If you struggle with having too many creative ideas but too little time or focus to move from inspiration to implementation, then welcome! Or, maybe you're curious how I bring my ideas from a daydream to reality. I usually house a long list of exciting, creative ideas on my Trello board, a project management tool I enjoy using to keep organised while running Carlita Hearts - ideas of themes to paint, products I'd love to offer and simple resources I'd love to share to encourage others in their creative journey. Those ideas can sit as quiet daydreams that don't see the light of day. So when a wave of inspiration and energy strikes, it's helpful for me to have a look over my list of ideas and see where I can focus my time and efforts. Here I'll share my 5-step process of how I go from having a creative idea to bringing them to life.
1. Make a list of creative ideas
I think it's very helpful to store all your ideas in one central, easy-to-access place. The actual tool you use is not important, but that it's a tool that you use consistently whenever you need to jot down your ideas. Sometimes there are people who browse my stall at a market and they'd mention something they're looking for and I'd jot it down in Trello. This is great because not only is there one place for you to review, but you can also feel proud when you can tick ideas off your list once you've actioned them.
As I mentioned, my preferred tool I like to use to jot down my creative ideas is Trello. It is a project management app that I've found very helpful as a digital tool. I can make notes with each idea and it's great to have an overview of all these ideas. You could use a notebook, a list pad or store them in a basic notes app on your phone.
2. Add a few notes to each idea
These notes don't have to be too detailed but it may help to jot down a few points to describe the idea a bit more. Topics you could cover in your notes could be
- the inspiration behind this idea
- who would this be offered to
- why would they want it
- features of the item
- moodboard of a colour palette, loose sketches or an outline
3. Ask around
Pick one or two similar ideas from your list that excites you and ask someone (or a handful of people) whether this would be something they'd find useful. This is particularly helpful if you have an audience of some kind - be it on social media, an email list or even a few trusted friends and family to ask in person. Pitch a rough idea to them and ask for feedback. It can help to gain a sense of interest in your idea (particularly if this was something you thought of, and not a suggestion from your audience) and if they have any suggestions of what would make it necessary for them to have it themselves. If you have a sample to test, even better! That way they can use it and give valuable insight on what worked and what didn't.
4. Set some small, yet actionable steps
For me, step 3 and 4 are probably where I get the most stuck. It's very easy to jot down a bunch of wonderful ideas but another thing entirely to bring those ideas to life. So break it down into steps that are so small, that you can't talk yourself out of it. Perhaps give yourself a deadline, and tell a friend about your deadline to keep yourself accountable. Use the notes you made in step 2 to get your inspiration juices flowing and do one small thing to bring you closer to implementing your idea to others. Again, use whatever tool you find that is simple and will get you taking action but has a clear place of the steps you need to tick off. When you create a list of steps and action points, it makes the creation process far more doable than you just jotting down "create a new thing". If you need some ideas of action steps, here are some examples
- paint a number of paintings experimenting painting a theme for new wall art
- obtain quotes from a handful of suppliers if you need a service provider to create the product, such as a print shop
- refine your initial loose sketch to look like the finished product
- add body to your rough outline / draft
- review feedback from your audience to ensure you're incorporating their suggestions
5. Share it with others
You have done the tough task of not only brainstorming your idea but you've now created your valuable thing! Well done! But don't stop there. Consider how you can let others know how they can get one too. To help with accountability, tease your audience that something new will be released at a certain date. Then share when it is available and how they can get it for themselves. Proudly share why they would need it (brings beauty, helps keep them organised or takes the guesswork how to start watercolour painting), the inspiration behind it and how it was created with them in mind. I haven't quite mastered this but taking the time and care to share your offer to your audience is a wonderful skill to keep refining.
A gentle yet a focused perseverance is what you need to move from idea to implementation. Keeping a master list of all your genius ideas, setting small action steps and having someone hold you accountable will allow you to see this process through. Sometimes I'll be in the thick of my small action steps and almost want to throw in the towel, and a loved one will ask me "so how is [that thing I'm creating] going?" and it gives me that extra encouragement I need to complete what I started. I hope me sharing this 5-step process inspires you to bring your very own creative ideas to life!