It’s funny how ideas spark in the mind.
Did you know that the average human has over 60,000 thoughts per day? Most of them aren’t new, and frankly, most aren’t even useful. But sometimes, something flickers—an idea that’s not necessarily unique or groundbreaking, but one that sticks. One that nudges you to act.
This is a story about one of those sparks. And about what happened when I actually decided to follow it.
A Thought While Scrolling
It started, as many things do, with a distraction.
I was re-reading my third blog post on this site, vaguely thinking I should write something more personal next. You know, something reflective. Something about me.
That didn’t happen.
Instead, my attention shifted to my LinkedIn profile. I wondered: do I have a link to my blog there? (I didn’t.) While poking around, I noticed something else: I was missing a cover image. Not a big deal. But I had some free time, and the idea of making something quick and personal felt doable.
Then again, “quick” is a lie we tell ourselves.
First, I Googled the correct aspect ratio. Then I debated which tool to use. Illustrator? Nah, too slow to set up. PowerPoint? Surprisingly powerful, but I didn’t even open it. I defaulted to Canva.
Why? I don’t know. Maybe because it’s just… there.
Canva’s great, don’t get me wrong. But it’s also overwhelming. The amount of templates, options, and fonts? Decision fatigue deluxe. I spent way too long scrolling. Should the image include text? A quote? My website URL? Should I use one of my own photos? A sunset? Sailing? Nature? I spiraled. Hard.
Then, I saw it. A template with a simple graphical pattern. Nothing fancy. Just triangles and color.
Boom. Spark.
The template was Canva Pro only. Paywall. Nope. And rebuilding it manually? Too much effort.
But that’s when my mind did its thing: “What if you had a tool that could generate random patterns automatically?”
From Need to Idea to Tool
That’s how it began. I needed a quick cover image. What I got was an idea to build a random pattern generator.
Why? Because I could. Because it sounded fun. And because I had this sandbox — this blog — where I allow myself to explore weird little creative detours. So instead of a cover image, I started building a tool.
Well, not exactly building.
I asked my favorite co-pilot ChatGPT to help me out.
First Prototype: It Exists
I described the idea, and ChatGPT gave me a block of HTML and JavaScript. Within minutes, I had a working demo. A canvas. A pattern. Downloadable.
It worked.
It wasn’t beautiful, but it existed. It was something.
And that’s the thing: the distance between idea and reality was ridiculously short. This first step, this first version, took less time than it took you to read this far. That’s powerful.
Of course, once I had it, I couldn’t leave it alone.
Making It Better: Usability First
With every round of tweaking, the tool got better. Not just more features—better usability.
- Regenerate Button: At first, you had to refresh the page. Now there’s a button.
- Grid Size Slider: We replaced a dropdown with a slider that live-updates the pattern. It feels better.
- Color Modes: From grayscale to pastel to “Summer 2025” (a curated warm palette).
- Custom Gradient: Two color pickers became six, user-controllable, with live preview.
- Responsive Canvas: Works on mobile. Automatically resizes.
- Download Options: PNG and SVG. Choose your resolution.
- Color Reordering: Dragging wasn’t simple in HTML, so we used arrow buttons to reorder gradient stops.
Every feature came from one simple principle: if it feels more natural to use, it’s better.
Why This Matters (Even If No One Uses It)
Here’s the twist: this tool isn’t going to change the world. It’s not some startup idea or product launch.
But it’s real.
It lives on my site. It works. And it’s fun to play with. And maybe, someone else visiting will find joy in generating a random pattern. Or maybe they’ll find inspiration in the process.
Because here’s what this really is: a case study in creative action.
An example of what can happen when you take that 1-in-60,000 thought and follow it.
A New Section: The Lab
This little adventure gave me another idea: why not create a page called The Lab on my site? A place to collect small experiments like this. Little tools. Mini-projects. Sparks that actually got some air.
No pressure. No expectations.
Just play.
So, What’s Next?
Honestly? I don’t know.
I might go back and finally write that personal post I planned. Or maybe I’ll build another tool. Maybe I’ll redesign the blog. Maybe I’ll just sit and scroll Canva templates again.
But one thing’s for sure:
The moment you turn a random thought into something tangible—a blog post, a generator, a visual, a sentence—it becomes more than a thought. It becomes a spark that lights another.
Until next time. And by the way, now I have a new cover page image 😉
