Never Run Out of Inspiration by Hacking Your Subconscious

Pt. 1 of the 2 Systems Approach

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Every writer, no matter how seasoned, has faced this moment:

Staring at a blank page, cursor blinking, brain frozen.

You tell yourself to “just write,” but nothing comes. Your mind feels like a dried-up well. It’s writer’s block at its worst.

In desperation, you turn to AI. You plug in a prompt like, “Give me 50 content ideas for so and so.”—and boom, a list appears. Problem solved, right?

Nope. Not at all.

Those AI-generated ideas suck, 90% of the time. They feel lifeless. Generic. Reheated leftovers from someone else’s brain.

AI can mass-produce words, yes. With the right prompts, they can even create “good enough” ideas (and I’ll teach this in the next edition).

But.

AI can’t make an idea that shines. An idea that resonates with you, that gets you excited. AI can only give you what others have already done.

Both AI and human creativity have limits. But what about if you combine them both?

The 2 Systems Approach

Writers can generate ideas in two ways: Soft Force and Brute Force.

Created by Author. More on this in Pt. 2.

• Brute Force is the structure-driven, fast-paced method— mostly now done with AI. Plug in a (good) prompt, generate a list, and sift through results. It’s functional, but often uninspired.

• Soft Force is the opposite: it taps into your brain’s natural ability to make unexpected connections, unlocking ideas that feel alive and uniquely yours.

Brute Force is useful when you're on a deadline, but Soft Force is where your best, most original ideas come from.

And that’s what we’ll discuss today.

System 1: Soft Force – The art of effortless ideation

Soft Force is the passive, subconscious way your brain generates ideas when you least expect it—during a shower, a long walk, or in the moments before sleep. Unlike Brute Force, which actively “searches” for ideas, Soft Force lets them surface on their own.

Think about the times you’ve had a sudden aha! moment. That’s Soft Force in action.

It happens because your subconscious mind is always working, processing, and making connections beneath your awareness.

But there’s a trick: You can’t force it.

That’s why I call it “Soft” Force. You can only create the conditions for it to happen naturally.

Why Soft Force works (And why you’re ignoring it)

Most people assume hard thinking is how we come up with great ideas.

But ironically, the opposite is true. Effortless thinking is what unlocks creativity.

Soft Force works because of two key cognitive processes:

1. The Default Mode Network (DMN). This is the part of your brain that activates when you're not focused on a task. It's responsible for daydreaming, memory consolidation, and creative problem-solving.

2. Incubation Effect. When you step away from a problem, your subconscious continues working on it, often leading to sudden insights when you least expect them.

Your best ideas don’t happen when you’re staring at a blank page, mentally torturing yourself. They happen when your brain is relaxed but engaged. Making invisible connections behind the scenes.

The power of Soft Force isn’t just anecdotal—it’s scientifically proven.

The Shower Effect

A 2019 study published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts found that people were more likely to come up with creative ideas when doing low-effort, undemanding tasks—like showering, walking, or gardening.

Why? Because these activities free up cognitive bandwidth. With less cognitive load, the brain can wander and make unexpected connections.

Einstein’s thought experiments

Albert Einstein famously attributed his best discoveries to mental wanderings rather than structured problem-solving. He often engaged in thought experiments, allowing his mind to drift through abstract concepts until new insights emerged.

His advice? “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” In other words, let your mind play.

Now that we understand how Soft Force works, how do we harness it on demand?

3 Steps to hack your subconscious for creative breakthroughs

If Soft Force is all about effortless ideation, then the key is to cultivate the right conditions for creativity to surface. That’s why I use a cooking analogy to describe this process:

• Gather

• Simmer

• Cook

Step 1: The Gathering Phase – Feeding the mind

Creativity isn’t coming up with something from nothing.

It’s connecting what’s already in your brain. But to connect ideas, you first need raw material—stuff to mix, match, and mash up into something new.

