Keeping a spark file

I like this idea by Steven Johnson on keeping a spark file for all the little things that come up in life.

The problem with hunches is that it’s incredibly easy to forget them, precisely because they’re not fully-baked ideas. You’re reading an article, and a little spark of an idea pops into your head, but by the time you’ve finished the article, you’re checking your email, or responding to some urgent request from your colleague, and the next thing you know, you’ve forgotten the hunch for good.

Those of us who prefer an analog solution will simply jot down our “sparks” in a notebook but what if you prefer a digital solution? I recommend using the “Append to Dropbox” action in Drafts for iOS, a method which an be found in this article by George Coghill. I’m sure something similar to Drafts exists for Android but I don’t know for sure.

Whatever method you chose, keeping a spark file seems like a smart idea and I plan on starting one today.