Art Block?

I once again find myself struggling to draw something. Is it art block I'm facing? Perhaps. I DO have ideas. Nebulous ideas. Ideas that I often struggle to realize. To take from abstract to concrete. Earlier today, I went for a walk. I wanted to clear my head and brainstorm art ideas. Sure enough, ideas began to take shape. In doing so, however, I also became aware of a major flaw of mine...

Idea Mutation

As I brainstorm, too often do I find small and simple ideas ballooning into massive, unmanageable concepts. The small and fun idea mutates into something intimidating. Something so big that I lack the confidence to approach it. To realize it. I get discouraged, and the idea dies. Take, for instance, my Level 1 Kobold comic. After drawing the first couple pages, I decided to write out the story before I continued drawing. I started with such a simple concept - the strongest human gets turned into the weakest monster. But now... I've written over 13,000 words of notes and drabbles. And I've just barely scratched the surface. I'm feeling intimidated, discouraged, and tempted to shelf the idea.

Brainstorming vs Daydreaming

That being said, I must ask myself... Have I been brainstorming, or daydreaming? Daydreaming - while a valid part of the creative process - is not the same as brainstorming. To daydream is to let the mind wander freely. To dream up abstract and lofty ideas. Meanwhile, to brainstorm is to work with the concrete. To identify actual problems and develop actual solutions. Daydreaming is a great way to generate new ideas. However, true brainstorming is necessary to develop and realize those ideas. If necessary, trim off the fat and shrink them down into manageable concepts.

Now... what was I talking about? Oh right, what the hell do I want to draw??