It’s unrealistic to come up with great ideas every time. There are days when you sit with your notepad and nothing pops up.
What do you do then? Generally, you can brainstorm or search for inspiration, but there’s an alternative way.
You can pick a rough idea, anything that has a little spark, and stick with it for a couple of hours.
Once you’ve adopted that idea, you can search for ways to make it work instead of focusing on why it doesn’t work and bashing yourself.
How it helps
Sticking to any idea and pretending like it’s the only one that exists may turn even the commonest thoughts into admirable work.
But more than that, turning an average idea into something worthy compels you to persist despite how frustrated you are or how badly you want to quit.
It’s a valuable lesson
Working out average-looking ideas can often be a bigger achievement than coming up with great ideas.
That’s because although ideas are a daily business, the values that you learn leave a far greater impression on you. So, as you persist to make mediocre ideas work, your craft shines.
More than often it’s okay to pick a not-so-exciting idea, support it, and let it take form. Many times, you will turn it into something you thought it could not have become.
Our work is not just coming up with great ideas, but also polishing whatever we have to breathe life into it and make it work.