ScratchStang

How to Get Ideas for Projects

Run out of ideas for projects? Here's five tips to naturally think of creative ideas.

1. Fix a Problem
Had an annoying problem that you want to fix? You can make a funny animation about it if others can relate or remake it to show how to fix the problem. For example, one day I had the urge to play Minecraft but it kept crashing on me so I tried remaking it and ended up with a 3D building project.

2. What if?
Ever had any crazy ideas you wanted to share with the world? Now you can!

3. Challenge yourself
Instead of a boring old one-leveled fighting game why not make one with ten levels? Or fifty? A hundred? Challenge yourself to make epic, large-scale projects you'll be proud of. Or, if you see something you think is cool, like an OS, you can challenge yourself to make one but in your own style.


4. Dreams
Dreams can provide crazy ideas your conscious mind wouldn't have thought of.

5. Try something new
Try playing a new game, a new art style or activity. Sitting around purposely trying to force out ideas doesn't work well. Let the ideas come naturally. A new experience might just inspire your next great project idea! However, sometimes ideas can come from old things too, like favorite childhood toy or activity.

Also, Orteil's Game Idea Generator is a great website too! Check it out here.

Remember, it's fine if your project strays from the original plan. You might have to change some parts to fit and it might turn out better than expected!

How do you get ideas for project and what are your ideas? Comment below!

Thanks for reading, scratch on!

—Stang

My Scratch 2 Week Break

What's it like to take a two-week, self-imposed break from an addiction?

Recently I took a two week break from Scratch to focus on school since final exams were right around the corner. At first I had a lot of trouble staying off Scratch. For the first few days, I still browsed around since the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) was really getting to me but I managed to restrain myself from commenting. After not being present on the site for a few days, I began to care less in a good way. I realized every petty thing isn't important. Despite minimal browsing and thinking about it, I stayed off Scratch for the next few weeks. Near the end, when I knew school was ending, I actually "sneaked" on (even though it was self-imposed) and animated a few things.

It was interesting to take a step back and see how the community was as a whole when I wasn't focused on replying to messages or merely what people I was following or close to were doing. This part is kind of self-centered but it was also interesting seeing who came back to visit my profile or say they missed me. (I wrote that I was busy on my What I'm Working On.)

To be honest, despite missing the community, it was nice to get this new experience. Unless you're super-humanly appreciative, doing the same thing over and over get tedious over time and you develop an immunity to the joys or woes it brings. Two weeks isn't that long so I returned to my original routine pretty quick but it was new and maybe even eye-opening.

Taking the break also gave me more time to think. On Scratch I felt a pressure to force out a new, creative project every week. Some weeks I had ideas. Some I didn't. (Thankfully I make one or two projects ahead of time, shhhh....) On my break, I didn't feel the pressure and ideas came naturally. They're very different from what I usually make but that's alright. I'm open to change. I just hope everyone else enjoys it too; I recently got into animating and, feeling comfortable with making games, decided to focus my attention and motivation on something new. I came up with some OCs which I got pretty carried away with and developed personalities, names, fears, likes, personalities and secrets. So watch out for an upcoming series. As you'll see soon, they're pretty detailed so I might turn them into comics or short animations.

I've taken a few breaks before this but none as long. All in all it was a new experience that paid off in the end. (The exams went very well.)

Anyway, thanks for reading! Stay tuned and scratch on!

—Stang