Becoming stuck is one of the biggest challenges stock-photographers face. To remain creative and inspired you have to be doing something. It's always nice to have a portfolio of ideas to fall back on. Sometimes something as simple as doodling on paper, filling in a crossword or even going for a long walk can give you ideas. These are ideas you want to capture for future review and planning.

If you were to sit inside my office you would see almost every surface covered with sheets of paper in differing sizes, colors and shapes. I try and keep an inspiration journal but I have the habit of writing my ideas down on anything that's handy - napkins, post-it notes, conference agendas - you name it. And the more ideas that pile up in my office on little fiddly scraps of paper, the more overwhelmed I feel. The more overwhelmed I feel the less I produce. I'm sure you get the picture.

Recently, at a conference, I had the opportunity to hear a speaker talk about the benefit of a small hand held digital recorder to record your ideas. The concept is that you could use the device, no matter where you are. You can take it in the car with you, on walks, to conferences and even to dance recitals with the kids and still capture your ideas.

Stage two of the plan is to listen to your ideas weekly, write them down and file them in some orderly manner to take action. The concept then becomes not having to have new ideas all the time but being able to access and recycle those various flashes of inspiration. A simple idea, yes, but looking around my office I thought that this could really benefit my work flow and possibly yours.

Digital recorders are available cheaply at many stores and I'm betting there's an app for that for those nifty newfangled phones too.

Okay - gotta go - I just had an idea!