Thinking In Projects
Instead of scattering your energy on small, disconnected ideas that never develop into anything tangible, commit to building projects with substance and cohesion.
Avoid Fragmentation
Jumping from one tiny concept to another often leads to unfinished work and a portfolio filled with half-formed pieces, or more likely no pieces at all; when you look back you see nothing because you have finished nothing.
Think in Terms of Completion
Thinking in projects, is thinking in terms of how you will complete things. It is planning out something more complex than just the tiny concept you started with. Take time to build out the idea on paper, with thumbnails, storyboards, in milanote, or Obsidian . Visualize how this idea will look, finished on your portfolio next to your other works.
Don’t let your creative energy dissipate into a collection of unfinished fragments. Instead, channel it into projects that are complete, connected, and portfolio-ready. By visualizing the end result and working with intention, you create work that moves you forward and builds solid skills.
Example
Instead of practicing only a short fragment of a song on the guitar, commit to learning the entire piece from start to finish. Once you’ve mastered it, record your own cover. By pushing yourself to complete and capture the whole song, you’ll expand your technical skills, improve your performance confidence, and end up with a finished product you can be proud to share, or just listen to yourself when you want to see what you've accomplished.
Instead of sketching random characters without context, create a project that gives those characters a purpose—such as designing a mascot for your website. This approach not only provides a clear reason for the character’s existence but also gives you creative constraints, like designing specific poses or expressions for different sections of the site. The result is a cohesive, purposeful piece that fits into a larger vision