I have more creative freedom than I've ever had.
Some days, I have so many ideas that I can't wait to sit down and start building.
Other days, I open my editor, stare at the empty screen, and can't think of a single thing I want to make.
It's not because I've run out of possibilities.
It's because I've got too many.
When everything sounds interesting
I've always been someone who likes making things. I get curious about something, start wondering how it works, and before long I'm opening a new project folder.
Sometimes it's something practical. A tool that solves a problem I've run into, or something I wish existed but haven't been able to find.
Other times, it's something completely unnecessary that just sounds fun to build.
And sometimes I don't even care all that much about the finished product. I just want to see if I can make it work.
That's one of my favorite things about programming. There's always something new to explore, something to figure out, or a random idea that might actually turn into something interesting.
But there's a downside to being interested in so many things.
I can sit down with every intention of working on something and find myself mentally bouncing between a dozen different possibilities.
Maybe I should finish one of my existing projects.
Maybe I should try that new library I came across yesterday.
Maybe I should build that little CLI tool I've been thinking about.
Or maybe I should make something entirely different.
And somehow, after considering all of those options, I end up doing absolutely none of them.
Not because I don't want to make something.
I want to make everything.
The barriers are disappearing
I think AI has made this feeling even more noticeable for me.
There was a time when an idea came with a fairly substantial list of things we'd have to figure out before we could even start building it.
Do we know the language? Could we work with the framework? Would we have to spend weeks learning something new just to get a basic version running?
Those questions might not necessarily stop us, but they did help narrow down what we were realistically going to attempt.
Now, a lot of those barriers are smaller.
I can experiment with a language I'm unfamiliar with, explore a framework I've never used, or take an idea much further than I could have on my own in the same amount of time.
And I love that.
I still have plenty to learn, and AI certainly doesn't make the hard parts of building software disappear. But it does make more ideas feel within reach.
Which means I have fewer reasons to dismiss an idea before I start.
That sounds great. In theory.
Most of the time, it is.
But it also means that almost every passing thought can turn into a potential project.
And when nearly everything feels possible, choosing what to spend my time on becomes its own challenge.
I don't think it's always a creative block
I've been thinking about the difference between having no ideas and having too many.
Because from the outside, they can look exactly the same.
You sit there staring at an empty editor, not writing a single line of code.
But what's happening in your head can be completely different.
Sometimes I genuinely don't feel inspired. Nothing sounds particularly interesting, and I'd rather go do something else.
Other times, I have so many ideas competing for my attention that I can't settle on one long enough to begin.
It's almost like standing in front of an enormous menu where everything looks good.
You'd think having more choices would make the experience better.
Instead, you spend twenty minutes trying to decide what you want.
And the funny thing is, I know perfectly well that I don't have to make the best thing.
I'm not running a company where every project needs a business case. I'm not trying to build the next big startup every time I sit down at my computer.
Most of the time, I'm just making things because I enjoy making them.
So why does choosing sometimes feel like such a big decision?
The things I could be making
I think part of it is that every project I choose to work on represents a bunch of other projects I'm not choosing.
If I spend the night working on a terminal app, I'm not experimenting with that interesting new UI framework.
If I start something new, I'm not finishing something old.
If I spend three hours exploring an idea that goes nowhere, I could have spent those three hours improving something I already built.
And yes, I realize how ridiculous that sounds when I'm talking about something I do for fun.
But I think that's part of what happens when you're curious about a lot of things and have the tools to pursue them.
You start feeling the weight of all the things you could be doing.
Even when nobody is asking you to do any of them.
I also think there's something strangely exciting about an idea before you start building it.
In your head, it's full of potential. You can imagine what it might become, all the interesting features you could add, and all the things you'll learn along the way.
Once you actually start, you have to make decisions. You run into limitations. Some parts are less interesting than you expected.
The idea becomes a real project, with all the ordinary work that comes with one.
