How do you know if an idea is good?
Spoiler: there’s no magic formula, but your gut might just be the closest thing
Honestly, I’ve always trusted my instincts and gut feeling. It’s not scientific or flawless, but it works if you believe in your own abilities. Sure, you can ask for opinions—like those focus groups we ran back in my Cartoon Network and MTV days—but at the end of the day, you’re the one calling the shots. Salvador Dalí didn’t have a committee behind his genius.
Creating something—be it a painting, book, product, app, or logo—is an intimate, personal experience between you and your idea. And you are the creator.
To trust your instincts, first, believe in your idea. Belief is the electricity that powers life’s engine, the secret sauce of creation. Will you fail sometimes? Absolutely. But that’s how you train your gut instinct. The more you create, the better you get.
A great innovator creates without fear, dreams without limits, and questions the status quo. If you’re like me, you want to shake things up and disrupt the ordinary. But to do that, you’ve got to let go of the walls that box you in and find freedom in your ideas. It takes time to develop confidence, but the sooner you trust your instincts, the sooner others will too. Even the best—whether it’s Michael Jordan, Marie Curie, or Spielberg—don’t nail it every time. It’s their failures that push them to greatness. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
You are the masterpiece, and your creativity is an extension of you
I’ve been in the creativity business all my life—not just as an artist or writer, but in living, making decisions, and finding purpose. Creativity isn’t just playing the piano or painting a masterpiece. You are the masterpiece, and your creativity is an extension of you. Being creative is about trusting who you are. Do I still mess up? Sure. But that’s because I’m not perfect, and neither is anyone else.
The funny thing is, when I’ve missed, it’s usually because I ignored my gut and listened to others. My missteps often turn into my compass.
For me, creating isn’t just a career—it’s life. A one-trick pony doesn’t survive in the idea business; you’ve got to keep thinking. The path to great ideas is paved with a lot of not-so-great ones.
Remember Bill Gates’ first venture, Traf-O-Data? No? Exactly. Not every idea is a winner, but every great idea has a trail of flops behind it. Creativity is my passion, and I trust my gut to tell me which ideas are worth pursuing.
Finding the confidence to trust your gut is one of the hardest parts of being creative. But the more I trust mine, the happier I am with my work, ideas, and business. Letting go of the fear of second-guessing and the need to fit into a box has brought more ease and joy to my daily work.
Things feel simpler, more real. I’m not into fake stuff. Being true to myself brings more happiness than anything else.
And that is what I explore through my art, the chance to find the extraordinary, the humor, and the inspiration to live an out-of-the-ordinary life.
