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Dear Muses,
I have so many ideas. How do I decide on just one?
Signed,
Ideas R Us
Dear Ideas R Us,
First, congratulations on being a conduit of the Creative Universe. Having many ideas is certainly reason to celebrate. But after the confetti hits the floor there are some things you need to consider in order to honor these divine gifts and their juicy possibilities. Since we don’t know the specifics of your personality, your experience, your eating habits, and your history we have to guess what would work best for you because this challenge can be the symptom of several thought processes. However, one of these Muse suggestions is bound to steer you in a dazzling direction:
Marge,
The Muse of Okay-Now-Let’s-Get-Started:
Let’s
talk about the many creative ways we procrastinate when we could be
attending to our ideas. Some mortals do laundry or clean the kitchen
floor, others make phone calls they normally wouldn’t make,
clean lint out of their belly button ..The list goes on and on and
it also includes having so many ideas you don’t know where to
start. A little experimental commitment is in order. Commit to some
ideas for a month and see how you feel. Aha-phrodite will tell you
how to determine which ideas to choose. Buckle down. Realize the creative
process does require discipline and work, it’s not always easy
and fun, but there are few higher and more satisfying ways to spend
your time. The hardest part is starting. With some tangible development
brewing from sometimes initially forced efforts, the momentum will
increase and it will be easier. Adding the structure of a class or
mentor sometimes often the trick too.
Aha-phrodite
the Muse of Paying Attention and Possibilities:
Pay
attention and write all your ideas on index cards then have an intuitive
energy contest. Close your eyes and feel in your body the excitement
level for each idea and write a number between 1 and 20 representing
the excitement factor. (one being the most excitement). Find the
highest
energy ideas and if they are all 1 .. get bold and honest with yourself.
Decide on three, save the rest for later. See if there’s any
ideas you can combine. Pick out the three winners and for the next
month commit yourself to those ideas. Actually write in your calendar
when you will work on them. What may happen is that once you truly
get into one it may take you with it, in which case you file the
other
two away for future reference.
Marge
Again:
If
you are finding resistance starting these ideas it’s resistance
not the quantity of ideas you are up against. Resistance breaks down
with action of any kind and very small steps.
Spills,
The Muse of Practice Process and Imperfection:
Sometimes
mortals don’t want to start on their ideas because they
fear their ideas will not come out as good as they envisioned
them or hoped.
They dread frustration, ineptness and failure. The creative process
is filled with discovery. Let the idea be the trigger for starting
you in a process that may look or sound completely different
from
what you planned .. it may be better. But what is for sure is that
mortals always change for the better when engaged in the creative
process, no matter what form the product takes. They heal, share,
express, x grow, connect and get to know themselves better and
ultimately
keep discovering layers of the experience of life worth getting excited
about.
Invest time in your idea as practice, not as some really important endeavor that is critical to your success. As Bea Silly would say be light about it. If you approach it with lofty importance you are bound to overwhelm yourself. Approach it with fascination and exploration, fun and curiosity in mind.
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