Save one idea, find 100 more
How I use Sublime to think with others—even when I’m alone
The other day I posted a Substack Note:
“As an idea shepherd, Sublime is becoming my favorite creative staff.”
It was one of those quick, off-the-cuff thoughts. No grand setup. Just something I’ve felt lately.
Then someone replied:
“Tell us more.”
And that was all the invitation I needed.
See, when I call myself an “idea shepherd,” I don’t mean that lightly. I genuinely feel responsible to care for ideas. To notice them. Tend to them. Walk with them. And over time, help them grow into something meaningful—whether that’s a conversation, an essay, a decision, or just a better question.
But here’s the thing: shepherds don’t go out into the field empty-handed. They carry a staff.
Not as a prop.
As a tool.
A way to guide what they care for.
To pull what’s stuck.
To keep the flock from wandering too far off the path.
For me lately, that staff has been Sublime.
A thought tool so simple it almost tricks you.
I can toss ideas into it without friction. Sort them into collections. And here’s the part that keeps blowing my mind: when I open one thought, Sublime shows me a web of related ones—some mine, some from other people.
It’s like I whisper an idea and the app leans in and says:
“Ooo, that reminds me of…”
And now I’m not just thinking—I’m riffing.
I feel like The Flash, but instead of lightning, it’s ideas arcing in every direction. Connections I never saw before start lighting up. Thoughts get Lego-bricked together into something new. And suddenly, I don’t just want to create—I have to.
That’s what I meant.
That’s why Sublime is becoming my favorite creative staff.
Because it’s not just helping me collect thoughts.
It’s helping me engage them. Shape them.
Walk with them. Share them.
And that, to me, is the work.
The Shepherd’s Pause
Been carrying a lot of ideas lately?
Try dropping just one into Sublime and see what echoes back.
You don’t need a system. Just a staff.