I’ve never been a big fan of unscripted (aka “reality”) television. But last season, my wife and I were enthralled by a series on Syfy called Face Off. The show challenges aspiring and established special effect and makeup artists to transform models into fantastic and horrific creatures. The competition-style program is also a great lesson in creativity and inspiration.

As I watched this week’s episode (“Water World”), I could practically see the gears turning. The show began with a visit to the Pacific Aquarium. Contestants were divided into two-person teams and told to find something at the aquarium to inspire them for this week’s spotlight challenge. The twist? This week’s models would not just be standing in line. They would be submerged in a tank of water.

This particular spotlight challenge had some good lessons I think also apply to any writer.

Here are the five tips I learned from this week’s episode:

1. Don’t always go with your first idea

Your inspiration should be a jumping-off point. Allow yourself to be creative, and don’t let yourself get tangled into an idea to early. Explore your possibilities, and don’t be afraid to say “This isn’t working.”

2. Turn your negatives into positives

In the makeup world, there’s a term for covering up the seams where a prosthetic or appliance meets the skin. It’s called “hiding your edges.” The judges on Face Off are very big on this, and one team took it to heart. Rather than worrying over the edges, they covered them with an ethereal, translucent material that not only hid the seams but became a showpiece in the water.

3. See what your competition is doing

How can you compete if you don’t pay attention to what others are doing? If you are playing for keeps, it’s essential to know your competition. If you’re not meeting the same standards, you’d better raise your own bar.

4. Don’t do what someone else has done

Two different teams on the show chose to use the same fish as their inspiration. While they created different looks for their models, neither stood out. On the one hand, they both succeeded because they were not eliminated. On the other hand, neither team was singled out as best of show, either.

5. Consider every outcome

Even though the makeup artists were told the models would be dunked into a water tank, not everyone considered the implications of this. One team didn’t test their paints for water solubility (luckily, it wasn’t a problem). One team didn’t make sure the pieces were applied correctly and they started to come apart in the water. And one team, which had put their “shark” in a three-piece suit, didn’t account for how clothes move underwater.

I can imagine the pressure that contestants are under for these kinds of shows. I had to admire Ian and RJ who decided to do something different, with the realization that it would either work or they’d be sent home. (No spoilers here, but it didn’t work and they were on the chopping block.)

Watching the teams bring their visions to life reminded me that inspiration is a start, but it’s up to the artist to do something with it. They started with an inspiration, in this case a fish or other animal from the aquarium, and had to turn that into something else. As a writer, I am constantly challenged to bring my vision to life, but it’s not always easy. Every day is an adventure, and the clock is always ticking.