#247: I don't know what this is yet
The art of letting go when creating something new.
When you start something, you don’t know what it is.
You might think you do, but you don’t.
It could be a piece of writing, art, music, business or project.
When you touch pen to paper on the creative journey - all you’re doing is making a start. Taking a step.
You’d like to think you know what you’re doing. It makes you feel better.
You know what the piece of content will be about.
You know what the business will be. It’ll be “Uber for housekeeping!”
It’s "like Nike but for financial health.”
You’ll scramble for certainty and for control, because you want to feel less anxious about what you’re working on.
You’ll do what you can to articulate the seedling you have in your hands.
You want to be understood by others so you’ll say whatever you can to get them to understand, but when you’re talking you’ll only be persuading yourself that you know what you’re doing.
In years to come you’ll know what it is. Maybe it’ll be a marketing agency, or a recruitment business, maybe it’ll be kind of like a folk song, maybe you’ll write a bit like that other author.
Right at the start, you probably won’t know what it is and if you don’t that’s ok. If you think you definitely do know, you might want to loosen your grip a bit.
Sometimes if you feel too strongly about your idea. If you try and make it a clothing brand or a tech business - then you’re killing it. You’re trying to control something that is still embryonic and essential, you’re trying to put it in a square shaped box, when maybe it is a triangle.
Maybe you love coffee so you think you need to start a coffee shop.
You could just buy yourself a nice coffee machine instead?
You think you need to start an app for accountants to find their next job.
Maybe it’s just a facebook group? Maybe you need to write about your experience as an accountant on social media?
You’re controlling your creative impulse: you told yourself you wanted a cafe. You said you wanted to build an app. Really you just love coffee. Really you just have something to say.
When you have an idea.
You need to explore it, nurture it - see where it leads.
Don’t hold on too tightly.
Don’t let your fearful monkey brain tell you it’s an app when really you just want to start a blog. Then, who knows?
We yearn for control - yet the best brands, the best products, pieces of writing and art. They emerge. They are natural, organic, sometimes - unexpected.
Let go. Hold whatever you’re working on a little more lightly.
Let it (and probably yourself) breathe.
Cheers,
James x
p.s for a while now I’ve been working with founders as an advisor with a coach-like approach. Usually we meet once per month and dig into their biggest challenges or what’s holding them back. I like working with founding teams and getting to the nub of issues and finding a way forward. I’m best when it’s a community or impact business that’s already revenue generating. I’ve been working with Matt and Parul from London Writers Salon for a while and it’s been a blast. All my experience from 10 years of two startups, including Sanctus comes in handy. If working together on your startup, business or community interests you and you need a supportive guide for the journey, reach out.