Here’s how to gather inspiration like a pro:

1. Consume widely, not just deeply. Read books outside your niche. If you’re a business writer, pick up a book on medieval warfare. If you write about productivity, read science fiction. Watch documentaries. Listen to debates. Learn random facts. Your best ideas will often come from unexpected intersections.

2. Capture everything. Ideas evaporate fast. Keep a running list of interesting concepts in Notion, Google Keep, or even a messy notebook. Use voice notes if you’re on the go. Some of my best article ideas hit me mid-walk, and I’ve trained myself to immediately record them.

3. Talk to people. Deep conversations spark fresh perspectives. Don’t just read—engage. Ask weird questions. Debate. Your brain thrives on friction.

4. Use the sleep trick. Keep a notebook by your bed. Your subconscious is most active before sleep and right after waking. Well known artists like Salvador Dalí used this trick to capture dream-like insights.

Step 2: The Simmering Phase – Letting ideas breathe

Here’s where most people go wrong: they expect great ideas on demand. They sit at their desk and force themselves to “think of something brilliant.”

But that’s not how creativity works.

Ever noticed how your best ideas come when you’re not actively thinking? While showering? Walking? Staring out a window? That’s because when you stop consciously trying, your subconscious takes over—and it’s way better at connecting ideas.

Here’s how to make that process work for you:

1. Regularly do something “boring.” Go for a (musicless — no cheating!) slow walk. Take a shower. Fold laundry. Let your mind wander. Your subconscious will start stitching together the ideas you gathered earlier.

2. Let frustration work for you. If an idea isn’t coming, don’t force it. Step away. The moment you stop trying, your brain will loop the problem in the background—and the answer will hit you out of nowhere.

3. Trust the process. Your brain will serve you ideas when they’re ready. But only if you give it the space.

Think of it like cooking: you’ve gathered your ingredients. Now, they need time to marinate, letting the flavors develop. Once they’re ready… it’s time to cook.

Step 3: The Cooking Phase – Bringing ideas to life

This is where people think creativity begins—but it’s actually the last step. Your subconscious has done the heavy lifting. Now, you just need to capture and refine what has already surfaced.

How to turn simmered ideas into content:

1. Know when ideas are ready. There are times when a fragment of a good idea hits you. But there’s also times when a fully formed idea surfaces from the depths. You’ll know when inspiration is ready because it’s exciting. You can’t stop thinking about it. You want to work on it now. When that happens, record it.

2. Expand using “What If” questions. Ask yourself: What if I flipped this idea upside down? What if I merged this with another concept? What if I made it a story instead of a list?

3. Refine and shape. Ideas don’t arrive fully formed. They might feel that way, but they’re not. It’s normal. Think of them as sparks. Blow on them, nurture them, until they become a full blaze. That’s the role of writing, reworking, and refining.

Troubleshooting: What if Soft Force isn’t working?

Even with the best system, creativity slumps happen. Here’s what to do when Soft Force isn’t delivering:

• You’re gathering too little. If new ideas aren’t coming, you might not be feeding your brain enough fresh material. Go consume something wildly different.

• You’re not giving yourself enough downtime. Overworking kills creativity. If you’re always “on,” your brain never gets to simmer. Step back. Walk. Daydream.

• You’re dismissing ideas too quickly. Not every idea will be gold immediately. Some need shaping. Write them down anyway—often, a weak idea today turns into something powerful tomorrow.

Final thoughts: Making Soft Force a daily habit

Soft Force isn’t a “shortcut.”

It’s powerful, yes. There’s a reason this is a “Force” — it can propel you to new heights, new frontiers of your genre, field, or craft. But it’s not a shortcut.

It’s a skill.

The best writers don’t wait for inspiration, nor do they rely solely on AI-generated fluff. Instead, they create the conditions for inspiration to happen—by gathering, simmering, and using their ideas organically.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, it’s time to shift. Stop forcing ideas. Start creating the space for them to find you.

Your best ideas are already there. You just have to let them come.