Collecting scraps
On noticing, collecting and keeping ideas
Jerry Saltz in How to be an Artist wrote that with creating, “the goal is first to learn how to look, and then to describe with your pencil or pen what you see.” (Emphasis mine). I’ve been thinking about the first bit a lot lately, about how creative work begins with noticing.
When in a creative season, I find myself acutely aware of the world. I realised recently that that’s the real difference between my dry spells and my productive stretches: in the former, life blurs past; in the latter, I’m gulping it down. This happens both consciously and subconsciously, but I genuinely believe the best work comes from intentionally observed moments. The minute and larger details. An experience, an overheard conversation, a name, a glance, a mole on your Uber driver’s neck, all kept for future use.
When I’m struggling to begin a short story, I ask myself: what have I noticed recently that moved or repelled me?
The writer of The Safe Keep, one of my most recent reads, talks about being inspired by a short story she once wrote about siblings and a disliked girlfriend. Two years later, while building a different story set in post-war Netherlands, she realised those characters were exactly what her new book needed. Two old ideas “ghosting around” her mind, collided and became something whole. It doesn’t matter how long ago you noticed something or how long ago you created it yourself, those ‘scraps’ have a way of returning when you need them,
The moral of this short story is that the things we see and set aside constitute good material. Every creative practice is a form of collecting and a form of memorising, even before creating. So design a system for noticing, practice and learn how to do it.
PSA: I’m hosting a creative writing workshop for short story writers in December! It’ll be an opportunity to learn the art of short stories, receive feedback on short writing samples, and connect with other talented writers. I have only a few slots left, so if you’d like to attend, do get your ticket now. In any case, I do hope to make this a regular feature of 2026, so there’ll be more (hopefully) if you’re not able to attend this maiden edition.
Date: 3 December 2026
Time: 6 pm GMT
Venue: Virtual
This resonates so deeply. That distinction between life "blurring past" and "gulping it down" is the perfect description of a creative mindset. It's a powerful reminder that our best work doesn't come from a vacuum, but from being truly present in the world. Thank you for sharing this.