We all have creative ideas. sometimes they flow through our minds all day, every day. our brains are subconsciously forming opinions on everything we perceive and are exposed to. but creative ideas are another aspect of things that are constantly appearing in our minds.
often times when we get a quick spark of an idea for something, we tell ourselves to ‘leave it for later’ and end up forgetting it. that idea loses its spark, and when you attempt to follow up with it later, the same result won’t come through. choosing to put off creative ideas for another time to revisit later is something I used to do a lot, which looking back, was like suppressing potential great outcomes. That is, until I came across this quote:
“Ideas have a short shelf life. You must at upon them before the expiration date”
- John C. Maxwell
It basically summarizes how, when we don’t act upon the creative ideas we think about, they lose their value and often can’t be produced later on. when I have an idea for a painting, the first thing I do is write it down somewhere. using the most descriptive words but not focusing on the structure of what i’m jotting down, because the main goal is to get everything out of my mind onto a physical paper or the notes app on my phone. as soon as I can, I follow through and work on that painting, because the excitement from the initial rush of ideas can be enough to produce a piece of work greater than you could imagine.
even when it comes to having an idea for a blog post to write, or something i think of sharing on my email newsletter, when I get the idea sparking in my brain, I immediately tell myself to go and write as much as I can in that exact moment, otherwise the richest ideas could be gone, because the excitement from a new idea is the catalyst for great outcomes.
for example, when I was writing my college essays, I would sometimes even wake up at midnight or 1 am feeling like some sort of creative writer, ending up pouring my ideas onto my laptop or phone. that’s what then allowed me to write my personal essay and dozens of other essays as well. it's crazy to think about, but it makes me think about the fact that ideas do ‘just come to you’ sometimes. not when you’re waiting for them or thinking too hard about something, but rather when you let them be. our brains just work like that.
some of the best paintings I've created which you can check out on my creative portfolio here, are results of acting upon unique ideas.
the takeaway:
when you think about something interesting, or feel like a creative idea is in your mind, do something to capture it in that same moment. whether it's writing it down or working on it immediately, do something to actively turn it into something that's more than just a thought. you'll be surprised at all the things you can actually do when you initiate those ideas.
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