“There is no such thing as a bad idea.”
If you work at an agency, you would know that this statement makes the rounds as periodically as you rush to the break room for a fresh brew. A bold statement passed down through generations, most probably coined by an individual who only knew what a creative block was by definition rather than experience. Within the confines of a conference room where a sense of impending failure looms over a brainstorm session, there stands this very statement, warm and comforting, offering its inviting embrace to creatives.

Creativity is not a matter of muscle memory, it is actually the opposite, where you are asked to think beyond what you are generally accustomed to. Above this, it is a personal endeavour that wholly relies on your personal abilities and mind. In order to unlock the limitless potential of your mind, creative spaces offer you support and encouragement. They aim to cushion the blow of your rejected ideas so that you spring right back up instead of accepting defeat. It’s much easier to accept rejection when one can blame it on the situation rather than the idea.
It’s you, not me.
It’s a great thought but doesn’t fit the brief.
“Don’t worry, there’s no such thing as a bad idea.”

Sure, this holds up in the case of art where there is no direct goal except to create. But, when it comes to creativity within agencies, we must question the significance of the statement. Creativity is not meant to run rampant within agencies because we do not create for the sake of it. It is a focused activity with a clear cut ask, goal and path. If the idea does not fit the brief it is simply a bad idea and there’s no in-between. Some might argue that if the brief were different the idea would work but that is a hypothetical statement that cannot hold its ground. If I need a cup and you give me a plate, you could argue that the plate would be useful to me if I needed it, but the fact is my coffee is awaiting a cup and our argument is going nowhere.

We’re not here to rain on your parade, yes, there’s actually a point to establishing the existence of bad ideas. It is important to acknowledge it because you can’t identify what a good idea is unless you can recognise a bad one. Before every brainstorming, you are presented with a brief, a faceless guide that assists you as you navigate the realm of imagination. It tells you what to think and what to keep, what to rework and what to discard. If the idea doesn’t fit the brief, it’s not the one, no matter how much you want it to be.

Most people, especially within the creative field find difficulty in accepting that an idea doesn’t work. This is simply because they are unable to separate the idea from themself. Criticism of their idea feels like criticism directed at them which brings their defence mechanisms rearing to life.

Additionally, age-old brainstorming etiquette dictates that you should not reject ideas. It takes an approach of coddling the psyche rather than pushing for progress. Your idea is listed despite not deserving a spot on the board to encourage you to keep going- the equivalent of a participation certificate. But, the problem is when it comes down to deciding what to go ahead with, your feelings cannot be taken into consideration and you’ve lost time trying to fine-tune something that never worked in the first place.

If you can understand that a bad idea has no bearing on your abilities, your mind moves one step further out of the box. But the question remains, are you willing to forgo comfort for progress?