What to Do When You Have Too Many Ideas
(How to Move from Endless Brainstorming to Meaningful Execution)
In 1922, the writer Willa Cather sat down at her desk and did something radical: she refused to start a new book.
She had plenty of ideas—more than she could ever write in a lifetime. But she understood something that most creatives struggle with: an idea is only as valuable as your ability to bring it to life.
If you’re overwhelmed by too many ideas—if your mind is an overflowing archive of potential projects, half-finished drafts, and creative threads pulling you in every direction—you are not alone. This is not a failure of discipline or focus. It is the paradox of creativity: the more you engage with it, the more ideas you generate.
But ideas, on their own, are weightless. They don’t count until you commit.
So how do you move from thinking about ideas to executing the right ones?
Why You Keep Collecting Ideas (Instead of Acting on Them)
A 2019 study in Nature Communications found that the brain prioritizes novelty. The dopaminergic system, which governs motivation and decision-making, responds more strongly to new information than to repeated experiences. This is why the thrill of a new idea often feels more exciting than the long, slow work of execution.
This is also why, in a world of infinite content, it’s easier than ever to collect ideas but harder than ever to commit to them.
Every time you encounter something interesting—an article, a quote, a concept—it sparks a new possibility. But without a process to filter and refine those ideas, they accumulate without direction, creating decision fatigue, fragmentation, and a creative backlog that feels impossible to process.
In other words, the problem is not that you have too many ideas. The problem is that you don’t have a system for deciding which ones deserve your energy.
The Three Types of Creative Ideas (And How to Identify the Right One)
Not all ideas are equal. Some are fleeting, some are foundational, and some are disguised forms of procrastination.
The challenge is learning to separate the signal from the noise.
1. The Spark Idea (Short-Lived Excitement)
High energy, but fades quickly.
Some ideas feel brilliant in the moment but lose their appeal when examined more closely. These are often reactive—born from trends, external influence, or bursts of inspiration that have no real depth behind them.
✶ Ask yourself: “Do I still care about this idea a week later?”
If the answer is no, let it go.
2. The Foundation Idea (Deep, Long-Term Pull)
The ideas that won’t leave you alone.
These are the ones that resurface again and again—the ones that feel essential to your creative identity. They may not be the most exciting at first, but they hold substance, longevity, and personal resonance.
✶ Ask yourself: “Would I still want to explore this idea in 5 years?”
If the answer is yes, it belongs in your long-term creative framework.
3. The Avoidance Idea (A Distraction Disguised as Inspiration)
An idea that appears when you’re avoiding hard work.
Sometimes, a new idea emerges as an escape route. It gives you an excuse to abandon something difficult in favor of something novel. These ideas feel urgent, but they are often a form of resistance—your brain’s way of avoiding discomfort.
✶ Ask yourself: “Am I excited about this idea, or am I using it to avoid something difficult?”
If the latter, put it aside and return to what matters most.
How to Choose the Right Idea (A Simple Framework)
If you are constantly collecting ideas but struggling to execute, you need a selection process—a way to filter possibilities and commit to what truly matters.
This is where the Rule of Three comes in.
For any idea, ask yourself these three questions:
1. Do I care about this enough to work on it for six months?
(If not, it’s likely a Spark Idea—file it away and move on.)
2. Does this align with my larger creative vision?
(If not, it’s an Avoidance Idea—stop using it as an excuse to start over.)
3. Does this idea have enough depth to sustain execution?
(If not, let it incubate until it becomes fully formed.)
If an idea passes all three filters, it deserves your focus. Everything else is just noise.
What to Do With the Ideas You’re Not Pursuing (Yet)
One of the biggest fears creatives have about letting go of ideas is the fear of losing them forever. But not every idea needs immediate action. Some need incubation—time to develop, evolve, and find their true form.
How to Keep Ideas Without Letting Them Overwhelm You
✶ Create an “Idea Archive” – A single, structured place where all your unused ideas live. This could be a Notion database, a physical notebook, or a document titled “Not Yet”.
✶ Schedule Idea Reviews – Every few months, go through your archive and see what still resonates. You’ll often find that the best ideas come back when they’re ready.
✶ Trust That Ideas Will Return – The best ideas have a way of resurfacing when the time is right. If something truly matters, it will find you again.
The Hard Truth: Execution is the Difference Between Creators and Collectors
There is a moment in every creative life when you must choose to stop chasing every idea and commit to the ones that matter most.
Collecting ideas is easy. Starting is harder. Finishing is the hardest of all.
But at some point, you must decide: Will I be a collector, or will I be a creator?
The difference is not talent. It is not intelligence. It is the willingness to choose one idea, follow it through, and let the rest go.
The right idea is not the most exciting one. It is the one you are willing to return to, again and again, until it becomes something real.
Sam Roberts is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and creative strategist exploring the intersections of identity, creativity, and the unconscious. They are the founder of Saint Violet, a brand dedicated to helping artists and writers bring their ideas to life with clarity and confidence.
Saint Violet offers practical tools, resources, and workshops for creatives who want to get organized, stay inspired, and finish what they start. Explore more at saintvioletcreative.com.