garden, and I’m planning a trip there soon to soak in inspiration.
Another favorite of Questlove’s is attending an athletic competition like a basketball game. Watching athletes train, prepare, and compete reminds him that creativity also needs preparation. When you observe carefully, you’re priming your brain to create.
Lastly, Questlove does “MP3 pruning”—reflecting on old music collections, album art, and stories. This sparks ideas by reconnecting with meaningful sources. I look at my own bookshelf and feel a similar pull to revisit and seek inspiration.
Capturing Ideas: The Missing Link
Igniting ideas is only half the battle. Often, ideas come in fleeting moments on walks, in the shower, or during meditation—and if you don’t capture them, they disappear.
In facilitated team settings, we do quick exercises called Lightning Ideas or “10 for 10” where people rapidly write ideas for five minutes, including bad ideas. This “crap storm” encourages brain play and leads to new good ideas.
But what about solo moments? I confess: I don’t have a perfect system yet, and I lose ideas all the time. So I’m experimenting with idea stations in places where ideas strike: a post-it note, pen, and Mason jar in my bathroom, by the bed, and near the door after walks. When inspiration hits, I just jot it down and drop it in the jar—no pressure, no immediate action. Then I review those notes weekly during focused “tiger time” sessions.
Having some system, no matter how simple, is crucial to capturing ideas before they slip away.
Embrace the Crazy Ideas
A major insight: many of us immediately shut down wild or unconventional ideas. We judge them as impractical or ridiculous and discard them.
Questlove challenges us to spend extra time with those ideas, experiment, and riff on them. Sometimes the seemingly crazy idea is the one that propels us forward.
As an entrepreneur, I’m constantly asking: Is this worth my time? But I’ve realized limiting beliefs often cause me to dismiss good possibilities.
You Are Both Creator and Audience
This was a profound moment for me when I read Questlove’s quote about “when you create work, you are also the eventual audience.” We often imagine the audience as someone else, cooler or more critical, and discredit our own ideas.
But your creations will come back to you. Sometimes months later, I listen to past podcast episodes and feel like my past self is speaking directly to my future self. It’s powerful and healing.
For example, after my neighbor John died earlier this year, I recorded an episode about grief that I still return to when I need it. I’ve also shared about my sister’s illness and the early stages of grieving through this podcast—it’s become a way to process life’s real challenges over time.
So, if nothing else: create for yourself. Life is short and immediate, and your creative work has value for you, helping you grow and show up fully in the world.
Flip Your Perspective: “Through the Looking Glass”
Questlove offers a final challenge: start each day by “believing the opposite of everything you think you know.”
I’ve tried exercises like doing my entire morning routine with my non-dominant hand to break autopilot. It forces presence and fresh thinking.
More importantly, we can flip our mindset about the week ahead. Instead of succumbing to the “Sunday scaries” and dreading boring meetings or obligations, imagine your week as your best week ever. Picture feeling energized, accomplishing important things, and making space for what matters.
During my corporate years, my walking breaks saved me from dreary days packed with “brown meetings”—meetings I color-coded because they often felt soul-sucking. But I didn’t let them stop me; I started walking during meetings, sometimes wrapping Christmas presents, often more engaged when moving than sitting passively.
This kind of creative problem-solving—challenging constraints and finding ways to do what matters—is what I encourage you to embrace.
Your Takeaways
Ignite creativity with simple acts: walks, observation, and gathering inspiration from diverse sources
Capture your ideas with systems that work for you—even a Mason jar and post-it notes will do
Don’t dismiss the crazy ideas; nurture and experiment with them
Create for yourself; you are both creator and audience of your work
Challenge your assumptions and believe the opposite to reframe your perspective and open possibilities
I hope these reflections from Creative Quest inspire you to start—or continue—your own creative journey. Capture those ideas, create bravely, and make your life your masterpiece.
I’ll be back soon with Chapter 4 and more insights. Until then, keep creating and figure out your own path.
Whenever you’re ready, I can help you with:
Workshop design and facilitation
Facilitation and workshop training, including AI Opportunity Mapping, Strategy & Design Sprints
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