November 7, 2011

Lately, I have been reading a lot of content on The Four Hour Workweek blog. You can choose to criticize or appraise Tim Ferris. That is not what I intend to discuss. I believe that we are put on this earth for a purpose. If you are religious then you believe in fate. Now, I don’t believe in fate because I don’t like the idea that I’m not in control of my own life.

It is my conviction that we each control our own destiny. On my facebook profile you can see that I am a very creative individual & I post a lot of inspirational photos that inspire me. I was on the Abduzeedo blog looking at Typography Mania and I came across this picture in reference to the passing of Steve Jobs.

This particular quote made me think of a line that I heard in a track by Y Society entitled “This Advice” Insight opens up on the beautiful production by Damu and says, “What are we here for?/ There must be more than grades or scores/ Obeying laws, staying employed, confrontational wars/ Some are sacred and pure who remain poor/ Where’s the golden doors?/ Some feel they’re open ’cause they slowing our shore/ When hope was the cure many ignored through the Betty floors/ Steady jobs, lost marriage, divorce, grownups immature/ The core of the problem is a mystery / Decisions affect history/ Persistence leads to victory/ Some wish to injury/ These kids we don’t relate to – but what does it mean?/ Hip-Hop connects us yet it’s strange / That respects change/ Ask ‘em what they want to be when they grow up / Who molds them? ‘It’s outta control’/ Is what they say to themselves when they get old/”

I meet lot of people who all vary in opinion. I don’t think that working more or working on behalf of others is altruistic. I do believe that we live the most fulfilling moments of our lives inspiring others and doing what we love to do. At the moment, I have no place to go. I don’t have anything except for my creativity. Is it because I refuse to work to acquire wealth for someone else? No, of course not. I am a graphic designer. I will always utilize my creativity towards my advantage. Everything begins with choice. I choose not to love my craft and to spend as much time as necessary doing what I love to do & vicariously inspiring others. When no one wanted to give me an opportunity I chose to create an opportunity for myself. I may not be where I plan to be ideally, albeit, I know that time will come. I’m on the pursuit of happyness.

One of the most inspiring stories that I have is the story of Chris Gardner, Entrepreneur & CEO who describes his story in “The Pursuit Of Happyness.” This is a true testimonial to those who don’t believe. If you are dedicated and you work towards your ideals no matter what anyone else says and if you have belief then you will succeed. I’m asking you to believe. Not only in my conviction to bring about metamorphosis. I’m asking you to believe in yours. The will is everything. You don’t have to be a hero to feel invincible. Creativity Takes Courage. Here are some tips on how you can improve your productivity and be on your way to living a fulfilling lifestyle

Bolster Your Creative Output By Activating Your Red Zone
A Manifesto For Free Raducals Less Paperwork Less Waiting More Action
Ending Business As Usual 10 Insights On Rethinking Work

October 27, 2011

With the recent changes in a stagnant economy are designers the new catalysts of American Entrepreneurialism? According to Bruce Nussbaum Designers are merging their ways of thinking with startup culture. The result, writes Bruce Nussbaum, is greater innovation and astounding VC success rates.

If any of you are familiar with basic economics then you know that wealth is created by production not consumption. Wealth has to be created. “The people who create wealth are the farmers who grow the wheat for the dough and tomatoes for the paste; those who harvest the milk for the cheese; the food processors who turn raw commodities into pizza ingredients; the entrepreneur who comes up with idea to sell pizza; the bank that decides to invest capital in a pizza store; and the delivery guy who brings the pizza to your door. Each of those actors creates wealth. Consumers then destroy the wealth that was created (in this case by eating the pizza).” – brian Stow In order to grow America needs a catalyst of startups.

Designers are emerging steadfast and more companies are being created now than ever. The  advancing desire among designers to bring their user focus, specific expertise, and propositional thinking to the ancient techniques of startups promises to be a welcomed metamorphosis.</p><p> This is especially the case with IDEO. A design & consulting firm in CA who take a psychological personal approach to design.  “The emerging trend represents a headlong crash of creativity into capitalism.” Today’s most innovative start-ups are successful because they’ve learned to think differently & creative. More and more agencies are turning to user experience designers as they want to engage their audience in a more creative way.

Uncertainty and ambiguity are directly linked to the part of our brains where fear and anxiety are active.  This makes the creative process difficult and taking risks towards innovative ends frightening. Creatives need to become entrepreneurs to inspire greatness in others.  “All the great and inspiring leaders and organizations in the world, whether it is Apple or Martin Luther King or the Wright Brothers, they all think, act, and communicate in the same way and it is the complete opposite to everyone else…”  Simon Sinek explains his theory on how great leaders inspire action. Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action The encouraging news is that we are seeing an emergence to capture the imagination and energy of a new generation of young designers & creators.  You don’t have to be a hero to feel invincible. Creativity Takes Courage!

