Actually, for me...make it ten.
I have no problem prioritizing when it comes to paid jobs or for specific events (i.e. deadlines). But open-ended creative ideas have a habit of piling up to the point that I get buried under them. Some have given the advice of, "just pick one!" and I daresay I've attempted that. But as mentioned earlier, while in the middle of researching for one project, a random photo or drawing will pop and off my brain goes to create another photoshoot/costume/unfinished art project.
I'd be lying if there aren't some days I wish I could shut my creative brain off! The projects are of so many different varieties - costumes, illustrations, short films, photoshoots, blog posts, etc. - and in my typical fashion, NONE of them easy! (Now I do keep all of these ideas logged in specified places as not to lose any of the ideas. I have extensive libraries on my computer and Photobucket of reference folders full of photographs, Word documents, doodles, etc)
But I'm beginning to fear that I've pigeonholed myself into the Idea phase. I come up with a plethora of concepts and reference to support them, but never seem to get very far past that phase due to yet another idea (and another and another and another) surfacing. I have completed a few ideas from concept to finished product, but they are fewer than I'd care to admit. I haven't been able to find a solid solution to this dilemma. The closest I've been able to come up with is tying my concepts to specific events (such as conventions, holidays, movie premieres, etc.). Having a deadline definitely helps, though strangely a self-assigned deadline like, "I'm going to finish this costume by ___ (fill in the blank with arbitrary date)" doesn't seem to work at all. My will circumnavigates my brain in its realisation that it's not a hard-set deadline. Oh how my creative proverbial cup overfloweth!
And on that note, I'm going to go make myself some tea.
Keep a To Do/Idea composition book. Write the date and under that date bullet point of the stuff you need to do in black. Write the ideas in blue. When you have an idea write it down but keep doing what you were set to do. As you get done with each item or if you complete an idea highlight it. I cross my to list with yellow. When you have free time go to your ideas and go for the oldest idea first. As you go back to your ideas you may see that some may not be as useful or time worthy as you thought before. This helps as well to narrow the list of ideas.
ReplyDeleteNote: As the next day happens you don't have to rewrite the to-do list b/c it's already there and un-highlighted. Always go to the days before to do list, if something has not been highlighted off. If you like I can show you mine, when we get together. It's way less complicated than it sounds. It's very simple. It will keep all ideas together and then you don't have to go and do them all right away. -007 Jane Bond ;)
Happens to me all the time as well - I wish I had some advice for you, but if I did, well, I wouldn't be in the same rut!
ReplyDeleteI recently sat down and wrote down into an organized list every idea I've got floating around up there, and it was sickening how many things I've come up with over the years - from art projects to stories - that have never amounted to anything beyond an idea with maybe a little research.
I *have* found that when it comes to writing, at least, just sitting down and stream-of-conscious writing out a rough draft is a good way to push it past the "idea" phase. Not sure how that same idea could be applied to your plight, though.
Above has a WONDERFUL point!! I totally want ot try that with my crazy school load =]
ReplyDelete"Anonymous" - We'll be in touch. ;) I sense a lunch date in our future. Fido's again?
ReplyDeleteZac - I have the same issue. My current written To-Do List is 3 pages long. I had to section out my projects (Blog posts, Photoshoots, Costumes, Art) into 4 separate To-Do Lists because my main one was becoming gargantuan. Now, it's just completely overwhelming.
Yeah, sadly it's the getting PAST the idea phase that's the issue. :/ Still, thanks for the comment Zac, I appreciate it!
Cool picture! =)
ReplyDeletepinkchampagnefashion.blogspot.com
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteI felt the very same way today.
It was rainy, cold and dark outside. meh.
I was so over loaded with my mountain of ideas...and far to much work to be done for customer orders!
I need to get my brain to think of only one thing at a time. lol.
LOVE the picture, where did you find that?
Grand idea...I am off to make some tea too.
I'm glad you enjoyed the post. (Good payback for reading all your fun blog posts. :) ) Unfortunately with it being winter it seems like gray skies are all that greet me in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI found the picture on a google search for artist ADD. The website it was on was Fanpop (there's a link under it, though I need to change the colour. Light gray disappears on this page).