An Idea Party

There are few things that inspire me more than a new notebook, a luscious pen and a bunch of new ideas. So when I discovered the website Michelle Murphy LifeOnPurpose, I was immediately intrigued. Michelle leads mastermind groups for women who are ready to explore and lean into all that life’s ‘next chapter’ has to offer them called The Next Step.  One of the highlights of the program is the infamous Idea Party. There’s so much potential in the name alone!

“An Idea Party is the catalyst that transforms a spark of inspiration into a blazing trail of innovation, all in the span of an evening.”  - Michelle Murphy

As participants, we identify a challenge or obstacle we would like help with as we move toward our Wild Ass Goal, that bigger than life goal, that when we put our heads together as a group, doesn’t seem quite so daunting. Then we invite supportive people in our lives to a virtual event, or as Michelle calls it, “Masterminding on Steroids”. We share our journey, our successes and our struggles, and the ‘Ultimate Question’ we would like to tackle with this beautifully curated group of individuals. The guests, aka members of ‘The Gallery’, are invited to share their ideas, referrals, and resources based on their own wisdom, creativity and experience, all with the intention of propelling us forward in our journey in ways we never could have imagined on our own.

Maybe someone (often a person we just met only moments ago!) knows someone who knows someone. Or they’ve gone through that exact thing and can offer guidance from their own experience. Or while they know nothing about what we’re doing their ‘superpower’ happens to be out-of-the-box thinking – which opens up that whole new world of ideas at the event. 

We who have come to present our ideas and sit in the “Hot Seat”  can then take all of the valuable feedback and offerings we have been given, and can begin tacking our goals and projects with a fresh perspective, new energy and tons of inspiring ideas.

Maybe I’m enthralled with the idea of an idea party because I use and teach journaling techniques that help to generate new ideas and look at something with a new lens. Clustering/brainstorming/mindmapping is an excellent strategy when we are feeling stuck. It’s an idea party for one.

Clustering is effective because it allows you to zero in on a single topic or question, and then your brain is free to explore, play and discover. The ideas can be fantastical, bizarre, or impossible, and we do not need to judge them. Who knows what far-out idea can spark a more plausible one or allow you to make a connection to something you hadn’t yet thought of?

So if you like the idea of an idea party, or it sounds like what you need to help get unstuck or start that creative project you’ve been pondering, check out Michelle Murphy LifeOnPurpose.

And in the meantime, keep writing. Keep making the space to allow new ideas and sparks to flow!