Holding Back
The week before last, I shared a bit of self-indulgent whining on the subject of original thought. Specifically, whether I would ever have an original thought again. Will commented, asking:
Do you ever have the opposite problem? You know, where you're working on something and you get an idea that's "too good for this silly little project" so you set it aside to work with it later? If so, give me an example of one.The answer to this question, basically, is "No."
If I have a great idea that doesn't make sense for the current project, then sure, I absolutely make a note and save it for later. But at some point while I was at USC, someone (Don Bohlinger?) pontificated in my earshot words to the effect of "Holding your great ideas back is stupid. You'll get more. And even if you don't, holding back now could prevent you from getting the chance to use the really great ones later."
I think it's great advice, and I've followed it ever since.
Comments
I thought that maybe, if the answer was "yes," it would free up some great idea you'd left under the couch and get you going again. Surely you're right, though, and it is a better practice not to leave good ideas under the couch in the first place.
Don Bohlinger is a very smart man. I'd believe he said something like that.