Why defined projects supercharge your creativity
Notes on finding clarity, crafting projects, and finishing what you start.
Do you ever find yourself flitting from one project to the next, a perpetual tinkerer or workshop wanderer?
I understand this more than you know. I do not cope well with idle hands. The moment I get the itch to start something, I’ve booked myself onto a metal sculpture workshop, I’m embarking on a bit of freestyle knitting or finding out what a Raspberry Pi can do.
And while there’s joy to be found in mucking about, tinkering, and learning a few new skills, I have come to realise that the real creative magic happens when my energy is focused on a well-crafted project.
Almost any idea can become a project — and when it’s shaped with intention, it has a way of unlocking far more than you could ever expect.
Here’s what I’ve learned along the way.
There are two particular traits I see again and again in all of the creative people I know.
Their thirst for knowledge is never quenched.
They love to play, muck about, and try new things; if they don’t, they literally go stir-crazy.
Constant learning and playing. Two essential pursuits of every creative maverick.
However, there is something I also see time and time again.
Tunes that are not finished.
Books that are never completed.
Courses that are half done.
Sidebar projects that peter out.
Full disclosure: this stuff happens to me, too.
And that is because, without realising it at the time, my process was missing something...
I didn't have a clear reason for why I started in the first place.
I didn’t set myself a hard stop to work towards.
I began learning something without having a place to apply my new skills.
The whole thing was too open — with no buffers or boundaries.
I have come to learn that when these things are missing, the whole creative process suffers.
Tinkering and learning something new vs. taking on a fully blown project are very different beasts, and yes, they all have their place. I LOVE to tinker, and I LOVE to learn, but nothing supercharges your creative efforts more than a proper, juicy project to get your teeth into.
A project demands that information be mined to ignite the imagination.
It requires generating a slew of ideas, and that things be made, fabricated, crafted, cooked up and, most importantly, brought to a heaving and glorious conclusion.
When I set out on a project, I’m not quite sure what it will become. But it’s gonna be mega.
What does the “Perfect Project” look like?
If we look to the worlds of design, art and tech for inspiration, we learn that they have powerful little springboards that can lead to the creation of some truly brilliant work.
In design, it's a brief
In art, it's a commission
In tech, it's a specification
What can we learn from these little gems?
They are all, in a nutshell, projects.
The words in briefs, commissions and specifications set the scene for something that needs to be created, built, invented, or brought to life.
And through working with these documents in my professional and creative practice or writing them for clients, I have found that they all have five special characteristics in common. I call them…
The 5 Keys to Project Perfection
It’s not a well-crafted project if it doesn’t tick these five boxes;
It has a beginning and an end.
It has a clear “why”. All great projects — big or small — have a purpose. Whether it’s to explore, to protest, to delight, to heal, to solve, or to say something bold, your project needs a reason to exist.
It has a destination. By the end of your project, you want to have created something real — something that didn’t exist before. A product, an artwork, an event, a story, a solution. Define where you’re heading so you can get it over the finish line.
It has context. Nothing exists in a vacuum. Creative work is shaped by the world it lives in — social, cultural, historical, emotional, and environmental. Recognising this will enrich and make your project more relevant.
It includes constraints. Great creative work needs something to push against. That might be time limits, a small budget, a specific audience, a strict format, or an unusual medium. Constraints don’t limit you — they focus you.
Over the years, I’ve learned (the hard way) that even the most exciting ideas can lose steam — unless they’re supported by the right structure.
These five elements are your creative guardrails. They help you focus, filter, and follow through.
They protect you from drifting too far off course.
Once I started applying these five keys to every project, things began to click into place.
I think it’s the designer in me, always pumped and primed for a good old-fashioned brief.
And I want the same for you.
How to craft your own Perfect Project
Now that you have the 5 Keys for Project Perfection under your belt, you can get on with the business of crafting a project that will capture your imagination.
What follows isn’t a checklist to rush through — it’s a practical approach you can return to whenever you start something new.
1. Collect your seeds
Let’s take a few minutes to get our bearings and consider the potential starting points that will set you on your journey to creating work that knocks it out of the park.
Our time is precious, so regardless of whether you dedicate a lunch hour, a weekend, or an entire summer holiday to your project, you need to collect a few seeds that are worthy of your time.
I tend to find that potential seeds fall into 3 key areas;
A point of pure inspiration, generally something you have encountered that aroused your curiosity - a topic, a piece of content, an object, an idea, a problem.
There is something you want to do or an action you want to perform.
There is something you want to learn or gather more information about.
