Can You be TOO Inspired?

Let's explore "inspiration overload"

As I sit here, writing this article, I look around me and see the result of an overabundance of inspiration.

Imagination left unchecked… Burn this image into your brain!

From where I am sitting I can see:

• A 3D printed Plasma Cutter from Dead Space that I designed, printed in pieces, and started sanding

• A model kit of a Japanese house that is about halfway assembled

• Six small canvases that I attempted to join together into a “painting cube” but have not completed

On my computer I have:

• Designs for three different playhouses

• A list of close to 20 article ideas

• A separate list of a half-dozen painting concepts

In my garage sits:

• Wood and resin for a set of coasters I designed but have yet to make

• Several jewelry pieces that I started years ago

• Miniature sets built for not one, but TWO children’s books that I started and set aside

In my art studio I can see:

• One painting that has been halfway done for a while now

• Two blank canvases that I prepared for paint with the intention of doing some architectural paintings, but have not taken the pictures of the reference buildings, yet

• Two semi-broken easels that I vowed to repair

“Wow!” you may think, “Aaron has so much going on! He is so inspired!” and you would be right to think so! The problem is that I struggle with a newly diagnosed, but rarely talked about condition. The condition of Inspiration Overload.

What is Inspiration Overload?

Though not recognized by… well… anyone other than the author, Inspiration Overload is a condition where the afflicted launches into creative efforts the second inspiration strikes without actually completing the previous creative effort (or efforts). The effects of this condition can stack, meaning that, left unchecked, those affected can end up having to move out of their homes due to it being completely overrun by incomplete projects.

Actual image of what AI thinks a Inspiration Overload sufferer’s home would look like.

For real, though, I get very frustrated with myself when I look around and see all these things that I wanted to do, but never finished. It honestly messes with my self image and self worth. Sometimes, being surrounded by these labors of love… these creations that came from my own imagination… actually robs me of inspiration. How can I get excited about starting something new when I cannot even complete the last project that I was so excited about?

I do have a lot of my own creations around me in my creative places. In my office I have completed model kits, sculptures, and 3D prints. My garage has helmets and character models I have made. My studios walls are covered with my paintings. Being surrounded by creations is supposed to be inspiring, and it usually is… unless those creations are incomplete. In that case, rather than pushing you forward to create more, they can feel like weights. They can sap creative energy. I have actually convinced myself NOT to start something new because I had so many other things already started… like the new endeavor did not deserve any energy, because I was unable to finish the previous one.

Have you ever felt like this? If so, let me know just how bad your case of IO (inspiration Overload) is.

Help! I got IO! What do I do?

If you can relate to any of these symptoms, you may be suffering from a case of Inspiration Overload (IO for short). Fortunately, I have three simple steps that can help you move yourself past the debilitating situation you find yourself in and get you back to the amazing creative powerhouse you were born to be!

Step 1 - Make a list

Ugh! A list! That’s terrible! That’s SO left-brain!

I know, I am not a huge fan of making lists, but I have a hard time denying their effectiveness. If you are sunk in the mire of too many incomplete creative projects, how can you know the way out unless you know what has you stuck there?

This list does not have to be anything special. You can jot it down on a piece of paper, or make a list in your phone (I love using the Reminders app on my iPhone for lists because it syncs up to my computer and my iPad and I can be reminded of everything I have not done no matter where I am!). The important thing is to try to make it comprehensive. Creativity is an emotional process and something like an incomplete creative task can irritate us to no end. So remember to include the small tasks that are preventing you from having the full creative runway you deserve

One of my lists on my phone. Add to list, “Clean fingernails”

Step 2 - Prioritize

Making the list is really pretty simple… walk around your creative space and jot down the things that have been started but never completed. The second step - this is the tricky one - put your items in order. At the top of the list is the project that you must complete while at the other end is the thing that you are least concerned with.

Several factors should be considered as you rank each item against the others. How much time will it take to complete? Will it cost you more to get it done? Is someone besides yourself waiting for it to be completed? Have you been paid for any of these (I hope it goes without saying that paid work should rank a lot higher than the stuff that is just for fun). There may be other considerations beyond that… when it is complete, where will it go? Is it functional or for decoration? Do you even WANT to complete it anymore?

Each person will have a different ranking criteria. Last time I did this, here were the things that I considered (Note, none of these were paying projects, and there was no cost associated with finishing any of them):

• How close am I to done?

• How much work is it to finish?

• Do I want to keep this around when I complete it?

• Am I going to enjoy spending more time completing this?

Once you have everything properly prioritized, it’s time to draw a line.

Step 3 - Do it, or kill it

Look at your list and draw a horizontal line. That line will separate the projects that you are going to get done, and the ones that you are going to abandon.

I know, no one wants to abandon what they have started, but it is a necessary step. Yes, it is so easy to create artificial reason to stick with a project… Money or supplies invested, time already spent, the weight of creative genius that went into it in the first place. The fact is, money or supplies are sunk costs and as for creative genius… if it were really genius, you probably would have made it above the line!

Much like a flower bush with dead heads, its time to prune your creative to do list. This sounds crazy, but it is actually freeing to let go of the work that you are not going to get done! I have thrown partially completed projects into the trash and thought I would feel like I was losing. I expected to feel bad about myself as an artist, but instead ended up with a feeling of relief!

As for the items above the line, those are the projects that deserve your attention. Spend time each week on the items on your list. Focus on your Number 1 project and get it across the finish line! Once you do, you get to give yourself a high five and cross it off your list. Then something really cool will happen… your list now has a brand new Number 1 project to work on!!

While the goal is to get to the point where your backlog of creative efforts is diminished, you should feel better with each and every item crossed off the list! Personally, I find inspiration in accomplishment. Getting one project finished will often spawn the desire to start another project (or two… thus the backlog)!

Living with IO, long term

These steps will help you get through a current case of IO, but you may be in for a bumpy ride. Once you get the creative project backlog back down to a reasonable number, there is a good chance that the process of reviewing what you have been working on may cause a brand new IO flare-up.

Seeing what you have been working on and thinking about what inspired each project on your list coupled with the open space made by discarding the projects that were never going to get finished will likely leave you inspired to start something new. The very process of getting on-top of your over-inspiration may actually cause even MORE inspiration!

Well… that’s the hope, anyway…