I absolutely need to start with something. When I do "free writes", I start with a quote I've kept from something I wrote. Usually I go to Brainy quote or do a search for quotes on a topic I feel like writing about. I do my free writes the old-fashioned way--pen and paper. By the time I've written out the quote, I have my first sentence. The rest just flows. The result will be the basis for a short-form piece.

My Medium default reading list has almost 700 items in it. As I read them, I add some to my "Response" reading list. When I sit down to write a few responses, I start with that list. Sometimes I can end up with a complete story from one response like this one:
https://kit-carmelite-2008.medium.com/my-reflections-on-j-j-pryors-list-of-100-personal-thoughts-about-the-medium-life-f6d107f32842

When I have a topic idea, I create a reading list and give the topic name. I fill that list with any Medium article on that topic that I want to read. My first draft will be quotes from these with links to the article and the author's tag followed by my own comments. From this, I'll create an outline and take it from there to create a long-form article.

My pool of ideas is like a bowl of popcorn after the movie ended. I collect handfuls from other bowls that have different seasonings. Brainstorming would be like using boring salt and butter. I'd like curry and cumin!