Everyone wants good ideas. Original ideas. The kind that spark something new, build an audience, and create momentum. But the thing about good ideas? They don’t arrive fully formed. They show up wearing disguises—awkward, messy, and unfinished.
The real work of creativity isn’t waiting for inspiration to strike. It’s learning to generate more bad ideas—because bad ideas aren’t roadblocks. They’re raw materials.
If you’re not making bad ideas, you’re not making progress. And if you’re stuck, the problem isn’t a lack of genius. It’s a lack of output.
The Smallest Unit of Genius
Too many creatives hold themselves back because they feel pressure to create something great. A masterpiece. A viral hit. A game-changer.
But what if, instead of chasing a perfect idea, you asked: What’s the smallest possible thing I can make today?
- One bar of music that sounds fresh.
- One rewritten paragraph that flows better than before.
- One riff, one sketch, one line, one phrase worth sharing.
Herbie Flowers, the bassist behind Take a Walk on the Wild Side, didn’t set out to create an iconic bassline. He was just playing around, layering a second bass part on top of the first. In 20 minutes, he shaped something unforgettable.
But those 20 minutes didn’t come out of nowhere. They were built on years of experimenting, learning, and showing up.
Breakthroughs don’t happen because you waited for the perfect idea. They happen because you kept making things, refining things, pushing through the bad ones until the good ones showed up.
Bad Ideas Are a Feature, Not a Bug
When people say they’re “stuck” creatively, what they usually mean is: I don’t have anything good yet.
The truth? You do. It’s just hiding inside all the bad ideas you haven’t made yet.
- The first draft is bad? Great. That means you have a draft.
- The melody sounds generic? Keep going. The interesting part is just beyond the obvious part.
- Your brainstormed ideas feel cliché? That’s normal. Dig deeper.
Every creative breakthrough starts with bad ideas—because bad ideas clear the way for better ones. They’re necessary steps, not failures.
If you’re not making bad ideas, you’re avoiding the process. And the process is the only way through.
The Courage to Go First
It’s easy to critique. It’s easy to tweak. It’s easy to sit back and analyze someone else’s work.
But it’s rare to go first.
- It’s easier to judge a logo than design one.
- It’s easier to nitpick a song than write a better one.
- It’s easier to scroll than create.
Being a creator means picking up the pencil, the instrument, the microphone. It means making the first version, knowing it won’t be perfect.
That’s the work. And that’s why most people avoid it.
You’re Not Going to Run Out
There’s no shortage of ideas. No last great concept waiting to be discovered before the creative well dries up forever.
- No one is stopping you from writing your book.
- No one is stopping you from starting your podcast.
- No one is stopping you from making music, art, videos, or whatever it is you care about.
You don’t need permission. You don’t need a perfect idea. You just need to start.
The best creators aren’t the ones who wait for inspiration. They’re the ones who generate more bad ideas, more often, so they can find the ones worth keeping.
So go make something today.
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