"Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy."-- Ray Bradbury

This month I'm going to explore the nature of creativity, and I found this quote.  A good beginning, I think, because it speaks to what so often and so easily ends the creative impulse: Thinking.
At least for me.
I've allowed myself to abandon some of my favorite ideas because I've thought about them too much.  I start with the idea itself, then I run it through a series of (yes, self-conscious) questions:

1. Will it be fun to do? (On the face of it, a good, but really irrelevant, question.)
2. Do I have the chops to do it? (Oh, come on!! Just Do it YOUR WAY, you idiot!)
3. Will I be happy with it when I'm done? (Oh, now you're just being ridiculous.)
4. Will other people like it?  (Warning sirens are going off!!)
5. Will it make me money? (NO!! STOP!! DANGER, DANGER!!)

By the time I've reached #5 in my internal dialogue, I've all but disregarded my creative impulse.  Far better to let my idea show me what it wants to express.  Far better to just plunge in, enjoy the experience and let the future take care of itself!