The problem with creative people is that they have too many ideas. Every idea looks worth pursuing. When we visualize and imagine, we can see how it is shaping up and how the audience is applauding our work. The visual is so grand, it boosts our ego. And, a day later, another idea does the same to us. Without realizing, we fall into an imagination trap and delay acting.
Even if we start a project, we will be pulled towards another idea. Our minds are consumed by the potential the different idea has compared to the idea we are working on. We get excited and embark on another work. And then, a different idea pops up, and we think of doing it too. Enmeshed by juggling too many projects, we don’t produce any meaningful work.
Clarity and coherence are two fundamental things for any creative work. Merit and effectiveness come later. But if we are taken away by embarking on multiple projects, vagueness creeps in. We might finish them, one after another. But they will become half-baked products.
It is understandable that life is too short. Responsibilities and commitments devour our time and energy. However, the purpose of a creative work is to be able to express ourselves fully—our thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. To bring it to fruition, you need to invest hours, days, and sometimes years. Once it is out, the audience will feel the depth and richness of it.
Take two examples, Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday. Ryan Holiday publishes a book every year regardless of how well it is written. This is not to say that his works are trash. But any seasoned reader knows his books are too shallow and lack punch, which is typically expected out of a self-help book.
On the other hand, Robert Greene takes 4-6 years to write a book. His current book on the sublime will be out next year in the fall, making it the longest time he has taken to publish a book (I don’t consider The Daily Laws as a book; it is more of a collection of his famous ideas). To finish a chapter, Robert takes 4 months, whereas Ryan completes a book in the exact time frame.
If you have read Robert Greene’s books, you will understand the depth of his work, the examples he comes up with, the insights he provides, and, most importantly, the influence they have on you. If an idea is a glass, he fills it up to its brim, making it complete. A reader feels it too. We feel, for any concept in his book, sufficient. Nothing more to add.
Another aspect I observed in his works is that he never rushes to finish a chapter or a book. From start to finish, it feels like ‘ONE.’ No matter how passionate you are as a creator or writer, a sense of hastiness reveals itself when you are about to finish something. Because, by that time, we are so consumed by the work, we just want to be done with it. But Robert Greene, to the last submission, tries to chisel the product as much as he can. That’s why he is among the influential writers of the 21st century.
My goal here is not to say we should all be Robert Greene. But if we are excited by an idea, it is our responsibility to make it complete. We need to research, write endless drafts, edit, rewrite, and do whatever you can to shape it according to your vision.
Do it first, completely. Write down the other creative ideas on a piece of paper. Let the ideas marinate in your mind as you work on the current one. That’s how you build something, an idea to reality.
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