By Ethan Bennett

Ideas don’t come for free

No-one owns an idea.

An idea is something that has been influenced by many things. Throwaway comments from your friends. Extensive research. A dream. Artwork. A book or publication. Music. All of which made by people and the world around you. As a creative, we need to be a magpie, and go out and steal stuff for our mind.

As the pressure has mounted, which is somewhat an understatement, it’s felt nearly impossible to go hunting for inspiration around the city. My partner and I started the last three weeks with a burst of new work and ideas. But with so much to do in so little time, it’s been next to impossible to go and enjoy galleries or watch movies.

The conveyor belt of random information has slowed down while we make sure targets are met. Which on reflection, is one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made. Much time has been wasted thinking of poor ideas, to make sure boxes are ticked. It does make you wonder what would have happened if we’d used that time to go out and enjoy this great city instead and let the ideas come through our sub-conscience after a bit of herd research into the product and problems surrounding it.

If you put great stuff in your head, great stuff will come out. It seems so obvious and I guess you don’t really realise how important it is until you stop.

So I suggest everyone reading this to take their foot off the pedal today. It’s Friday. Go and take in new things. Find a new exhibition, read a new blog or look at new technology. Your future self will feel a lot better for it.

Then make time for it in the diary every day of the week.