#12 Reflections: Compounding Creativity

I started this blog in March 2021 with a single post. Then in June I made a pact with myself to write and publish something every single day. This didn’t last too long. My days were so packed. Even more packed than my time in university and so sadly the pact disappeared within less than a week.

But in that short period of time, I noticed something profound.

Write what?

One of my biggest fears of writing daily was the fear of having nothing to write about. I wanted to write everyday for the sole reason to improve. But the thought of having to think of a new idea every day was daunting. I spent hours scouring the internet for writing ideas - writing prompts, blog ideas, writing challenges. Anything to give me a concrete plan for what to write at least for the next week.

Sadly, I didn’t find much and so I took a deep breath and just dove in. Like every creative has ever said, I started before I was ready and clicked publish on my first post.

Day 2

Then the morning of Day 2 arrived and I was jittery. I sat in front of my laptop and I stared at a blank sheet for a good half an hour. My mind was blank. I could not think of anything.

The idea of failing on day 2 was unbearable so I carried on my day while keeping an eye out for anything, absolutely anything to write about. Then my mum decides to tell me about her father and so that’s how #2 Reflections was written.

Ideas overload

But as I published my 2nd post, things began to change. Ideas started popping up in my mind. It almost felt like the creative vault in my mind that was shut for so long had slowly swung open. Suddenly there was so much I wanted to write about.

3 days in, I had a reflections bank in my OneNote app.

Instead of running out of ideas, it felt as though the more I wrote, the more ideas appeared.

Compounding Creativity

My theory is that just like you practice to improve your skills in solving mathematical equations or when learning a language, the more you practice using your creativity, the more you improve in being creative.

I use the words ‘compounding creativity’ as I feel like it’s more than just a linear relationship between producing creative work and increasing in creativity. From what I experienced back in June and what I am experiencing again now as I retry this daily writing challenge, every piece I write opens up to a host of new writing ideas.

Your brain compounds in creativity, every time you engage in being creative.

The moral

So I’d say don’t be worried about not having a plan for your creative endeavors. Start before you’re ready and see it all fall in place.