I’d love to be able to say that I know when a good idea is going to come. But I don’t. I know there are certain conditions that make ideas more likely. Like manufacturing space in my day to let my mind drift aimlessly. Or putting myself in novel environments (like walking a different route home from the station in the evening). Or doing automatic physical activity (like walking or washing the car). Being able to see the horizon helps sometimes, too.
But none of this is certain. So I’ve learned to stay ready by keeping a notebook and pen on me everywhere I go. That invisible muse may be waiting around the next corner, about to to throw me an idea and if I don’t catch it by writing it down, the moment passes and so does the idea. So. Ready? Catch!