I have a lot of creative friends: writers, designers, artists. They can all attest to one simple fact: we have a lot of ideas that just aren’t that good.
This truth is not isolated to creativity. Or rather it is, but our definition of creativity is too limiting. We are creating thoughts all the time. “Creative types” are better at recognizing those low value ideas and refining them in private until they become good enough to share.
The presence of bad ideas is especially true around emotionally charged topics. When we are upset, our initial thoughts tend to not be that good.
Facebook has become our outlet for our low-value ideas. Social media can be a powerful catalyst for change, as long as we put some mental effort in to it.
Recognize that throwaway thought and resist the temptation to share it with the world. Yes, there is a terrific idea somewhere in there! Give your mind time to roll it over and look at it from many angles. Consider the truth in its opposite. Start a draft, revise it throughout the day, or even over several days. There is no urgency to post it now. Your friends will appreciate that you took the extra time to craft thoughts worth reading!
Throwaway Thoughts
