--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My ideas often come from strong mental…" description: "\"My ideas often come from strong mental images. When I'm observing some relatively ordinary thing, I'll think, \"What if…\" and out of that brainstorming ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/cassandra-clare-9_brainstorming_my-ideas-often-come-from-strong-mental-i_2305178.jpg" --- # My ideas often come from strong mental images. When I'm… ![“My ideas often come from strong mental images. When I'm observing some relatively ordinary thing, I'll think, "What if…" and out of that brainstorming a story emerges.” quote by Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/cassandra-clare-9_brainstorming_my-ideas-often-come-from-strong-mental-i_2305178.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/cassandra-clare-9_brainstorming_my-ideas-often-come-from-strong-mental-i_2305178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afa/cassandra-clare-9_brainstorming_my-ideas-often-come-from-strong-mental-i_2305178.jpg) > “My ideas often come from strong mental images. When I'm observing some relatively ordinary thing, I'll think, "What if…" and out of that brainstorming a story emerges.” [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creative ideas arise from vivid mental images and the “what if” curiosity, turning ordinary observations into story concepts. **In simple terms:** Strong images spark story ideas. Key Takeaway Cultivate visual thinking. Themes creativity imagination storytelling Mood inspired curious Type motivational creative When to use this quote - writing - brainstorming - concept development - daily observation Key Concepts visualization ideation inspiration Questions to Reflect On - How can you train yourself to notice visual details? - What “what if” questions unlock your imagination? A Different Perspective Ideas may stall without discipline. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brainstorming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brainstorming/) [Brainstorming Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brainstorming-story-5458189/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ideas Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-come/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Ifs and](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs-and/) [Mental Images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-images-327036/) [Observing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observing/) [Ordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary/) [Ordinary things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary-things/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Strong man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-man/) [Strong men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-men/) [Think Brainstorming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-brainstorming-5458188/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [What if](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-if/) ## Related quotes > [“Paul closed his eyes and turned his face to the sun. 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But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-buchheit/until-we-let-go-of-our-mental-images-of-who-we-are-or-who-we-should/) [Paul Buchheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-buchheit/) > [“You act, and feel, not according to what things are really like, but according to the image your mind holds of what they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/you-act-and-feel-not-according-to-what-things-are-really-like-but/) [Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/) > [It would be wrong of me to suppose that just because I can form private mental images, that everyone can. As Francis Galton and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/it-would-be-wrong-of-me-to-suppose-that-just-because-i-can-form/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [“Idolatry is not the use of images, but confusing them with what they represent, and in this respect mental images and lofty abstractions can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-wilson-watts/idolatry-is-not-the-use-of-images-but-confusing-them-with-what-they/) [Alan Wilson Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-wilson-watts/) > [It is my mind, with its store of images, that gives the world colour and sound; and that supremely real and rational certainty which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/it-is-my-mind-with-its-store-of-images-that-gives-the-world-colour/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) ## More by Cassandra Clare > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. 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It was the Blackthorn family motto: A bad law is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/lex-malla-lex-nulla-said-julian-with-a-regretful-wave-of-his-hand-it/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Maybe that was why she couldn't cry, she realized, staring dry-eyed at the ceiling. Because what was the point in crying when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/maybe-that-was-why-she-couldn-t-cry-she-realized-staring-dry-eyed-at/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm memorable, its true." -Magnus, pg.229-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-m-memorable-its-true-magnus-pg-229/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“There is more to living than not dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/there-is-more-to-living-than-not-dying/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Unless there was a reason for me to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/unless-there-was-a-reason-for-me-to-stay/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Love didn't make you weak, it made you stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/love-didn-t-make-you-weak-it-made-you-stronger/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I wasn’t just worried about him; I was worried about you, too. 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Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hayes/) > [“Osborn’s theory had great impact, and company leaders took up brainstorming with enthusiasm. To this day, it’s common for anyone who spends time in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/osborn-s-theory-had-great-impact-and-company-leaders-took-up/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Generating diverse ideas requires being clear about the kind of input needed and creating multiple ways for diverse team members to share their ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/generating-diverse-ideas-requires-being-clear-about-the-kind-of-input/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [“Research tells us that brainstorming becomes more productive when it’s focused. As jazz great Charles Mingus famously said, “You can’t improvise on nothing, man;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/research-tells-us-that-brainstorming-becomes-more-productive-when-it/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Writing isn't black magic. You just have to come up with an idea...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-ove-knausgard/writing-isn-t-black-magic-you-just-have-to-come-up-with-an-idea/) [Karl Ove Knausgård](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-ove-knausgard/) > [Two heads are definitely better than one and by sourcing ideas from each other, you have a better chance of coming up with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/two-heads-are-definitely-better-than-one-and-by-sourcing-ideas-from/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/if-at-first-the-idea-is-not-absurd-then-there-is-no-hope-for-it/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Psychologists usually offer three explanations for the failure of group brainstorming. The first is social loafing: in a group, some individuals tend to sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/psychologists-usually-offer-three-explanations-for-the-failure-of/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [In a regular class I don't focus on the form, but I think that focus is helpful for brainstorming and coming up with ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-jo-campbell/in-a-regular-class-i-don-t-focus-on-the-form-but-i-think-that-focus/) [Bonnie Jo Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-jo-campbell/) > [Don't confuse being stimulating with being blunt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-walters/don-t-confuse-being-stimulating-with-being-blunt/) [Barbara Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-walters/) > [We would like to believe that we are not in the business of surviving but in being good, and we do not like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-rowe/we-would-like-to-believe-that-we-are-not-in-the-business-of-surviving/) [Dorothy Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-rowe/) > [“Solitary walks are great for getting new ideas. It's like you're in a video game and you pick up idea coins on the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-rachelle/solitary-walks-are-great-for-getting-new-ideas-it-s-like-you-re-in-a/) [Joyce Rachelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-rachelle/) > [I do a lot of brainstorming with my editors. Sometimes it just comes out in the writing. I'll get an idea as I'm writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/i-do-a-lot-of-brainstorming-with-my-editors-sometimes-it-just-comes/) [Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/) > [To ask the hard question is simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/to-ask-the-hard-question-is-simple/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [Natural resources have dropped out of the competitive equation. In fact, a lack of natural resources may even be an advantage. Because the industries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-thurow/natural-resources-have-dropped-out-of-the-competitive-equation-in/) [Lester Thurow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-thurow/) [Browse all 85 Brainstorming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brainstorming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My ideas often come from strong mental images. 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