Recently, at the end of a class critique, a student asked: “How many variations should we make?”

It's a common question but speaks to a larger point.

The simple answer is the more ideas you create, the easier it is be creative.

One day a week, I teach graduate and undergraduate design students at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago and I'm constantly reminded of the importance of this lesson.

When asked to develop three ideas at the beginning of a project, most students will create three subtle variations of the same idea.

But when asked to generate 15 ideas, the first 3 are usually the most conventional. The next 3 are variations.  Only after we have ruled out the obvious do most people feel free to consider—and struggle with—unconventional possibilities.

It's okay if many ideas on your list won’t work. Some will be dead ends. However, your 15th idea will have moved you a long way from your first idea. And that's the valuable part.

When it comes to ideas, quantity is the most predictable path to creativity.