Making is a way of thinking

In The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin writes about the importance of paying attention, staying curious and remaining open to possibilities.

When we're stuck, we tend to close ourselves off to exactly that. We overthink, question every idea before giving it a chance and try to find the right direction before taking the first step. We put so much pressure on finding the answer that we forget to explore the question.

So make something. A rough sketch. A terrible headline. An idea that probably won't work. Something that gives you something to react to, challenge, change or take in a completely different direction.

Making isn't just about turning an idea into something tangible. It's also a way of discovering what the idea could be. And that applies to strategy just as much as design.

Sometimes, you need to stop trying to think your way to the perfect solution and start experimenting with imperfect ones.

You might not find the answer in what you make. But you might find it because you made it.