Ideation is exciting. Looking at hundreds of possibilities and sources of inspiration to settle on one which will be the start of your creative project.
Sometimes I’ll avoid the discomfort by just letting my mind linger on the thousands of possibilities, at reflecting on the million things the blank page could turn into and closing it at that positive thought.
In fact, I have been in this position so many times, be it with a harmless guide or a prompt sheet. I’ve spend too much time jumping from one source of inspiration to the next until…well, before I knew it, all the time was gone and I hadn’t—believe it or not—found the perfect place to start.
The idea is the beginning and central part of any creative project, the seed from which the rest of the project stems. It roots could grow in many different directions, and steering that execution is just as important. But as the Chinese proverb says, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and selecting an idea is that first step for many of us.
Settling on an idea is an exciting yet intimidating process sometimes, especially if it’s for a project you will be investing a lot of time and effort in. I created this guide specifically to tackle the challenges that come with drawing from endless sources of inspiration and choosing one to start off your creative project.
Here are the 7 guidelines that I stick to for most efficiency in starting off the creative process:
1. Understanding the Power of Constraints
Some may instantly think of a blank page as the epitome of creative possibility. But it’s quite the opposite in reality—creativity tends to thrive on constraints. Budgets, medium limitations, prompts—many of these constraints help fuel creative thinking greatly by narrowing those limitless possibilities to a more reachable set to explore. These constraints could be self-imposed or unavoidable—the important part is that they are forcing the mind to make associations within bounds and thereby help produce more original ideas.
While turning to multiple sources for inspiration and trying to search for the perfect place to start can seem tempting, it’s better to limit yourself to the first set of things you come across. Use them as constraints to fuel your creativity as opposed to getting overwhelmed by the infinite resources and possibilities out there.
So when you’re tempted to continue browsing through inspiration next time, make it a point to understand how keeping your exploration limited will actually help you.
2. Fix Dedicated Time for Creating
I have noticed that sometimes when I have a chunk of time to myself, I start by trying to figure out where to start. This is exactly the opposite of what needs to be done. Time for creating needs to be solely for creating.
I have often found it helpful to look for inspiration or jot down ideas when I don’t fully have the time or resources to focus on my creative project. This could be during commute, a walk, a lunch break or a quick idea that pops up before bed. When you actually have a span of time available, use it wholeheartedly for working on your chosen idea.
3. Maintain an Inspiration Bank
Building off the last point, start noting down or digitally saving all the ideas you have gathered and a list of subjects and/or sources that inspire you. This makes it easier to have a place to turn to when you wish to start creating. This way, you waste as little time as possible with getting started and always have a reliable, ever-expanding source of inspiration to draw from.
4. Leave a Project Open
If you find it difficult to figure out where to start, it may be helpful to leave some sort of bookmark for your future self when you are in the process of creating. If you’re actively working on something, leave a quick note so you remember where to take off the next time you get back to it.
If you have closed a project, consider finding something off of your current project that inspires you, or perhaps something completely unrelated to start with next time. It can often be easier to come up with ideas when you’re already in the flow state and your brain is tuned to its creative energy. In this way, leaving something for your future self sets you up for success. It also enables you to keep the idea at the back of your subconscious mind so you can keep building on it until you get to your project the next time.
5. Understand That There is No Perfect Idea
This one may sound obvious but I still often find myself falling prey to the trap of the perfect idea as I jump from one thing to work on to the next.
Something that seems like it doesn’t have much potential could actually turn out great whereas something that seems promising at first could go in an entirely different direction. It’s not the idea itself but the subsequent work done on it that determines how good it will be. So as you’re browsing through different sources, it’s important to keep in mind that none of them will give you the perfect starting point because…simply put, there is none. Each idea you glance at has the potential to be turned into something wonderful.
6. Choose Randomly
The easiest way to get started is to choose randomly. Close your eyes and start with the first thing you lay your finger on. If it turns out to be something you’re feeling hesitant about, it may be even better because it could help get you out of your comfort zone. Or if it’s something you don’t have any interest in whatsoever, just choose arbitrarily again.
Alternatively, start with the first thing you see—always. Or the fifth. Or the eighth. This structure could help you embrace the randomness and give it a go without thinking too much.
7. Creating Fuels Inspiration
For a final boost on getting started, it’s important to understand that creating helps generate more ideas. It exposes you to a vast range of thoughts, which ultimately enable the unexpected connections that creativity is all about. Just as planting a single seed sometimes leads to a little garden of plants a few weeks later, a single idea will help more ideas blossom. Because of this, it’s important to get started with making something—anything. And in all likelihood, your mind will come up with a lot more than you anticipated.
All in all, it may help to shift your focus toward creation the next time you’re hunting for inspiration. This is because creating is what will open your mind up to new ideas. And since these ideas be stemming off of things you’re already working on, they’ll likely also be ones that you’ll find interesting.
So, seek out inspiration wherever it may be and don’t delay starting your creative journey, for each act of creativity will bloom into even more ideas to inspire you.