For further reading: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665120/designers-are-the-new-drivers-of-american-entrepreneurialism

http://capitalismtoday.blog.wku.edu/2010/03/15/production-not-consumption-creates-wealth/

July 26, 2010

Some people go their whole lives without considering the prospect of working for themselves. For many, it’s nothing more than a dream;
something to occupy their minds each time they find themselves unfulfilled in their current job. And then, there are the ones that actually go
out and start something: entrepreneurs. It’s an undertaking that’s glamorous and ugly; exhilarating and depleting; the path to wealth and ruin;
all at the same time. So, how about you? This issue, we’ll outline a few things to consider if you’re wrestling with the dilemma of finding a job or
starting business for yourself.

Paycheck to Paycheck vs. Project to Project
One of the most important factors in your decision will be the issue
of money. In most cases, working for someone else means getting a
steady paycheck. While the size of that check may be another issue
entirely, the biggest advantage is its dependability — a consistent
stream of cash you can organize your budget around.
Working for yourself can be a whole different story — especially in
the beginning of your endeavors. Depending on how many clients you
secure, how well their business does, and how much they rely on your
services, you may find yourself in a “feast or famine” cycle of income,
with your bottom line varying quite a bit from month to month.
In the end, the biggest difference from a financial standpoint
is that as a business owner, your financial success, rather than
being dictated by a set salary, is directly tied to the success of the
business. In banking terms, it’s much like the difference between the
old reliable savings account and the thrill ride of the stock market.
And just the same, the latter is not for the impatient, the weak of
heart, or the poor planner.
Each issue, we’ll be analyzing a point of consideration in the world of
the creative professional. We’ll look at numerous factors of everyday
dilemmas, try to see what makes the two sides tick, and offer
some insight on how to best approach issues in your own life.
We are two highly-informed, creative
professionals with strong opinions and
a sincere interest in helping others grow.

Punch-clock vs. Internal Clock
For tax purposes, the distinction between a salaried employee and
a “1099” or freelance worker is the degree to which the employer
dictates their work time and location. While not every employer
will expect you to check in with a punch-clock at 9 am, the
majority will expect you to work on a regular schedule — both in
terms of number of hours and the time of the day.
As your own boss, your hours are only as regular as you choose
to make them. If you’re the type whose creative juices start
percolating sometime in the late night and flow until 3 am, you’ll be in
a prime position to take advantage of your unique bio-rhythms. Of
course, it’s not a total free-for-all. When your client wants you on call,
or needs to meet during their business hours, that’s a request you’ll
have to take seriously. To some extent, as long as someone is paying
for your service, you have a boss to answer to.
Conscious reminders of the way you’re managing your time are
prevalent in the workplace because, as a salaried worker, someone
else has a vested interest in helping you do so. On your own, it’ll
be 100% up to you to develop a routine, track your hours, and
maximize your productivity to ensure you’re earning a living.
Mentorship vs. Control
Control may be hard to come by in the early stages of your
career. If you’re working as a paid employee, chances are the
organization you’re working with will be filled with people who
bring more knowledge, more clout and most importantly, more
experience to the table. It should come as no surprise then, that
these people get a lot of control over what you do on a day-today
basis.
In exchange, giving up control early in your career can bring
opportunities that would be rare, if not impossible, to score on
your own. However, it gets to a point for a lot of us free-spirited
creatives where we just have to try things our way. Call it ego;
call it drive — whatever you label it; you’re not going to want to
be second (or third, or fourth) in command forever. You’ll want
to do it smarter, differently and better than the people you’ve
been groomed by. And if this point comes before you’ve been
able to climb the creative ladder, breaking off and starting
your own thing will be the natural way to quell that hunger.
The impending journey will be filled with growth, a different
kind than you learn from day-to-day mentorship, but arguably
beyond what you’ll ever get working for someone else.
Leadership Learning vs. Business Burdens
A lot of that “different” kind of growth and experience that you
only learn when running a business is just that—how to run a
business. If you’re a creative working for someone else, there’s
a good chance you have very little to do with the business
operations of that organization. Someone else keeps the books,
files the taxes, pays you, pulls in the new business, manages the
projects/clients and takes the financial risks. When you’re running
a business, it’s up to you to do all the administrative things you
might otherwise take for granted — plus your creative work.
Sadly, some great creatives fail when they set out to start a
business simply because, by nature, they’re not savvy business
people. The extra business-related responsibilities can be very
time consuming and seriously eat away at your free time.
Of course there are still significant freedoms involved in running
a business. As the owner or partner, you get to call the shots—
exactly what type of work you do, where you physically work,
who you will (and sometimes more importantly won’t) work
with. To the right personality type, this kind of power makes the
sacrifices well worth the investment.

