As a greeting card writer, it’s the writing ideas question I get asked the most. Even more than “Can I have your autograph?” which I’ve heard approximately zero times. (Any day now!)

Years ago, when I got hired to write funny cards, it was a question that perplexed me too. Where was I going to get all my ideas? I had no actual plan. I was screwed.

So I did what I thought every professional humor writer surely must do: I kept a small notebook with me at all times to keep track of anything and everything that might be funny. Driving, cooking dinner, walking my dog—everywhere I went I’d rack my brain, scrawling things like “fortune cookie but it’s pudding” or “confused owl that says ‘huh’ instead of ‘who.’” Desperately I tallied, creating what I thought to be a ready-made list of ideas for the next time I sat down at my desk.

Turns out, not only did it not work—those things never made sense later—it was exhausting. I was tired of writing all the time. I wanted to be a regular old errand runner and TV watcher and food microwaver. So I gave up on the list and decided just to let a whole lot of real life into my head and trust my subconscious to turn it into something good later.

I’ve learned a lot in the years since I’ve gone off-notebook. Mostly, that in order to be creative, you have to be…really not creative. (See? I even took a break right there.)

Where do I get all my ideas? Just a brain filled with a bunch of stuff and a little wisdom. Kinda like some sort of—GASP.

Fortune pudding.

I’m telling you. There’s something there.

Where do you get your creative ideas?