Getting Things Done — Donna Hopkins

I enjoy reading Process ☼ On Photography, by Wesley Verhoeve. In his post, How structure can make you more creative (not less): My conversation with David Allen, Wesley reflects on his realization that the goal isn't to get organized just to be able to cram more stuff in, but to get organized so your brain has room to breathe and create again.

Here’s a habit recommended by David Allen that I use to get things done in my creative life.

Capture Everything
Ideas hit while I'm walking with my camera or editing late at night or having dinner. I capture them in Apple Notes right away, no matter how random. Later, during my weekly review, I sort through and decide what's worth pursuing. The key is trusting the system enough to get it out of your head in the moment.

I often have a lot going on in my head and this system of taking notes on my iPhone feels like a pressure release valve. I can get the idea out of my head and make more space for expansive thinking. My husband and I have a shared memory of seeing the movie Night Shift back in 1982 (we were young newlyweds at the time). There was a funny scene featuring Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton. Micheal Keaton’s character was always coming up with hare-brained schemes to make money; he dictated his ideas into a handheld tape recorder so he could remember them. One of those ideas was to improve the making of tuna fish by feeding mayonnaise to live tuna fish. It was incredibly goofy, but also incredibly funny. You can see the classic comedy moment here.

This week I took notes on my Florelegium project.

Consider naming each flower on the facing page. Use the common name and the scientific name, too. Think flower illustration book or field guide.
Would it be interesting to use vintage/found photographs of people wearing corsages or carrying bouquets to add an element of surprise to the book?
Should the images in the book be arranged chronologically, spring/summer/fall/winter? Or would it be better to arrange them in the order that is the most visually appealing without regard for the seasons?
Stick strictly to still life scenes of flowers or include views of flowers in-situ? Plan a trip to the flower farm in Orange, Virginia.

Many of my Apple notes get discarded right away. Some I hold on to until I can try the ideas out or consider them more deeply. But either way, I love that creative work goes on all day long. It’s not boxed in by a time schedule or limited to a class or session or photo shoot. Taking notes is a simply a way of being in the world.