Debunking The starting block syndrome

The art of thinking in reverse…

As a teacher, I've met many people, from seasoned professionals to design students. My training courses are workshops, allowing participants to apply the concepts and tools I teach.

Many students find starting the most difficult. This creative block is challenging. Often, a walk or a break can help overcome a block in a project's middle. But starting is harder. It feels overwhelming, like being in pajamas on class photo day.

Why do we get stuck at the start? It's because we mix everything up. We mix the back room with the shop window. We confuse the process with the imagined result, unwilling to accept that achieving this result means doing imperfect things. I'm going to help you break down this preconceived notion with a little exercise that is as simple as it is powerful.

There's this anecdote told by the director Jim Jarmusch. When he was preparing to shoot "Dead Man", a magnificent black and white western, he went to scout out the sets with his head set designer. To be able to detach themselves from the beauty of the locations, they had a rule. As soon as they found an ideal spot for a shot, they would put their camera in front of it and turn it around to film what was behind their backs.

I suggest you do the same.

I want you to imagine what your project will never be. Go ahead, take a deep breath, what's the first idea that comes to mind? "My project will never be..." "a funeral oration" - why am I saying that? - "my project will never be..." "an advert for a supermarket sale" - what a funny idea! - "my project will never be…" "an episode of a TV novella".

I will make a note of these three subjects. I let them rest for a few minutes and then I grab a pen and paper and think about how I imagine each of them... What does a funeral oration look like, how does it start, what is it about? A poster for a supermarket sale: items with prices crossed out and an aggressive sales pitch. As for the tele novella, I see something very romantic, a bit kitsch, with poor quality dubbing and actors and actresses with 1990s hairstyles.

And now I'm back to my project and I'm saying to myself - I'm really saying it out loud - "what if my project was a funeral oration?" Yes, that would be great, it would herald the end of tacky projects that damage the planet. It would bury big business and its short-term vision... Et voilà!

As you can see, I've come up with some initial creative ideas, not necessarily brilliant, but different from what I would have thought normally. If I want to go further, I'll do so with each of the subjects...

Now you know what it's like to "think outside the box". Your turn now! Download the sheet. I've prepared for you and try your luck…

If you want more, in my Domestika course "Boost your Ideas" I give you lots of exercises and similar tips to get you unstuck and tackle your projects on the right foot!