Many of us have creative ideas. But complexity is what gets in the way.

We want to start our own YouTube channel, but we say that we don’t have a good enough webcam, or microphone. We want to start a blog, but we say we don’t know code or web design. We want to start a certain photo project, but we say we don’t have a good enough camera.

I got this idea from Tim Ferris’ podcast: ask yourself, “What would this look like if it were really simple?”

For example, if you wanted to do a YouTube channel— how would you do it if it were really simple? Just use your laptop webcam, and use your iPod headphones (it has a microphone built into it). If you wanted to start a blog, just go to wordpress.com and start typing. If you wanted to start a photo project, just do it all on your smartphone.

Avoid buying new gear

I once read something along the lines of: “Whenever you start a new hobby, avoid buying all the new gear associated with it.”

For example, if you start yoga, you might want to buy a $100 mat, some Lululemon pants, and an expensive membership. But just start off by doing it simply; do it in your living room to a YouTube video, and you don’t even need a mat.

If you want to start hiking, don’t go to REI or buy a bunch of north face stuff. Just put on old shoes, dirty clothes, and walk around nature.

Every new photographer starting off gets obsessed with buying tripods, lenses, and new camera bodies and accessories. I generally recommend most photographers starting off to just shoot with their smartphones and using VSCO to apply presets.

I’m totally guilty of being overly-obsessed with the gear. But what I’ve discovered for myself is this: the more complex I make something, the less likely I am to do it.

For example, when I’d have too many cameras, I’d be hit by “paralysis by analysis” when I was shooting in the streets. I wasn’t sure which camera or lens to use when making photos, which would deter me from actually taking photos.

The same thing with blogging— I got too caught up in the hype of trying to find an ideal writing tool. I experimented with an iPad, an iPad with a keyboard, my laptop, my smartphone, or even pen and pad. At the end of the day, just typing on a laptop seems to be the easiest.

With photographic projects I tend to overcomplicate things as well. I also find that having a fancy title for your photo project can debilitate you. Just keep it simple. My favorite projects include my “Suits” project (just photographing men in suits) and my “Cindy Project” (just taking photos of Cindy).

So as a reminder, always ask yourself the question: “What would this look like if it were really simple?”

Keep life simple and uncomplicated. The less complication, the more creativity. The less frustration, the more joy. The less complexity, the more creative output.

Always,
Eric