This quote suggests that sometimes, our initial thoughts or ideas are the most pure, complete, and innovative. They come to us in a flash, fully formed and perfect in their originality. However, when we try to refine these ideas, we often labor over them, tweak them, and in the process, might end up diluting their original essence. Essentially, the quote is a reminder of the power of spontaneous creativity and intuition, as opposed to overthinking or over-engineering an idea.

This concept can be applied in today’s fast-paced, innovation-driven world where new ideas are constantly in demand. In creative fields like advertising, art, writing, or even in business strategy and product development, the ‘flash’ of an idea can often lead to groundbreaking work. It encourages us to trust our instincts and value the ideas that come to us naturally and effortlessly.

In terms of personal development, this quote can be interpreted as a reminder to trust our own intuition and not to over-complicate things. Often, we have a gut feeling or a spontaneous idea about what is right for us, but we tend to ignore it, second-guess ourselves, or complicate it with over-analysis. By learning to trust these ‘flashes’ of insight, we can make decisions that are more aligned with our true selves.

However, it’s important to balance this spontaneity with critical thinking. While the initial ‘flash’ of an idea might be powerful and innovative, it still needs to be evaluated for practicality, feasibility, and potential impact.