Ideaphoria

Sometimes we come across ideas or concepts that stick with us forever. A couple of years ago I was reading Gail McMeekin’s The 12 Secrets of Highly Successful Women: A Portable Life Coach for Creative Women. I enjoyed this book so much that I have loaned it to several friends who have also really enjoyed it.

While reading through, I came across something that I find myself remembering often. Gail spoke of the concept of Ideaphoria. Immediately, I was intrigued. This was a description of my brain to a T. 
Gail defines Ideaphoria as: 

• The rapid flow of ideas; the ability to generate lots of thoughts and ideas quickly
• An experience where one feels a constant onslaught of new ideas, creating a euphoric state of idea creation
• Also called ‘divergent thinking’
• Often about word association, fantasy, story-telling and analogies, linking unrelated things
• Something that must be and can be managed

After reading this section of her book, I discovered I was in love with the concept. I am constantly coming up with new ideas or new projects I want to work on. I have more than a couple of unfinished projects that were starting to turn out really well, but I was too excited to move on to a new project that I just decided to forget about it. Starting new things excites me. Finishing these things is less exhilarating. 

Gail explains that many people with ideaphoria “can often have multiple careers –copy writers, novelists, teachers, inventors, designers, entrepreneurs, artists, sales people marketers –any career where they can express their rapid, ceaseless flow of ideas. Therefore, they may have erratic career paths, feel unfocused, have closets full of unfinished projects, and may not stay with things long enough to be successful with them.” 

Again, I feel like this is me. Although I’m a graphic designer/production artist by day, by night I am dreaming of being a journalist, cosmetologist, hair stylist, entrepreneur, or freelance artist (where I can jump around from project to project, brand to brand).

She goes on to say that, “Highly creative people quite often have ideaphoria combined with strong intuitive skills, high emotional intelligence, and a keen awareness of their senses. They can absorb things like a sponge, which can make them tired, anxious, and overwhelmed. Issues of self-esteem, lack of self-acceptance, and weak problem-solving skills can undermine the careers of people with ideaphoria, leaving them under-employed, unhappy, and underpaid. Sometimes highly creative people are misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression when they simply need outlets for their creative ideas. They need people and projects that can benefit from their highly productive capacity for new ideas – it is creative imagination.” 

While this may sound discouraging at first, Gail not only explains what ideaphoria is, she gives us 6 ways to manage it and be thankful for it:

1. Celebrate your talents. Acknowledge that you need meaningful projects in which to express your creativity.
2. Come up with an effective way to record your ideas daily, then look for patterns or themes. Focus on one to three ideas that excite you the most right now.
3. Learn to say NO, not now.
4. Clear the clutter in your life. Get a personal organizer if needed.
5. Develop a decision-making process for yourself, coaches or mentors are most helpful. Several support systems may be needed to keep you on track.
6. Review your goals and affirmations each morning to avoid forgetting your current plan and not reaping the benefits of your idea generation and execution.

Check out Gail's awesome website here where you can find a list of her other books, information on creative success coaching and more. She is truly an inspirational woman worth following.

If you think you may experience Ideaphoria, I encourage you to read Gail McMeekin’s The 12 Secrets of Highly Successful Women: A Portable Life Coach for Creative Women. You can buy the book on Amazon here. 

This is an incredibly useful and straightforward tool that has not only helped me learn more about myself, but about the goals I have for my future and how I can (and will!) reach them.  

 Your friend,

Meghan