Photo: Jeanette Nilssen

CREATIVITY TIP OF THE WEEK- How to get focused.

Sometimes we find we have no ideas, and other times we find that we have too many.  And having too many can be just as much of a problem as not having any at all.

In this article I will talk about why it is important to select a few good ideas at a time.

Focusing on a few ideas makes it possible to finish them, which will have a more positive impact on your art work.

When I started studying in college, every idea I had, exploded in my mind, into 100 more ideas. At first, this feels great. It feels wonderful to have them coming along. Everything is perfect, What starts as one lightning bolt from the sky and a big WOW, begins to grow, and more images and ideas appear. It make sense, it is so very exciting and it is so much fun, just like drinking a glass of Champagne.

But time after time, these many ideas of mine crashed into each other and I ended up with a complex mess. All of the good ideas were lost among all the other good ideas I didn’t know when to stop andjust choose a few ideas which can be much more powerful. I was wasting all the ideas and just digging myself into a hole. I was like a kid in candy store – I couldn’t choose which ones I wanted. I then realized that I had to stop and just go true with one or two good ideas.

So what do I do to control it?

First I select a few of the ideas and make them into a project and work on just those selected ideas at the time. One or two ideas can be kept fresh and clear. We can follow them on a journey to somewhere exciting and new.

I know that I will be responsible for carrying many enormous ideas to fruition in my lifetime and often have several projects at the same time. But each project will focus on  just a few ideas. Trying to cope with too many ideas in one project just becomes a heavy burden.

 

Our single ideas are easy, we can follow them and we get to dance around with them. You don’t have to waste time figuring out where to go, you just start the journey and quickly finish it!  You know what to do with them. It is much better to relax and do one or two small ideas at a time and see them finished.

If you find you are stuck on a project maybe it is because you have too many ideas or don’t have any fixed idea of what you are trying to do.

Try these tips:

• Have you thought about the ideas that you are trying to achieve in your project? If someone asked you, could you summarize it in just a few ideas.
• Re-evaluate the projects you’re working on now. You can always redirect them if you want.
• Write down the aim of your project and stick to what you have written down.
• If your ideas change – record them and keep them for another project.
• If a project is going slowly, see if you can split it into smaller, more focused projects.
• Give yourself a small project with just one or two ideas and get it finishedin a week.

 

All photos by Jeanette Nilssen

In my next post I will tell you how I save my extra ideas and make them artistic and fun.

Share the magic of creativity.

And if you like my blog, please feel free to tell other creative people about it.

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