the idea in my head that refused to leave
Denis Bozhinoski October 17, 2025
Some ideas don't just come to you - they stay. They linger in your heart, echoing in quiet moments, waiting for you to give them life. This is the story of the one idea Lena couldn't ignore - the one that changed the way she create and who she was.
01
The Undesirable Guest
Lena had a rule: If an idea doesn’t make sense after three days, let it go.
It was her way of keeping her brain from turning into a chaotic Pinterest board. But one morning, while looking in the mirror, she had a strange idea—a lamp that glowed brighter when someone nearby was sad.
“Okay, that’s a little ridiculous,” she said to her reflection.
Her cat, blinking in agreement.
Yet by the third day, the idea was still there.
At work, while designing about clients, she kept thinking: What if emotion could be light? What if sadness could create something beautiful?
It was as if the idea had moved in, rearranged her thoughts, and refused to pay rent.
02
Logic or Inspiration
Over the weekend, Lena met her friend Marco for coffee.
“It's constantly on my mind this empathy lamp thing,” she confessed.
Marco laughed. “A lamp that glows with sadness and emotions? Sounds like my ex.”
She smirked. “I’m serious. What if we could design something that reacts to emotion — not just touch or sound?”
He shrugged. “I mean, yeah, cool concept, but how would it even work?” It sounds really complicated.
Lena sighed. “I have no clue. I’m a designer, not an engineer. But it feels like it means something.”
"Then start diving in, Marco said simply. Before it drives you to distraction."
03
When Curiosity Wins
For the next two weeks, Lena couldn’t focus on anything else.
Every time she tried to design something new, her brain whispered, lamp… lamp… lamp.
So she gave in.
She spent nights watching tutorials, learning about sensors, and experimenting with colors and materials.
Her apartment looked like a tech startup powered by chaos — wires, sketches, post-its, empty mugs.
Her cat, supervised from the window, unimpressed.
Finally, one evening, it worked.
The lamp pulsed gently as she touched it, glowing in soft shades of blue and pink — a quiet dance of empathy and light.
Lena stared, wide-eyed.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was real.
04
The Light That Found Others
A few weeks later, she shared the lamp online — just a small post:
“An experiment in emotional design. Light that listens.”
Within days, people started sharing it. Comments poured in:
“This makes me feel seen.”
“It’s like hope in color.”
“Where can I buy this?”
Lena smiled through tears.
The idea that once annoyed her had turned into something that spoke to others — quietly, beautifully, and without permission.
05
Moral of the Story
Sometimes the ideas that won’t leave your head are there for a reason.
They’re not nagging you — they’re calling you.
To build, to explore, to express something the world hasn’t seen yet.
“When an idea refuses to leave, it’s not haunting you — it’s reconnecting you with your true self.”
