Nurturing Your Ideas: A Unique Form of Self-Care

*this blog post is a transcript of the podcast Episode 2: Do Your Ideas Matter? The Secret Side of Self-Care.

Redefining Self-Care

When people think of self-care, images of spa days, relaxation, and physical pampering often come to mind. However, self-care encompasses much more than just these physical activities. An often overlooked but equally vital aspect of self-care is the nurturing of our ideas. The concepts and inspirations that ignite our creativity and fuel our passions deserve as much attention and care as our bodies and minds. By valuing and developing these ideas, we engage in a form of mental and creative self-care that can be both rejuvenating and essential for our overall well-being. It's a way of telling ourselves that our thoughts and creativity matter. That we matter. When we take the time to write down our ideas, revisit them, and develop them, we're investing in ourselves. We're saying, "Hey, I believe in myself, I believe in my potential."

A few months ago, I was decluttering my desk and found an old notebook with what seemed like random notes from about three years ago. I had the intention of throwing it away and was just checking to make sure there was nothing important in there. Well, while going through the book, I found some answers to projects that I currently feel stuck with. To my greatest surprise! It was a powerful reminder to myself that my ideas have value, no matter how raw, how impractical they may seem at first. This old treasure was a real discovery for me.

Valuing Yourself and Your Ideas

How often do we undervalue our creative potential, thinking our thoughts aren't just practical or polished enough? And what if we shift this perspective and see that taking care of our inspiration is a way to show ourselves self-worth and self-care?

If you think about your life—how many times have you had a spark of an idea and then dismissed it because you thought, it wasn't good enough? Or maybe you've written something down and never looked at it again? This happens to me a lot, and I think we all do this from time to time. It's like we're not giving our ideas the chance to grow. By not giving our ideas the time and space to develop, we're essentially saying that our thoughts and creativity aren't worth it. And of course, that's not true…

Every great idea starts raw. Every groundbreaking invention or revolutionary concept began as a simple idea. When we understand and appreciate this, we boost our confidence. This belief in ourselves can even push us to develop our inspirations further instead of quickly dismissing them.

Thomas Edison. The light bulb, which revolutionized the way we live, started as a raw idea. Edison didn't succeed on his first attempt. In fact, he had thousands of failed experiments before he got it right. Each failure was a steppingstone, an opportunity to refine his idea. If he had dismissed his thoughts as unworthy, we might not have the electric light bulb today. It's a perfect example of how nurturing even the simplest ideas can lead to big breakthroughs.

I've started applying this mindset not only to myself but also to how I support my son with his creative projects. When he comes home with his artwork all crumpled up in his backpack, we take the time to smooth out those papers, talk about what he created, and sometimes even frame the best pieces. There was a time when I would just glance at them and then put them aside. But now, I make a point to really look at what he's created and discuss it with him. We even brainstorm ways he can expand on his ideas, turning a simple drawing into a larger project. This simple act, which doesn't take a lot of time, but I hope it communicates to him the value of his work and his creative process.

Embracing Your Creative Journey

So, how can we make sure we're nurturing our ideas? Here are a few tips that have worked for me:

1) Always have a way to record your ideas.
Maybe for you, it's note-taking apps like Evernote, or an idea notebook. It could be a voice memo on your phone, or even sticky notes—just have something handy. The key is to find what works best for you, ensure that you always have access to it, and it is easy to use at a moment's notice. Because inspiration as we know doesn’t wait for the perfect moment; it always comes whenever it wants.

2) Find a system to keep them organized, regularly revisit them.
I must admit I am pretty good at recording my inspirations, but my biggest challenge is keeping them organized. My ideas are everywhere—on scraps of paper, in different notebooks, voice memos. So, if you are like me, let’s come up with a system of organizing them, preferably in a dedicated place—like an "Idea" folder on your computer or a specific notebook.

When an idea strikes us, we don’t have to rush to manifest it, right? In fact, it's good to set it aside, let it marinate, and revisit it on a regular basis. Don't rush to judge immediately; give them some time to sit and evolve. You might find that an idea you had months ago, even years like it just happened to me, suddenly makes sense, and fits perfectly with something new you're working on. So second, is to set aside time to revisit your notes. Maybe it's once a week, maybe once a month—whatever works for you, but the key is to make it a regular practice.

3) Share your ideas with others when you feel ready.
This can be with a trusted friend (and I underline trusted), a mentor, or even a community group. It's important to share your ideas with those you trust and who have your back, as they can help your ideas grow and boost your confidence. In fact, getting different perspectives can help refine and develop your thoughts further. And sometimes we need that external feedback to see the value in our thoughts. Plus, talking about your ideas can spark even more creativity.

These simple steps can make a big difference in how we nurture and value our creative potential. When we do this, we're telling ourselves that our thoughts and ideas have value. And to me, that feels so good!

Remember, every great invention, started as just a simple thought. So next time you have an idea, no matter how small or impractical it may seem at first, give it the time and space it deserves. It might just turn into something amazing.

Until next time, keep nurturing those ideas and take care of yourselves!