Why I don't keep an idea list
A few weeks ago I deleted my entire idea list. And you know what? Nothing happened.
Like many creatives, I used to keep a running list of ideas in my notes app (I use Obsidian for all my notes, in case you are wondering). Whenever a thought struck me—usually while cycling, dancing, or any other activity that let my mind wander freely—I'd jot it down. I'm an artist, and these were mostly ideas for future art projects.
But over time, I noticed something, those ideas, once exciting and full of potential, would just sit there, untouched and growing stale. Whenever I revisited the list, I couldn't shake the feeling of cringe. What had once seemed like a brilliant spark of inspiration now appeared incredibly trivial or silly.
So, one day, as I stared at that list again, I decided to delete it all. The truth was, I'd never have enough time to execute every idea, and most didn't hold up on a second look anyway. It was scary to do, but felt right, I even emptied my bin to make sure it was really gone. I realized that the ideas worth pursuing are the ones that stick with me, the ones that keep mulling around in my head. If they keep going around in my head long enough, I either have to execute them or let them go.
Something that inspired me to delete my idea bank is the "Cult of Done," a manifesto written in 20 minutes by Bre Pettis and Kio Stark.
The Cult of Done prioritizes action over perfection. It's about completing tasks quickly, without getting bogged down by the need for everything to be flawless. By finishing something, you can move on to the next thing, learn from the process, and continuously improve. In the Cult of Done, the focus is on progress rather than perfection.
The 'Cult of Done' manifesto encourages experimentation and learning through doing, not obsessing and thinking about ideas but never getting started. It inspired me to execute ideas quickly. If it works, great! If not, I've probably learned something and can move on. This approach limits me from making things too big and complicated, but I try to think about the easiest way to do something and scratch the itch of the initial thought. Instead of building up a bank of ideas, I'm building up a bank of small, finished projects. These finished works can actually compound over time; ideas don't.
Deleting my idea list was liberating. It freed me from a list of flat ideas and let me focus on what I enjoy most: making things. This newsletter is a result of this new approach. I got the idea to write about this, started writing yesterday, and just finished it during a commute.
Did you enjoy reading this? Consider subscribing. I might write more in the future. I have no clear path for this, but I wanted to get this thought out there for now.
I'm also curious about how you manage your ideas and other creative processes. Let me know in the comments below.
Interesting perspective! I have an idea bank - Obsidian via iCloud, so I can take notes on my phone at any time - but tend to use it more for ideas within projects (mechanics, techniques, inspiration, etc.) that I later incorporate into a master document for active projects. These notes either get used or are eventually archived, and any "big picture" project ideas I do have I try to break into it's root components as notes. I very much agree with not maintain an "idea list" to pick from for all of the reasons you've identified in this post.