Confessions of a serial idea killer (pls, hear me out)

How I learned to stop hoarding ideas and start making them happen

Hello, Friend,

Today I’m calling all creatives with overflowing Figma files, notes and… brains.

This post is about a topic near and dear to all of us: the Creative Graveyard. What’s that you might ask.

It all starts with one of those moments where an idea hits you like a creative lightning bolt. We've all been there, convinced this new idea it's the design equivalent of discovering fire, and we're ready to Steve Jobs the world into using it.

And the place where that idea ends most of the time? In the Creative Graveyard: a wasteland of half-finished projects, abandoned sketches and mood boards, and a never-ending to-do list of design concepts that will never see the light of day.

Why? Because those initial bursts of excitement were like a creative sugar rush, masking the real work needed to turn a whim into something impactful. Plus, let’s face it: sometimes that idea didn’t just cracked the Da Vinci Code of design.

And while this isn't a support group for failures, it's a short post on how we can escape together from this creative purgatory.

Here's the thing: having a million ideas isn't the same as having good ones.

Sure, the initial spark feels amazing, it’s a rush of dopamine that makes you feel like a design genius. But without proper validation and execution, those ideas become residents of the ever-growing Creative Graveyard in your head (or Figma), a sad collection of "what-ifs" and "almost-hads" that gather neglect and ultimately achieve nothing.

But, there's hope. It took me stumbles and a healthy dose of self-reflection, but I’m finally learning to ride this creative roller coaster of creative potential.

Here's how I’m ditching (because it’s a continuous process) this mentality, so let’s say together RIP 🪦 to the the Creative Graveyard:

🕊️ Ruthless prioritization: Not every idea gets a gold star, and it’s ok. It’s a process to identify the truly promising ones, the ones that have the potential to make a difference. The rest? With a heavy heart (and a ruthless efficiency that would make Marie Kondo proud), I let them go. The goal should always be to focus on quality, not just quantity. There's no shame in saying no to a good-sounding idea that ultimately leads down a creative dead end.

🍰 Sweet validation: Falling in love with your idea is easy. But here comes the hard part: does it solve a real problem? Now, my focus is on having all the context in place, not just my opinion. I research, talk to stakeholders, read the user research documents, and validate my assumptions before getting too attached. Sometimes, the initial spark fizzles out, and that's okay. It’s better to find out early the facts than waste time on an idea that has 0 impact.

👑 From spark to execution: Ideas are great, but execution is king (or queen). I've doubled down on honing my design skills and learning to communicate effectively. It's about turning those sparks into real flames. And then repeat.

🔥 Fuel the creative flame: Creativity ignites when you feed it fresh inspiration and new experiences. I constantly challenge myself, learn from others, and experiment with different approaches. It's like sharpening my design "saw." The sharper my tools and techniques, the more precise I can be in evaluating and executing on my ideas.

And let’s keep in mind that:

It's not about having the most ideas; it's about nurturing the best ones by ditching the "idea dump" mentality and embracing a culture of thoughtful execution.

Believe in your ideas and share them with the world, but also be willing to ruthlessly prioritize and execute. That’s how we can turn our good ideas into designs and projects that truly make a difference.

And yes, this post is also a #kindreminder for myself. Like I said, it’s a process.

Big smiles,
Mira ✌