Ideas are all around us, and the more you have the more you get. Have you ever thought about how you share ideas?

I used to think – when I was much younger and working in the fashion industry – that if I had an idea I should guard it fiercely, protect it and look after it. Now I know that ideas just keep coming so I don’t need to do that and, in some cases, they evolve as you share them.

Not all ideas are equal, of course, and some have a sell-by date. Like food, they perish over time, and they have no value once they’ve gone off, so better to bin them.

Other ideas, also like food, are not ready to be shared, so keep them to yourself until they are ready.

Some people protect their ideas jealously, afraid that someone else might steal them. But you can’t prevent another person having a similar idea, and what you actually produce is usually protected by copyright once it’s out there (but not before), so you could argue that it’s safer to ‘publish’ ideas.

Share ideas

Something that’s often overlooked is that when you share an idea, someone else may be able to take it further than you could. I’m not saying that you should always do this, but collaboration can be enriching and if an idea deserves to be more widely heard, share it.

That is, if you are you brave enough to let your idea have a life of its own.

So, keep your ideas fresh, share as appropriate, and remember, there are always more where they come from.