Don’t overthink things at this point. Just pop some seeds into the broad categories above to provide a starting point for shaping your project.
2. Think about the ‘Why’
You’ll now consider why you might want to water each of the seeds you have popped in your burlap bag. What is their purpose? Is it;
to spark joy
to overcome a particular problem or feeling
a goal you or others want to achieve
an idea you want to share
something you want to see in the world
No matter how big or small the ‘why’ is for each seed, jot them all down.
Each seed on your list holds a hidden motivation. Sometimes it’s obvious. Sometimes it’s buried.
It might turn out that what seemed like a tiny seed on your list has a huge ‘why’, and nothing motivates us more than a strong sense of purpose.
When you’re done, decide which seed or combination of seeds you’d like to nurture in your project.
3. Decide where you are going to play
Next, you will ponder some potential playgrounds for the project. This part is crucial because it is here that you will decide where to direct your energies.
Where do you want to play?
Playgrounds are defined spaces, surrounded by fences, walls, bushes or a line of trees. These boundaries allow us to say, “This is the place where we play”.
Now is the time to decide what kind of project you want to wrap around your seed.
What will the project's outcome be?
An artwork? A product? An event? A book? A business? Think expansively about what the possible destinations could be
What kind of constraints are at play?
Who is this project for, and when will I commit to finishing it?
What slice of the world will this project be born into?
Consider the context in which your project will come to life. Having a feel for what’s happening around the edges is essential, but can easily be missed when we’ve succumbed to the intoxicating allure of our new, shiny idea or obsession.
Ultimately, if we don’t take aim, we may meander forever and, much worse, never finish a thing.
After all, the fruits of our labour must come to a grand finale for it to be project perfection.
4. Make a Killer Statement
This is where the magic happens. Nail your project outline, and you open the door to crazy, unique possibilities you might not have otherwise landed on. State exactly what you are actually going to DO.
It is the springboard that sets the whole project in motion, and the work you put in here will be a major factor in determining whether you go on to create stuff that rocks or stuff that sucks.
5. Immerse with intent
Immersion is one of the most powerful tools in the creative process. It’s the practice of deliberately filling your cup so your mind has plenty of material to work with.
Some of the seeds you collected at the beginning of the process might have included points of influence and inspiration that will provide you with a direction of travel.
There are two ways to approach immersion:
Expansive immersion is open-ended.
You wander, explore, and let the world surprise you — visit exhibitions, flip through zines, wander markets, and watch films outside your usual taste. It’s about discovery and widening your horizons. This type of immersion is perfect for finding those seeds in Step 1.
Focused immersion is the lens that sharpens your view.
It works best when you have a defined project in mind. The world now becomes a treasure hunt. Ideas jump out, opportunities reveal themselves, and inspiration starts to flow.
The key is to look at everything through the lens of your chosen seed. You are looking for information and surprises that will fertilise your mind.
Now, do the work.
A thoughtfully crafted project opens the door to your creative genius by providing a space where the following can happen;
✨ Focused immersion in things you care about
💡 Better, more original ideas
🧪 Experimentation and taking creative risks
🫀 Making work that connects with the right people
🧠 Breaking out of old habits or ruts
✅ Motivation to finish what you start
A beautifully thought-out project is the antidote to half-baked ideas, half-finished creations and mediocre, yawn-inducing work.
So, if you ever find yourself flitting from one project to the next, on the brink of something interesting but never quite reaching escape velocity, then the time has come to craft your own “Perfect Project”.
Your genius mind awaits.
Until next time.
Stay curious,
Sharon
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If this way of working resonates, then join me inside the Perfect Project Masterclass
If you are…
A bored creative or curious mind seeking inspiration and something new to work on.
Tired of starting projects but NEVER finishing them.
Struggling to get clear on how to direct your creative energies.
Someone with a burning desire to create something from nothing, but with no idea where to start.
I will show you how to turn your daydreams and scribbles into your next BIG Project.
I will walk you through:
Why most projects never get out of the blocks, and how to fix this
How to cut through the fog and decide where to direct your creative energies
How to set up your project so it opens the gates to a tidal wave of creativity
The 7 Steps you need to take to craft your own unique “Perfect Project”
And leave you with the Perfect Project Blueprint that will set you up for success time and time again.
If you’re ready to define a crystal clear vision for your next big project that could change everything, click the button and join me inside the masterclass:
Choose to show up. Choose to try. Choose creativity when the world makes it so easy not to.
What project are you dying to get off the ground, but haven’t yet? Drop your seedlings in the comments because I can’t wait to help you get them out of the blocks! 💡