And meanwhile, somewhere in the back of your mind, another shiny idea is waiting.
Maybe I don't need to make anything
I love that I can sit down at my computer and turn some random thought into something real.
I love learning new things, trying unfamiliar technologies, and making tools that probably wouldn't exist if I hadn't decided to build them.
But I'm starting to wonder if I've gotten so used to having something to work on that sitting down without a project feels like a problem I need to solve.
Maybe not every ounce of free time needs to become a new repository.
Maybe sometimes I can just explore something without turning it into an application.
Or spend some time actually using the things I've already made.
Or close the editor and do something else entirely.
I don't think the answer is to stop starting projects. Starting things is one of the ways I learn, and honestly, it's a huge part of what makes programming fun for me.
And I don't think I need to force myself to finish everything I begin, either. Sometimes an experiment has already given me what I wanted from it, even if it never becomes anything more.
Maybe the harder thing for me to learn is that having the ability to make something doesn't mean I have to.
That I can have ten ideas and choose just one of them without worrying about the other nine.
And that sometimes, when nothing feels quite right, I can simply leave the editor closed.
Because the possibilities aren't going anywhere.
Maybe having the freedom to make anything also means having the freedom to make nothing.
Top comments (22)
I had this thought that someone also talked about it, and figured out that someone did!
The hidden trap of endless AI capabilities
What do you build when you can build anything?
Otherwise, great post!
Oh yeah I think I remember this post now. I guess it’s something a lot of us are thinking about! Thanks!
Apparently, the world doesn’t need AI agents that just go around in circles. 🐍
That’s why I’ve spent my time dissecting what others are doing.
It takes an incredible amount of time!
PS: I’m currently designing a WordPress-style system based on Markdown and GitHub Pages—if anyone wants to jump on board!
To build or not to build, that is the question. I also get very excited about an idea and the exploration stage can sometimes be the most fun. Building a plan based on wondering whether or not this is something I can dream into existence.
But it does weigh on me when I build, build, build but don't necessarily launch or go back to review.
I've come to realize stopping is a skill. And sometimes brainstorming an idea and storing it knowing I can go back at any time, can be enough. Sometimes. 😂
I think stopping being a skill is something I'm still learning. I get so caught up in the excitement of an idea that I forget there's nothing wrong with just exploring it and moving on. You're right that sometimes just writing an idea down and knowing it's there whenever you want to revisit it is enough. I probably need to remind myself of that more often!
Lots of ideas with little time. lol I'm trying to use Obsidian to capture them and go back later. We'll see if it takes the pressure off of wanting to build right away. :-)
“An idea is perfect until you start building it” is so true. In my head every project is amazing, then real decisions show up and a new shiny idea starts waving at me 😅 Love the ending too. Having the freedom to make nothing is something I needed to hear today!
Exactly! It's amazing how quickly that perfect idea loses a little of its shine once you start dealing with the actual work involved. And somehow the next idea always looks so much more exciting lol. And the ending... I think I needed that reminder myself just as much as anyone. We spend so much time thinking about what we could be making that we forget it's okay to just enjoy doing nothing sometimes too.
The suggestion to actually use things you've already made feels different from the other choices on that menu. An evening using a terminal app could be worthwhile even if it produces no commits and no new feature ideas. I'd be curious whether the pressure to choose eases when the editor stays closed but the thing you made stays open. Does being its user feel like a different kind of creative time to you?
That's a really interesting question. I think it does feel different, actually. When I'm building something, I am constantly thinking about all the things that I can improve or what I can add to it. But when I am simply using it, I get to enjoy the satisfaction of having made something that works and is useful to me. Although I'll admit, sometimes using my own apps just gives me MORE ideas for things to add lol. I probably don't spend nearly enough time just enjoying the things I've already created.
