I need to come clean about something – I get some of my best ideas when I’m in the shower. There just seems to be something mystical about all of those tiny little water torpedoes finding their target as you close your eyes in surrender to the sounds of the rhythmic pulsations creating images of waterfalls in a botanical paradise. Kind of like this.

When my Shower Muse shows up, great ideas just seem to flow, and they are beautiful. But, of course, I’m all wet and soapy, and by the time I get out of the shower and grab a pen, all of those great ideas are history, swirling down the drain like so many tiny bubbles.

There was a time when I could remember every thought that crossed my mind. Mostly. But those days are a vague, distant memory, gone the way of the covered wagon and the Pony Express. These days, things pop into my head and disappear almost as quickly as they arrive, like fireflies and faerie dust.

Feel free to raise your hand if this has ever happened to you – the Shower Muse shows up with all of those wonderful ideas and you have no place to write them down, you can feel them slipping from your grasp like a wet bar of soap. You – we – are not alone. I have heard so many people offer up the same complaint over and over again, “I was in the shower when the perfect solution to xyz problem just popped into my head. I couldn’t believe it. But, by the time I got out of the shower and found something to write on, I couldn’t remember any of it. Darn, another great idea down the drain.”

I actually discovered a solution to this problem years ago, during one of my musing moments in the shower, and I have shared it whenever this conversation comes up. Now, I would like to share it with you.

When fireflies pop into my head I act fast and capture them with my magic pen – I write on the walls. I keep a dry-erase marker next to the shower, and if I think of something noteworthy I just grab the marker and write it on the shower wall. I can take my time finishing my shower and transcribing my notes to my journal. Then I clean it all up with a soft cloth or paper towel. To make sure I get rid of any lingering residue left by the dry-erase ink, I wipe the walls down with alcohol wipes, or alcohol on cotton balls. That would be the rubbing variety, not the drinking kind – although…

A word of caution is in order – I have found that not all markers are created equally, and neither are the shower walls. I would suggest that you find an inconspicuous spot to test before you commit. If your markers leave a stain or end up being hard to remove, you can try window cleaner or a cleaner made for dry-erase boards.

I know that some of you are thinking, “I don’t have a plain old white shower, I have beautiful slate tiles” – or something along those lines. All is not lost. Check your local office supply store for a moisture resistant dry-erase board, or, you could easily make one using a precut sheet of acrylic, or an acrylic photo frame. I added a background to this one just because, and to make it easier to read.

I also happen to have a metal tub, so the magnets on the back keep it handy. If you don’t happen to have a cool metal tub like this one, you could use a couple of those suction cups with the hooks on them to attach your board to the shower wall.

If the whole marker and dry-erase board thing doesn’t work for you, another possible option might be those bath-time crayons that little kids like to use. Again, I would strongly suggest testing before you commit. The real goal here is to release your inner child and let your imagination run wild – see what creative solutions you can find to capture the fireflies your Shower Muse brings. That, or be prepared to jump out of the shower really, really fast…

Happy Musings!