Think of every idea you or your friend has ever had. How many were decent? How many have you or someone else shut down? Recently I made the mistake of shutting down one of my friend's ideas that they were excited and passionate about. After the initial conversation, I thought back and was really upset with myself and the way I reacted. Who am I not to encourage someone I care about? How can I say they mean something to me if I don’t give them my utmost attention and encouragement?

I wonder how many people have had million dollar ideas but have not pursued them due to the lack of encouragement by their loved ones or even themselves? And I know a lot of self-righteous people will say that the opinions of others should never matter and that pursuit without encouragement and support is even more important that pursuit with all of it. But let's be honest, why would anyone put time and effort into something that not even their friends can be excited about or interested in? It's really easy to say that none of that support matters but I can’t imagine I would be able to keep myself motivated without some kind of support or emotional backing.

Another thing to consider aside from the possibility of a million dollar idea is the lack of art people are willing to encourage. A lot of our friends and our own great ideas are influenced by the art world and especially creativity. Creativity is becoming so scarce in the world and even more scarce in the business world. Supporting our friends and our own creative ideas could pave the way for a whole nother wave of creative people inspired by this idea, product or even whole business.

Encouragement and support do not mean that you have to put in any time or effort to build with them, it simply means that you ask how their idea is going or how they feel about it. Even just telling someone briefly “Yeah, that's a great idea” or a brief “dope” could influence their ideas and performance so positively. And what else are friends for than those exact aspects of the creative process?

Everyone has shut someone down or been shut down and there is not a worse feeling. Next time your friend is excited about something, even if it’s not your cup of tea, encourage them to go for it. Chances are they’ll do the same for you when your ideas start flowing.