The 'using it gives me MORE ideas' part makes that boundary tricky: even a useful app can turn straight back into a to-do list. Maybe a feature idea can wait until the activity you opened the app for is finished, instead of immediately becoming a development session. That would leave room for the app to be useful in its current state. Is there one thing you've made that you can now use without mentally reviewing it as its developer?
That’s exactly my problem. I can open something I made with every intention of just using it, and five minutes later I’m thinking about what I could improve or add to it.
I think you’re right though, I need to get better at letting those ideas wait instead of immediately turning everything into another task.
I do have a few little utilities that I use regularly without thinking too much about them anymore. But I think most of the time there’s still that little developer voice in the back of my head going, “You know what would make this better…”
It’s actually a really interesting distinction, being able to enjoy something you’ve built without constantly feeling the need to keep building it!
I feel attacked by this post haha.
The trap for me is that moment right before you actually start building. In your head, the idea is practically a masterpiece. Then you sit down, spend an hour fighting dumb config errors, and suddenly that other shiny idea in your head starts looking real tempting.
I've had to teach myself that tinkering for an evening and abandoning the project isn't a failure. If you had fun or learned one new trick, that's enough. You don't owe the internet a finished product every time you open VS Code.
Hahaha, yes!! Everything seems so perfect when it's still just an idea in your head. Then you actually start building it and reality comes knocking with a bunch of annoying errors. And I love what you said about not owing the internet a finished product every time you open VS Code. That's such a good reminder. Sometimes just messing around and learning something new is the whole point, and I think we forget that far too often.
the twenty minutes standing at the menu is so real. maybe the choice gets lighter if it's just 'what's tonight for' instead of 'which project wins', since like you said the other nine aren't going anywhere
That's a good way to look at it. Just picking whatever sounds interesting in the moment instead of trying to decide which idea deserves my time the most. I probably make the decision way more complicated than it needs to be lol. And you're right, the other ideas will still be there tomorrow!
Hello, I feel this as well.. Tbh I don't know what I'll do or what others would do but I have always been concerned about tracking what I have created.. almost like when you save a world on minecraft I like to go back and look at what I've created lol.
I did make this application: centrail.org
Its kinda like that, where I can just track all my projects and help people understand the cost from tokens to money to environment etc.. working on updating it and always accepting contributions and feedback. Would love to see the community trying it out and being excited about it!
I love the Minecraft comparison! There’s definitely something satisfying about going back and looking at things you’ve created, even if you haven’t touched them in ages. I have so many projects at this point that sometimes I forget what I’ve made lol. I think that’s part of the fun though. Not everything has to turn into something huge or even be finished to be worth making.
Your app sounds interesting too. I like the idea of keeping track of projects and making the costs of AI more visible.
This is such a profoundly relatable reflection for anyone who builds things for the sheer joy of creation. We spend years wishing for the technical barriers to drop—for the languages, frameworks, and tools to become accessible enough that "if you can dream it, you can build it"—only to discover that infinite freedom comes with a completely different kind of paralysis: the weight of opportunity cost.
When every passing thought can instantly become a working prototype, choosing one path means actively abandoning a dozen others. The beauty of this piece is how it reframes that paralysis, reminding us that curiosity doesn't always have to be monetized, scaled, or even finished. Sometimes an experiment fulfills its purpose the moment it teaches us something new, and sometimes the bravest thing a developer can do is simply close the editor and let the ideas wait.
Thank you so much! I love how you put that, the weight of opportunity cost. That's really what it feels like sometimes. It's funny how we spend so much time trying to make things easier to build, only to discover a whole different challenge once we get there lol. And I completely agree, sometimes just learning something new from an experiment is enough. I'm trying to remind myself of that more often, along with the fact that it's perfectly okay to just close the editor sometimes.
For me the barrier that's left is not skill, it's what a hosted AI lets me ask. I asked one how self-replication works, it said I can't know that and stopped the session. That's one reason I run open models inside my own network now. There, curiosity decides what I try next, not the tool.
simple answer curiosity inside me