What We Can Learn From A Productive (and Inspiring) Creator
Wow, I stumbled across this today and was really impressed. Here’s a guy who is dedicated to the output of his creativity. Ze Frank is incredibly productive, but by his own admission, is fallible and human. Of course he is, all the greats are, and so is everyone else. But isn’t that his point? Even the greats and high-achievers have trouble with motivation, and starting, and following through. Is what makes great people great, just doing what the rest of us don’t? Is there hope for us? Do we all have greatness inside? You probably know my answer to this (YES!). But we have to do what Ze is telling us in his inspiring piece of video art. Let’s look closer at what’s going on:
Don’t Be Afraid of ‘Jumping the Shark’
When Happy Days was nearing the end of its plausible storylines, Fonzy literally had to ‘jump a shark’ on water skis to keep the viewers interested. It became a film & TV in-joke, that when a show has run out of ideas and creativity, they have to come up with some spectacle to keep their audience. But it’s the death knell. No creative person wants to risk jumping the shark, because they will be the laughing stock of their peers, desperate and alone. If the Fonz couldn’t keep cool, how could you? But by being afraid of it, we are more likely to attract it. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and creativity dries up anyway, and we’re done. So, we can’t be afraid, we just have to go for it, and trust our inspiration, talent, and our skills. We all hate starting something, we just gotta bust through and do it!
I don’t want to start. But I will. This is an invocation for anyone who hasn’t begun, who’s stuck in a terrible place between zero and one.
Nothing is Perfect
Perfectionism does not equal perfection. As a reformed perfectionist, I know this only too well. It’s like a disorder, where you are paralyzed by an imaginary fear that whatever you do won’t be good enough, and the only disguise is arrogance and snobbery.
Perfectionism may look good in his shiny shoes, but he’s a little bit of an asshole and no one invites him to their pool parties.
Perfection be damned. Get to work, use your talents and skills to consistently build bit by bit. And get yourself a swimsuit.
Be In The Now, and Love Your Tribe
Ze loves his viewers. I mean it. What he achieves can only be possible by being in love with them, and being in love with the work he creates forthem.
Let me not think of my work only as a stepping stone to something else. And if it is, let me become fascinated with the shape of the stone.
If you want to make an impact, Create a vision around your tribe. And grow your tribe.
Remove Distractions
Let me not hit up my Facebook like it’s a crack pipe … keep the browser closed.
I love the truth behind that statement. We are not infallible and shouldn’t be expected to be impervious to temptation. So remove it, and you won’t be distracted. Get the job done.
What did you think of Ze Frank on productivity, creativity and inspiration?