Ask Lemmy

There is a process called "learning how to learn."

Essentially its a series of questions or question-templates you ask to gain deeper understanding of something beyond what the source material you are learning from provides.

The basic versions of them include "how" and "why", where the "who", "what", and "when" matter less in most cases (and if they matter more, it will be extremely apparent).

Then, listing out every answer to each of those questions you can possibly think of and testing them against logic and evidence.

"How do apples fall to the ground?"

• Warping of spacetime?

• flat disc that we stand on accelerating through space?

• The pull of the aether?

You would then test each of these ideas by gathering evidence and eliminating others. Eventually in the example through rigorous testing, logic (including mathematics), you'd come to the correct conclusion of the warping of spacetime.

Then, if you are trying to come up with new ideas, you apply this method of thinking to the unknown and reverse it a little. Take facts and evidence that exist, and ask the same questions against the unknown. For example, if you're writing a story, the who and the what become important in the reversal, but the how and the why stay relevant.

"What would the main character do after they realize they were betrayed by the grand duke of blahshire?"

• Who+Why: what are the main characters beliefs and convictions? What drives them?

• How: What kinds of actions has the main character taken in the past? Have they grown since then?

• What is the current sociopolitical climate that the story is taking place in? What kinds of behavior is expected of the main character and those around them? Are things like revenge frowned upon, or is not exacting revenge considered weakness? Maybe both depending on who you ask?

You can also apply this to general ideas, making yourself or a project/concept/etc. the main subject.

This kind of thinking is a muscle you have to exercise until it becomes natural. Eventually you start doing it without realizing.

This sounds a little like "decision paralysis" apparently also known as "analysis paralysis". Basically, if you have an open ended situation where a variety of ideas would work, it can be hard to settle on a single option.

Look at the world as it is today. Imagine what it would be like if it were better. Imagine what that world would look like. What would different about it than it is today? Would things cost the same? Would there even be money? How would your life be different in that better world?

Now, I used the word "better", but you filled in all the gaps about what "better" means. That definition of "better" is entirely your own. That same set of questions asked of 10 different people would result in 10 completely different answers. Congratulations! You've just come up with creative ideas!

Now imagine if the world were worse. And now worse yet. And now worse than that. These are now 3 completely different sets of creative ideas that are completely unique to you.

That, like most aspect of art and creativity, is a skill that takes practice. For writing specifically, you'd have to read more books, watch more films, and generally study how others do it. Eventually you'd be able remix all your previous experiences and other people's work into something new and your own. It may come easier to some compared to others, but with practice everyone can come up with great ideas.

For paintings, at least for me, it's less of deciding what the art to represent and more like I have something in my mind that I need to get out into the world, and painting is just one way of doing it. It's less "I want to put something in the oven, but what?" and more like "I want chicken. Should I roast it in the oven or deep fry it?" if that makes sense lol

Try doing "what if"s. Meaning just come up with a question about a scenario, like "what if the sun suddenly disappeared?" The scenario doesn't have to be good or make any sense, it's just a question - "What if?"

You combine real With what ifs, and no restrictions