The Bewitching Hour. . . Idea Processing

Traditionally, the bewitching hour begins at midnight and is the time when all kinds of strange and other worldly things may happen.

My take on the bewitching hour is a little different. I think the bewitching hour is just at sunrise and the other worldly things happening are ideas.

The dawn sky over the west wing of my home in Santa Fe.

I was so heartened by the comments on yesterday’s post. It is a wonderful thing to know there are like minded people in this world, isn’t it?

The Idea Avalanche

And one of the experiences we creative folks share is the idea avalanche.

I always think of it that way. An avalanche begins as such a small movement - almost imperceptible - and builds to a landslide before you even have time to get out of the way.

Ideas are not something that any artist would want to avoid, of course, but it’s the timing that gives us trouble. Idea avalanches might be triggered by just about anything, so most times, they crash into our heads without warning and bump into all the other stuff in there in a mental mosh pit that leaves us more dazed than inspired.

So, I have come up with a process to gently get some of the “snow” off the mountain at a time when I can process it, and thus lighten the load of what might otherwise derail me as I go through my busy day.

The Dawning of Ideas

We all have our morning rituals and habits, and unfortunately, many of them rev our minds into high gear before we even have our seat belts on.

Things like checking email, reading blogs, morning newspapers and watching TV news start crowding up our mental highways even before our real rush hours begin.

There’s a better way to start the day.

Try This . . .

Even if you don’t get up at dawn, you can do this at whatever hour you begin your day, Dawn is just very special because the world is actually quiet - and primed for what is to come. It is the perfect time for the birth of new things.

Take your cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, lemon water or whatever (a warm mug feels great in your hands at dawn) and sit in a quiet place where you can watch the sunrise. Have your journal or just a notebook within easy reach. Being wrapped in a fuzzy robe is a plus.

Just vegetate. Allow your mind to drift into daydreams. If there are clouds in the sky, allow the free associations of any shapes you might see. Plans for your day or thoughts about work will come in along with creative ideas, and that is ok. It is all processing. Make sure no stress is produced by these because you don’t actually have to do anything about anything right now.

But, if you are a person who can’t do nothing, do something mindless like knitting or doodling in order to allow thoughts to free float into your mind.

Realize that creative ideas often arrive half baked and need more processing. They are like jigsaw puzzle pieces looking for other pieces that will make them whole. That is exactly why they cause so much trouble when they arrive in large numbers in the middle of our problem solving daytime. They don’t have solutions yet.

And don’t chase those solutions. They will come about in their own time. Just allow thoughts and half baked ideas to drift into your head and float about softly.

If you recognize that a creative idea has “baked” and seems like a good one, take a moment to jot it in your notebook or journal. This is a great way to preserve it for later action and development. And to get it off your mind so there is room for other stuff.

This “bewitching hour” is such a peaceful processing experience compared to the crashing and clashing that can happen with an idea avalanche in the middle of an overwhelming day.

And the “bewitching hour” need not be a whole hour. Twenty minutes can do the job for you and might fit better into your schedule. Any time spent this way is better than none.

You will very likely find that the rest of your day is different because of this magic time spent. You will think more clearly and act more efficiently.

And you will definitely feel inspired by the “dawning” of new ideas.