1. Be open to being inspired.
The initial big roadblock to starting a creative task is always coming up with interesting subject matter, or figuring out your unique approach. A helpful hint is to notice what you find interesting, exciting, disgusting, frustrating, etc. in your daily life. Chances are, if you have a strong reaction to something, others will as well. Keep a list of interesting subjects that you have run across and what it was that made your mind dwell on it that day. This is a great place to go to be inspired to write, create art, or look for problems to be solved with new products or services.
2. Be your own critic.
Reflect on what you are writing, creating, or brainstorming about in intervals along the way. Ask yourself, “Is this important? Is this the direction I want to go? Do I still find this interesting?” Be critical of your own work as you go, so that you can check yourself and readjust, and ultimately be proud of your output.
In short, don’t be a perfectionist. When you create something out of nothing, there are always going to be a million ways to edit or tweak something. The important thing is that you put your pen to the paper and put something out there that can be critiqued or built upon. Too many times, we are paralyzed by the things we don’t know or can’t do, instead of focusing on what we do know and what we can accomplish. Sometimes the hardest part is just taking the first step.
