Month: November 2011

commitment, courage, creativity, time, vision

Beginning: Kick the Perfection Addiction

Christa Avampato

“The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.” ~ George Eliot, British writer

Yesterday’s post was a call to action and it caused me to think about all of the things that may prevent us from acting, from getting our creative ideas out into the world. We’re afraid of criticism, we’re afraid we don’t know enough, and we’re afraid that our ideas just aren’t good enough. I don’t think that fear is the main reason we fail to act. I think it’s our addiction to perfection. I get this need on a very serious level. I used to pride myself on my perfection. I gleaned most of my self-worth from it, and in the process I wasted a lot of time. And time is more valuable than perfection.

Our addiction is well-justified: we are highly protective of our intellectual property (with good reason) and we want to find our groove before we offer the big reveal. But here’s the rub: we find our groove by acting on our ideas and collaborating with others. We can’t find our way by sitting on our couch. We have to get out into the world and try our ideas on for size as we let others do the same. Perfection stands in stark contrast to that truth. Perfection leaves us sitting on the couch.

Get out the chisel and break yourself free of the need to be perfect because it’s not a need at all. It’s a perception, a legacy system that needs to be left behind if we are going to progress. Thank that tiny voice of perfection for its input, turn the volume all the way down, and get your creative work done. The world needs you just as you are – perfection not required.  

commitment, creativity, determination

Beginning: Creativity Needs Conviction

Christa Avampato

Last week I read a reprint of an article from frog design that originally ran in Fortune. It nailed a tiny pet peeve of mine in the world of creativity. Companies and individuals often trumpet themselves as innovative, out-of-the-box, creative thinking “idea people”. It sticks in my craw a bit because there is nothing remarkable about having creative ideas. We all have them. ALL of us. What I think is rare, and much more extraordinary and ultimately valuable, is to be a person of conviction, to be someone who believes so much in a creative idea that she is willing to do whatever it takes to bring it to life and share it with others.

Creative folks get a bad wrap, too-often characterized as lazy, unfocused, and spacey. The most successful creatives I know – meaning their ideas are out in the world and people are benefiting from them – are nothing of the sort. They make a plan and drive to completion. They work hard, have laser-beam focus, and an unbelievable degree of attention. When I’m in their presence, they are there with me 100%. They’re present, aware, and relaxed even under great pressure. Those types of people are the ones I hold up and say, “Yes, that’s it! That’s creative living at its very best.” Conviction is required.

Creative ideas are all well and good. I want something more. I want more creative ideas out of our heads and onto the page, screen, canvas, pottery wheel, and stage. We don’t need permission, a business plan, or even funding to take action. We will figure it out as we go. So much creation is free or close to it thanks to the ludicrous amount of open-source tools that are literally at our fingers. Our only barrier is us. 

Creative ideas stuffed into someone’s mind without an outlet for expression are just clutter. And quite frankly, it’s selfish to keep our ideas to ourselves. If ever the world needed more creative doers to fix the complete wreck we’re making of this world on every level, now is the time. Act, act, act!

change, choices, experience, learning

Beginning: How to Get to the Other Side

Christa Avampato

“We seek not rest, but transformation. We are dancing through each other as doorways.” ~Marge Piercy

A funny thing happens to me around 5pm every day. I can have a very tough day around the office, so tough that I feel like just curling up in a ball and hiding until tomorrow. And then I take the elevator down to the ground floor, push open the door, and suddenly the lightness returns, the fatigue lifts, and I’m ready for hours of working on my personal projects, seeing friends, and being out and about in this wild city. I don’t need rest after a tough day in cube-ville. I need a change of scene that inspires a transformation of self.

You might be looking at the screen right now and considering a pity party on my behalf. “Poor Christa. She really needs to quit her job and just work for herself.” Yes, eventually I will have to work for myself and those wheels are greased and in motion. These things take time and planning, particularly in this tricky economy. Every day I am taking one more step toward that big new beginning. I have a feeling it’s going to happen far sooner than my long-term plan suggests, though I am learning great lessons along the journey that I know will be invaluable down the line.

The people we meet, the places we go, and the experiences we have are doorways to something new – sometimes a whole new beginning, sometimes just a slight realization that causes us to take in the world with a different perspective. We do not immediately know the impact of these learnings. We wonder why we have to be put through firestorms and discomfort, why we have to wrestle with uncertainty and dissatisfaction and disappointment. And here’s why: it is the learning we need now.

It can all be valuable if we take the time to assign the value. And yes, we assign the value to our trials. We are responsible for our own learning; we are responsible for our own transformation.  

adventure, choices, creativity, imagination

Beginning: Wander With a Purpose

Christa Avampato
Image by Pam Hough

“Not all who wander are lost.” ~J. R. R. Tolkien

Yesterday I wrote about the need to begin over and over again, to never give up, to take our punches and then try again. It’s also important to understand that it’s okay to try a lot of different avenues. You don’t need to beat your head against the wall trying the same idea over and over again until you get it to work. Give your idea a fair shake, but if it feels like the battle of your life and the fun’s drifted out of it, there’s nothing wrong with cutting your losses and going in another direction.

A friend recently told me that some members of her family don’t think highly of her because she’s not focused enough, because she’s taken her life in so many different directions. But they’ve been purposeful. She’s taken up new ideas with enthusiasm and the desire to learn something new. It takes courage to have curiosity, and it makes for a rewarding life. She wouldn’t have it any other way, and neither would I!

There’s no universal rule that says we need to be one-dimensional, that says if we get this degree or have that job then this has to be our sole purpose. I always love to meet people who mix it up – dancers who are passionate about zoology, physicists who love to cook, corporate attorneys who design clothing. It’s a healthy thing to follow our interests wherever they lead. It’s important to explore and grow. That’s what this life is all about – taking in all the wonder that the world has to offer and then finding a way to give it meaning in the pursuit of a worthwhile way to spend our time.

So you go right ahead and wander. Travel with conviction, and make it valuable for you and for others. Keep your head up, your eyes open, and your ears attuned to your surroundings. You’ll be amazed by all you find on your journey.