Torn Between Several Creative Ideas?

Often, what you hear is people looking for how to come up with creative ideas.  What you don’t hear is people talking about having too many creative ideas they don’t know which one to choose.  Not that the second situation is not as prevalent as the first.  It certainly is!!  It’s just that it’s not talked about as often.

The first time I heard someone talk about it was oh so many years ago.  I was on a conference call where a lady (Tamara, can’t remember her last name), was talking about making career choices.  That’s when she distinguished between those who have no ideas about which careers to choose and those who had so many ideas, they couldn’t decide which to choose.

And then she said something that has stuck with me all these years.  She described the second group of people as having a good problem because they were “multi-talented.”

Over the years, Tamara’s statement has often been repeated over and over again in my mind.

Having Too Many Ideas is a Sign of Being Multi-Talented

It sure is nice to be described as multi-talented but it doesn’t feel so good when your multi-talented status hinders your progress.

Talking about your abundance of ideas can either make you sound boastful or it could be downright embarrassing.

This week, I received an email from one such multi-talented person. She writes about how she’s been to art school, learned so much, and now she’s plagued with so many ideas. She says

Creatively, I have too many ideas

And too many ideas sometimes just don’t work.

 

Tell-Tale Signs of Being Multi-Talented and Having Too Many  Creative Ideas

1. Indecision: Usually when you have too many ideas to choose from, it results in artistic paralysis. You freeze and you’re unable to make a decision (this is how I know).  In the midst of several ideas, you can end up doing nothing. Similarly, consumer research has shown that we experience this same problem of indecision when we are given too many product choices.  
2. Procrastination: Sometimes, it’s not that you can’t get started on projects, it’s that you easily get distracted by new ideas.  That’s when the dreaded UFO’s (Unfinished Objects) appear. You start one project then you leave it to pursue something more interesting. When I’m working in my studio, sometimes just the sight of some fabric peeking out from under a pile is enough to get me to start something totally unrelated. Then I’ve got to talk myself into ” staying with the program”.
3. Anxiety: We have just one headspace for making decisions as well as being creative.  When we can’t make decisions, or when we keep procrastinating because we have too many choices to pick from, it makes us anxious. This affects our creativity negatively.

Starting is the hardest thing to do but getting started is your only chance of ever getting anything done. So just start!!

How to Choose When You’re Multi-Talented and Have Too Many Creative Ideas

1. Work in a Series: You’ve got to set some limitations within which to work.  Choose a theme, or a subject, or color. (I keep a record of all my ideas in an iPhone app called Day One – You should record yours too. Group your ideas into themes if possible. )  Then limit yourself to working within one theme to the exclusion of all others.  Limitations help you focus and do your best work.
2. Any Start is Good Enough:  “But what if I still have so many series themes to choose from?” Here’s my take on this. What you start with is not as important as whether you start or not. I often struggle with starting new projects but I’ve learned to overcome this problem by doing a self-talk. This talk has the power of kicking me in the rear and reminding me that whatever I start with is good enough. In the abundance of ideas, the chances of picking a good idea are high. So just pick one.
3. ChooseThe Path of Least Resistance: : Further, use both your mind and heart to help you. Choose the path of least resistance and most satisfaction. Make it so easy for yourself that you can’t not choose. Start with a manageable size project or break up a big one into parts.   Then start building something big with just that small start.
4.  The Path Becomes Clearer: We often hold back from making a decision because we don’t want to be wrong. So we want to figure it all out. But you don’t have to. I’ve noticed that when I start to work on a project, the path becomes clearer as I work.  You can’t figure everything out ahead of time.  And the surprises and happy accidents actually make the creative process more fun. 

Concluding Thoughts

So here you have it, helpful ways for the multi-talented woman to force a decision and choose a project to work on. A lot of self-talk and self-discipline helps with this one. 

When I started, this week’s project – “Stormy Swirls #1” – the path wasn’t clear.  I didn’t know what I was doing, which is nothing new 🙂 But it turned out quite well as you can see from the photos.  I only wish I’d added one small circle in the top right-hand corner ( says my inner-critic).  But that’s why I work in a series, says me.  I’ll get a chance to give myself that satisfaction in another piece.

Your Turn

What do you struggle with more often?  Creative blocks or the multi-talented creative’s problem – idea overwhelm? Hope to see you in the comments section.

Warmest Regards,

When I received an invitation to exhibit my artwork at a local art festival, I didn’t know what it entailed. I accepted the invitation without finding out all the information I needed to know in order to put up an exhibition of my own.

During the two months that followed, I slept for no more than five hours each day, many days, far less.  

So Much to Do, So Little Time to Do it All

There was so much I needed to do, which I hadn’t considered.

Like, I had to get a display system for hanging my work.

I also had to finish up work which was not complete.

Then, an order for stretcher bars was delayed until two days before the exhibition. Moreover, I had to photograph the work.

And I had to figure out which canopy was the best bang for my bucks and on and on it went.

Since this was my first outdoor exhibition, I had nothing in place for such an event. Quite honestly, there were times when I just wanted to throw in the towel and forget about participating in the exhibition. 

Many of those times, I told myself that, if I’d known it would have involved so much agony. I definitely would not have signed up. The funny thing is shortly after I have these thoughts, I also say to myself, ‘I’m glad I didn’t know much about the process.  Because surely, I would have turned down this fine opportunity.’

And a fine opportunity it turned out to be. As I’ve previously mentioned, I met some wonderful people and got some much-appreciated feedback about my work.

The Small Stuff (Details) Can OverWhelm

The lesson I learned from this experience is that we don’t have to have all the information about a situation before we make a decision. So long as information about the major issues is clear,

we don’t have to have all figured out before we make a decision.

So long as information about the major issues i clear, that’s all we need.

Trying to ‘sweat the small stuff’ is bound to discourage you. Actually,

if you know all the details and obstacles ahead of you,  you’ll be too terrified to make a  commitment.

Seriously, the small stuff can turn out to be overwhelming and debilitating; ultimately preventing us from achieving big things. The more information we seek and gather about the very minute details, the more averse we become to taking that risk, and the higher our chances of never accomplishing that very thing.

So, don’t get bogged down in the details.

Master the Small Stuff & Achieve Big Things

My advice:

• Make a decision based on the information you have about the big picture,
• Take a step towards the decision you made and
• The small stuff will fall in place as you take these steps.

Thanks for reading.

Your Turn

Have you missed out on some opportunities because you focused too much on the small stuff? Are you a big picture person or a detail-oriented one? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave your comments below.