Fill the well

Deliberately take in sensory, novel experiences so there’s something to draw from.

Why it works

Cameron frames imagination as an inner reservoir of images and impressions that creative work spends down. "Filling the well" is conscious, sensory input — attention to color, texture, sound, place — that restocks raw material for later. Output without input eventually runs dry; this keeps the source supplied.

How to do it

1. Schedule regular sensory, attention-rich experiences (nature, music, new places).
2. Engage the senses on purpose rather than passively consuming on a screen.
3. Treat input as part of the work, not a distraction from it.

Evidence

Consistent with work on incubation and on novel/diverse experiences relating to creative cognition. The "well" is a metaphor and the specific practice is practitioner advice rather than a tested protocol. (mechanistic)

Incubation and novelty have research links to creativity; the reservoir metaphor and prescription are Cameron’s framing.

Common mistake

Counting passive scrolling as filling the well — it’s the active, sensory, novel attention that restocks the reservoir, not background consumption.