Have you ever had a great idea land on you, of a sudden? Perhaps it’s the solution to some scene or story you’ve been grappling with. Perhaps it’s a new inspiration.

As soon as it arrives, it seems both miraculous and obvious, and it is the second of these two, or perhaps the combination, really, that makes you sure it’s unforgettable. At least to you, who’s been gifted it–you will never forget it.

For this reason, you do not write it down.

The next time you remember it, you remember only the feeling of inspiration, the combination of inevitability and magic. The idea itself has vanished. It is only a vague impression of the feeling it caused. How is that possible? Why didn’t you just take a moment to jot it down, make a note to self?