🌸 make it exist first
You can also read this post on Substack.
Our mind loves to create - ideas, stories, dreams. Even what we see is actually our brain pulling together the signals from our senses to create our experiences.
So, why does turning our ideas into something real feel so difficult? Why do we default to mindless consumption when the cost of creation can be close to nothing?
I see it as three types of problems: the perfect idea, the perfect moment and the perfect me.
the perfect idea
The perfect idea cannot fail in your mind. There’s nobody to push back or reject your idea. Nobody to say ‘this isn’t what I want’. Everything about the idea, from the concept to the visualisation, feels protected. Safe. And our minds will default to keeping us safe. That’s what has kept us alive for so long.
When you add in the variables of real life, the foundation that first got you excited can start to crumble. But without it, the idea stays just that, an idea.
The longer an idea stays here, the more it feels untouchable. Like the wrong move could change everything. When I get stuck in this mindset, I try to ask myself: what’s the first step I can take to test it out? A sketch, design or MVP? A practice session with friends? What could the smallest or simplest version of this idea look like?
the perfect moment
I used to be an idea hoarder. Still am, with some things. Waiting for the perfect moment to start. What that perfect moment looks like? I’m not too sure.
At first, I thought that speed was the solution. How quickly can I go from an idea in my head to something that I can show? But when the barriers to creating something are so low, the volume of output can have a much lower impact (see exception below).
Rather than holding on and waiting for the right timing to start an idea, I’m taking a new approach. I have a backlog of ideas that I’ve wanted to make. With different levels of detail from a project name to several pages of notes.
Each week, I’m trying to challenge myself to pick what excites me the most and see where I can take it in 5 minutes. Five minutes doesn’t sound like a lot, which makes it the perfect test to give something a try. If you find yourself wanting it to last longer, I guess now is the perfect moment.
the perfect me
If your imagination is anything like mine, nothing I make could match the vision I have for it in my mind. It can feel so frustrating when your skills don’t match your ideas.
I’ve been lucky to get opportunities that allowed me to grow beyond my abilities. I like to remind myself and my friends that we ‘learn by doing’.
Sitting outside of your comfort zone can be daunting, but this is where I think volume of output can really help. I like to think of it like a game. As you make more and more of the same thing, your experiences compound to help you ‘level up’.
This could range from focusing on a certain skill or diving deep into one topic. Potentially, even creating multiple iterations to see how you’ve progressed over time. What matters here is not the quality of your creation, but your attempt and noticing how you want to improve.
Putting these into practice is still something that I’m working on, but I wanted to share some of my recent creations.
some things that exist now
- my personal website - check it out!
- project 0 - a club I started to be intentional about what you take in, and turn more of it into something new
- this Substack that you’re reading (thanks for being here)
- a cross-stitch design that’s been on my crafts backlog since July
A small reminder that you can always make it better later. There is no pressure to make something amazing, especially if it’s your first time trying.
Making something exist now, something that you created, is the best thing you can do for yourself. It’s proof that you’re here, in this moment, with these skills. In a world that pulls you in to consume, I hope you will create first.
Go make something, Elicia