Stealing, Sold Out Crowds, & Faucets: Creativity Mental Models That Have Changed My Life.

Steal Like an Artist. (Austin Kleon, David Perrell, & James Clear)

In the process of creating content through writing, podcasts, tweeting ideas, or whatever there is a thought that you must come up with only original ideas. In reality, the majority of your work isn’t solely yours. It is more what you have learned from a range of others.

At first, you copy and then iterate through your own lens, or as David Perrell would say, "imitate then you innovate” As you create and get more reps, you start to develop your thoughts and voices, insights, and add your twist. James Clear explained in the podcast episode with Polina Pompliano that in finding your voice you don’t just copy from one, you copy from many. Copying from many creates a collection of perspectives and people you choose to curate that builds your unique voice/perspective.

Think about it we imitate and innovate in almost all creative and performance outlets. It is the same when you learn how to lift weights, dance, draw, create music, or roll in jiujitsu. Most of the time in your head we are like “okay do something that looks like that.” Once we achieve that then we build out our flavor on the move.

Audience of One - Tim Urban (waitbutwhy.com)

Tim Urban shared this short concept of imagining that you are standing at the 50-yard line in the center of your favorite NFL Football Team’s stadium. The stadium is sold out and every seat is filled with you.

Instead of leading to write for others to gain external validation. Simply start with writing things that you would genuinely enjoy, be interested in, laugh at, be curious about, and most of all deliver value to yourself. Begin with an audience of one. Start with writing things that you are proud of and play an internal game.

Impress that sold-out crowd full of thousands of the person you know better than anyone else. You.

Creativity Faucet & Unclogging the Pipes - Julian Shapiro

Julian is up there on the list of people who have impacted me the most over these past few years of writing in public and creating my podcast. One of my favorite mental models he has shared is the Creative Faucet. The full post and how it relates to Ed Sheeran can be found here.

Below is a short snapshot of the framework with all credit to Julian.

1. Imagine all your creativity is a backed-up pipe of water where the first mile is wastewater.

2. To get to clean water (good ideas) you must start with emptying all the wastewater.

3. Applying that to creativity: writing out all the bad ideas, recognizing they are bad without judgment.

4. Instead of resisting bad ideas, you get them out of your system. While also improving at recognizing what are good and bad ideas.

5. Embracing the moment and time it takes to clear the wastewater (bad ideas) and knowing that clean water (good ideas) is on its way.

If we only act when we have good ideas we are letting perfection slow down our opportunities to grow ourselves and impact others. By sheer volume of creation, and being extremely consistent, we improve our ability to notice what is bad or good. Then double down on the good to make it great. Consistency continues to show up in my life as one of the ultimate game changers. Get your reps.

Julian closed it out with this and it would kill me not to share it with you.

These three frameworks have changed my life and who I am becoming. They opened my mind to what is possible with writing and all other creative pursuits. That includes coaching, sport, and improving at straight-up doing hard shit.

Grateful for these people and their lessons.

Best Day of the Year Until Tomorrow.

Ferate