Hey there,
Is it easy to create something out of nothing?
Who in their right mind would expect that making a new product, program, service, design, etc … — would be easy – and straightforward?
The majority of people would agree. It’s not easy.
Funny thing is:
The very people who are actually responsible for creating the “new”, the change, the never-before-seen, tend to forget this.
I am, of course, talking about creatives.
You see, the creative process seems to come with an obligatory emotional roller coaster.
Symptoms are: beating oneself up — feeling like a failure — feeling like an impostor — this could be a very long list if I kept going.
The fact that the last ten projects were stellar successes doesn’t matter. In the moment, before the solution, the negative thoughts keep pouring.
Then, in what can feel like a stroke of luck, we come up with the solution.
But it isn’t luck. It’s a process.
Consider this:
- Coca-Cola was originally invented to help with headaches, anxiety, and drug dependence
- Bubble Wrap: originally an attempt to design wallpapers
- Listerine: we use it to kill bad breath now, but it was first intended for a variety of reasons, such as:
- treatment for sweaty feet, soft corns, and toe crust
- an additive for cigarettes
- treatment for dandruff
If some of the greatest successes in the world were polar opposites of straightforward, why use the hammer on yourself if the progress isn’t linear?
If you catch yourself in the act of self-abuse, understand that it’s the brain’s response to uncertainty. Ignore it, and the voice will grow weaker over time.
Success is mechanical. Your genius lies in the ability to spot the winners in the experimentation phase — and to create bolder experiments.
To your success
Jesper
