Can we talk about my total flip on story prompts?

My stubborn streak kept me from trying writing prompts for ages. I saw them as a crutch for people who lacked real ideas. A friend finally dared me to use the most cliche fantasy prompt I could find, just to prove how silly they were. Writing that awful, predictable story was the most fun I'd had in months. It reminded me that making things should be playful, not perfect. Now I keep a list of prompts for when my own ideas feel too heavy.