why most ideas are shit
Everyone wants to come up with good ideas.
But nobody knows how.
So what do humans do when something is unexplainable? We bullshit a reason. The two are:
- You're born a genius. Einstein, Edison, Jobs. These guys are born to think good ideas.
- Work more. Stare at your monitor long enough and it'll come.
Complete bullshit.
Creativity isn't a mystical gift. It's a feature we all have.
To access it, look to…
the brain
Scientists spend billions trying to understand the human brain. I'll explain it in four words:
It's a black hole.
It absorbs every single thing in your environment. Everything.
- food you eat
- the lighting in your room
- the billboard you drove by
It takes all of that, mashes it up with your past experiences, and spits out thoughts.
That's why most people are miserable, and why most games suck.
the modern world
Look at your environment:
TikTok, news, traffic, hustle culture.
It's 24/7 stress.
When you're stressed, your brain goes into 'fight or flight'.
The creative part of your brain literally shuts down.
You get tunnel vision, argue over stupid shit, and become completely incapable of thinking creatively.
That's why most studios play it safe, copy what's already out there, and make boring games.
If you want to have good ideas, you have to shut the stress off.
turning off stress
You do that through prioritizing two things:
- play
- health
Go read Charlie Hoehn's Play It Away.
The whole premise is that stress is cured by playing.
Rocky and I spent so much money on biohacks and research just to conclude that Charlie's right.
That's why we host LAN parties.
It's why we bought a used sensory deprivation tank off FB marketplace and shoved it in our garage.
It's why we're renting a cheap cabin in the middle of the woods.
You don't need these. But what you do need is to make play and health your #1 priority in life. That's how you become consistently creative.
When you remove stress, cut toxic inputs and play daily, bomb ass ideas will spawn in.