The red stuff glows
You should write because when you know that you’re going to write, it changes the way you live. That’s the promise: you will live more curiously if you write. You will become a scientist, if not of the natural world than of whatever world you care about. More of that world will pop alive. You will see more when you look at it. It’s like what happens to a room during a game of “I Spy”: if your friend spies something red, the red stuff glows. - James Somers, "More People Should Write"
When I was trying my hand at standup comedy earlier this year, I also spent time each morning free writing comedy. I also made a habit out of taking a note whenever I noticed something funny or that I thought I could turn into a joke. Notes like:
Vegetarian BBQ: beets, berries, and quinoa
In Wisconsin not only do they not card you at bars, it's actually illegal to card people
I read that cooking book, Salt Fat Acid Heat. I got through salt and fat okay but it got really difficult to cook once I took the LSD.
Right now, I also spend time each night writing a blog post. I've also made a habit out of taking a note whenever I notice an idea that would be interesting to write about. Notes like:
Extroverted friends are higher expected value, because they'll introduce you to more friends
Don't pre rinse dishes
The gamey-ness of language learning. The pattern matching, figuring out how to say something with your limited vocabulary, etc.
In each of these periods, my overarching preoccupation influenced what I noticed. I jotted down many more joke ideas when I was working on standup, and I jot down many more alarmingly rationalist thought experiments now that I'm writing blog posts.
And yet: in both periods, many notes fell into both categories. Notes like:
Should you release spiders into your house to catch bugs? Like getting a cat if you have mice
Positive externality of unboxing videos: can watch in reverse as a guide to re-box something
If you pull out your phone right as you sit down to shit, your brain will associate the pleasure of pooping with phone usage and addict you to social media.
Though at any one time I was on the lookout for just interesting ideas, or just funny bits, I invariably stumbled upon both.
So, I have two takeaways (both of which are mostly just an agreement with the jsomers post linked in the opening quote, which you should read):
- What you're focused on will shape the lens with which you view the world. If you're focused on comedy, you'll probably find stuff funnier, if you're blogging you might find yourself more curious about people and how the world works, if you're learning a language you might become much more aware of where that language is spoken or written in your life.
- At the same time, just noticing anything is a vast improvement. Taking time to note down thoughts is honestly a bit disruptive, and takes effort. But the habit of mindful noticing, and curiosity, and engaging with your ideas -- this will lead you to discoveries you never expected. Your comedy notebook may fill up with research experiments, or your gratitude journal may overflow with wisecracks.