Fertile Ground
January 31, 2021•184 words
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When thinking about creativity in general, we focus on collecting ideas. I often hear "oh, but I don't have any ideas", or something similar. Our constant desire for "inspiration" and the elusive feeling of "being inspired" is seemingly all we can focus on.
After spending much time designing, thinking about and, of course, using creativity systems I've come to realize that cultivating is more important than collecting. Certainly, it is a harder skill to build.
These days, ideas are everywhere. In a sense, they always were. But now, more than ever, they're accessible to all of us. It's not hard to collect and have ideas. There are millions of inspiring people who you can follow. Get access to their ideas, and then build yours on top of theirs.
All this "incoming" information needs fertile soil to grow. It requires an open mind, a solid system for creating, space and time to settle. Our primary goal, as artists, in polishing our own creative workflow should focus on letting ideas grow. Maybe they'll turn out revolutionary. Or they'll suck.
Either way, give them a chance.