Make now, think later.
I'm seeking out this pattern of setting less expectations in the creative process. Or worded differently, being comfortable going off course or altering it entirely. Noticing myself trying a bit too hard formulating what it is I want to create before going out and actually doing it. Overthinking ideas really. Not that it's wrong -- just sometimes going a different direction or blindly starting something might be the best thing you can do to unblock yourself.
Ideas are important but reality is.. reality. The other half. You can't ignore it, gotta keep up with it. Like it's not just about what you want to shoot, you need to also know how you've been shooting - your tendencies, which unfortunately may not align with your ideals. Kinda like fashion, it's not just about liking an article of clothing by itself but seeing how you can incorporate it into your wardrobe and if it really works with your own style. The most straightforward way of leveling up in photography and progressing in your own style is just going out to shoot and edit. IMO, style is fluid and has no ceiling. Part of it is innate but I’d argue a lot of it is cultivated and thrives with continual reinvention.
The whole creative growth process is a grind and ironically, the thing holding me back from moving forward are the ideas I'm trying to iron out - I can't speak for others but that's where I'm currently at. A lot of the projects I end up finishing, regardless of medium, have typically started on a whim or some vague inspiration. I started reading a book, “The Ongoing Moment” by Geoff Dyer, and it brings up this notion - photographers simply going out to shoot and coming up with ideas (or ironing out the concept) for projects afterwards. It was a brief subtopic but was much appreciated.
In the end, I think there's gotta be some sort of surprise factor that solicits a response from the consumer. You are the consumer of your own work. Surprise yourself, or at least do your best to. Do your own photos make you feel anything?
When we're in the creative mode, we may think we need to fully understand or have predetermined every aspect of the process we follow, but is that really true?