How a Box of Paints Taught Me to Believe in My Ideas
Why trusting your creative instincts is the first step to becoming a confident writer
When I was 11, I entered a competition to design an advert for Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.
My ad featured a groggy man waking up, stumbling into the kitchen in his striped pyjamas, and reviving himself with a bowl of the aforementioned golden flakes.
Outside, a vibrant cockerel danced on the fence—his energy infectious. The man smiled and waved, and danced out of his house with a spring in his step…
A few months later, an official looking letter arrived. I'd won third place and a box of paints as a prize. I was ecstatic to say the least.
But then something strange happened...
Not long after, a TV ad aired. A man. Cornflakes. A dancing cockerel. The actor? I’m pretty sure it was the guy who later played Grant Mitchell in EastEnders.
I still remember yelling, “Mum! My ad’s on the telly!”
Now, I’m not saying they used my idea. Who knows how these things work? But me and that little box of paints like to think they did.
So what’s this got to do with writing online and building a content business?
Simple.
It’s a reminder that your ideas matter
—even if no one validates them right away.
That small voice in your head saying, this could work?
Listen to it. Capture it. Share it.
Because the moment you start creating—writing blog posts, newsletters, social content—you start putting your ideas into the world.
And weird things start to happen.
Someone emails you, saying your piece helped them. A stranger reposts your work. You see your exact phrasing pop up in someone else’s post.
Was it stolen? Maybe. But the deeper truth is this: your ideas can move people—even when you think no one’s watching.
Want to build confidence in your ideas? Start here:
✅ Write one short article every weekday
✅ Publish it—no matter how rough
✅ Watch what resonates
✅ Double down on that
You’ll find your voice faster than you think.
And who knows? One day you might just see your idea dancing across someone’s screen.
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Subscribe to Weekday Writer — for creators ready to turn quiet ideas into loud impact:
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📧 loz@contentchampion.com