"There are no new ideas"

This happens every time. I get stuck. Stuck between bad ideas and empty space. I feel a knot growing in my stomach and a dull pain on the front of my brain. I need concepts for a national ad by tomorrow. I want my ideas to be the ones that are eventually produced- they need to be good. So now I am sitting here, banging my head up against the wall and the only ideas that are shaking out are trite, overused, and cliche.

Sometimes it's such a challenge to find inspiration. An instructor in college told me not to dwell on the idea, but concentrate on the execution of the idea.

"There are no new ideas"

I've been cruising communication arts, print, juxtapoz, pollstar mag (yes pollstar- and yes its horrible!), newspapers, and a million design blogs. And now all I have to show for it are some fantastic ideas for every other project but the one I need by tomorrow.

I have a fear of being unoriginal. I freak out if I so much as see another design too similar to my own. It makes me competitive and miserable. It also fuels my passion to do well. Double edged sword I suppose.