Brainstorming only works with preconceived knowledge

People who brainstorm effectively have spent years accumulating knowledge through reading, conversations, and experience. Their "blank page" isn't actually blank. They're just better at pulling from a deep well.

But here's the problem with relying on your head:

• Memory is unreliable. You forget things. Worse, you forget that you forgot them.
• Retrieval is random. Under pressure, you remember what's recent or emotional, not what's most relevant.
• There's a ceiling. Working memory is finite. The more you know, the harder it gets to access the right thing at the right moment.
• It doesn't compound. Knowledge stuck in your head can't be browsed, rearranged, or systematically connected.

The alternative is to externalize your thinking into notes as you go. Process ideas into your own words. Connect them to other notes. Then "brainstorming" becomes browsing, seeing what's already clustered and ready to become something.

Reference

"How to Take Smart Notes" by Sönke Ahrens, Chapter 7 – Nobody Ever Starts From Scratch