A few days ago, an idea came to me: why is there no business book covering Pokémon? By one estimate, the company has earned over $147 billion in its existence. It just opened a theme park, and its trading cards business has survived for 30 years and gained tons of momentum. There is, clearly, a huge fanbase.

For the past couple of days, I felt practically fixated on this idea; what would a book about this look like? Would it resemble a comprehensive biography spanning several hundred pages like MCU by Dave Gonzales, Gavin Edwards, and Joanna Robinson? Should it be more introductory, like Super Nintendo by Keza MacDonald? Or is a better angle more like a life lessons book, Cass Sunstein’s The World According to Star Wars?

Experiences like this feel all-consuming, and incredibly fleeting. You know the feeling will pass soon, and you’re trying to hold on to the idea.

This is a creative fever. The best way to get through it is to actively focus on breathing, and get on with your day. Write whatever ideas remain. Most of these fevers will pass and be nothing more than that. Take charge of the fever; don’t let the fever drive you. If you’re thinking about the finish line, it’s a creative fever.

If you want to transform this creative fever into a more lasting inspiration, tease out what actually interests you about this idea and make small things out of it. In my case, talk to friends and potential readers about it, and use that as more research and raw material for writing. Think about how you can convert the energy from the fever into a feasible project or practice.

All of that momentum could add up into something real, which doesn’t make it any less magical.