Tag: Creativity

Document, don’t create

It’s been a couple years since I heard the phrase from Gary Vee “Document, don’t create” and it’s been something that has been on my mind a lot.

The phrase takes away “writer’s block” and creative fog. It takes the quantity over quality approach, suggesting that if we keep track of and analyze the things we are already doing, we will find that they can be just as unique and interesting as our one off moments of inspiration.

This documentation process goes hand in hand with the idea of a grassroots approach to everything. We humans tend to overcomplicate the easiest things and often put blame on ourselves for not having the proper equipment or expertise in order to even start. The concept of “just starting” and “documenting” applies the KISS method (keep it simple stupid) and feels less “sexy” to us. No one wants to start at Day 1, admit to others that they are just figuring things out, or trying out new things. But we can’t get to point Z without A. And I find that instead of waiting for creativity to spark, waiting for that perfect path to be laid out in front of us to get to our destination, we need to just get in the car and start driving.

CIGC

This weekend I consumed one too many beverages and started white-boarding what it means to be an entrepreneur with a friend – we concluded that being an entrepreneur has many forms – a musician, an artist, franchise owner, doctor who owns his own practice, real estate investor, etc. All these products and services offered vary quite drastically, yet it takes a certain type of “personality” in order to 1) decide to do them 2) be good enough to execute

Overall, if I had to give a framework to this “personality” or characteristics, it would be: CIGC

Creativity – Imagination and childlike curiosity in order to dream up a future, better world

Innovation –  The ability to take this idea and apply it to the real world, whether that be in a new or evolving market

Grit – Mixture of perseverance and resourcefulness

Charisma – The art of applying empathy  and getting others to not only understand your vision, but buy into it and want to be apart of this new future

Can you be a successful entrepreneur or inventor without these 4? Yes, as long as you can bring someone on your team that fills the discrepancy.