Morpheus:

This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. [to Neo who is choosing the red pill] Remember… all I’m offering is the truth. Nothing more.

July 11, 2010

Everything begins with choice.

Here is the thing about freedom.  It’s never free…

Freedom is the by product of success and you must be willing to pay the price for success.  And success never goes on sale.  You have to pay the market price.  And that can be so very hard…

Because I could explain all the rational, logical reasons everyone should be in the business.  And if you wanted to argue with me, I could explain all the reasons you were being an idiot.

Common sense tells you I should have quit.  But dreams never come true with common sense.  Dreams come true because they are bold, daring, and imaginative.  Because they are strong enough to pull you toward them.

I could have quit, should have quit, would have quit.  But I came to a realization that changed everything for me:  I realized I was the most ambitious person I knew.

And there was freedom in that line of thinking.  Which eventually led to the real freedom.

I began to understand the importance of a system and how duplication worked.  Began daily self-development, becoming less of the person people didn’t want to work with and more of the person they did.  Learned some skill sets.

Which is why I’m writing this…

I have been where most of you are, and I will make it to a level that others are afraid to dream of because I believe.  So let me share what I have learned along the way, but most importantly, what I want for you.  Here are the four things I want for you:

1) Live a Life of Adventure.

Stop watching actors live adventure in movies and TV shows.  It’s time for you to live your own adventure.

Is your adventure started yet?  Life is not about fighting rush hour traffic, working in a cubicle, or sending your kids to daycare.   Life is for living.  And that means you.

2) Get Your Freedom.

See number one.  You are not meant to be woken up with an alarm clock.  You are supposed to wake up when you finish sleeping.  When you wake up, you should be the one to choose how you are going to spend your day, and whom you are going to spend it with.  You’re supposed to order from the left side of the menu, not the right side.

Freedom is about having choices.  Whether it’s choosing what car to drive, home to live in, or exotic locale you want to vacation in.

It’s about choosing the causes to support, the school you want your kids to go to, and the people you want in your life.  Choosing to live out loud, in color, with passion.

3) Right Injustice.

How often have you seen a situation that wasn’t right and felt powerless to stop it?  How many times have you wanted to right a wrong, but didn’t have the time or money or freedom to do it?

Contribute to a cause. Something you believe in wholeheartedly. Which leads us to…

4) Move from Success to Significance

You want to make a difference.  Leave a legacy.  Build something that outlives you.

That’s when life really begins. That’s when you know the world is a better place because you are in it.

Whether it’s supporting the arts, building an orphanage, or saving the rainforest.  Maybe it’s sponsoring a Little League team, mentoring a young person, or starting a shelter for battered women.  Or all of the above.

I don’t know what is in your heart to do, but I know there is something.  And that’s what I challenge you to do. Yes I wish freedom, lifestyle and all the goodies for you.  And I also wish you love, meaning and leading a life of significance.

It won’t be easy; I get that.  It means sacrifice.

Because it means at 7 pm, when your spouse is home and your kids want to play, you’re leaving to go to a meeting.  It means you’ll miss a chance to worship some weekends when you’re working with a long distance line somewhere.  It means making those calls to candidates long after the excitement and motivation of the big event has worn off.

But I had a mantra that got me free.  And it can get you free.  Here it is:

“I will do today what others will not do, so tomorrow I can do what others cannot do.”

Will you do that for me?  Will you do that for yourself?  Will you do that for all the people you’re going to be able to help?

The pain of discipline is far easier than the pain of regret.  When you feel fear, you must profess faith.  Because faith is deaf, dumb and blind.

Faith is deaf to rejection, dumb to failure, and blind to the possibility of defeat.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  It is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

We can’t see them, but we have a vision for them.  That is why we do self-development every morning, speak those affirmations, put up those pictures on the refrigerator.

Doing what we do is not easy.  It’s not supposed to be.  But it is simple.  And important.  Not just for your freedom and your dreams, but the freedom and dreams of everyone you will make a difference for.  Most people today doubt their beliefs and believe their doubts.  You have to be different.  Stand out above the crowd!

Please.  Don’t you dare take down your dream board or those pictures on your refrigerator.  Don’t you dare let your spouse or kids see you quit.  Don’t you dare give up on your dreams!

That’s what I am here to tell you.