No.1: Getting Started

The bottom line. 

Hi there! My name is Ehren Valmé, and the bottom line is that I love writing, researching, and sharing the insights I gather with others.  Written word has always played an important role in my life, but I've had few opportunities to do much writing that wasn't work or school related. As a result, I've had few opportunities to write about what I want the way I want to write about it. To combat this, I've made a wholesale effort to begin writing more often — shorter insights on Twitter @ValmeArts, casual prose here, and, in the future, longer pieces on my firm's web page.

Here are 3 insights that I've adopted over time to keep this venture authentic and exciting:

1. Put your creativity first.

The greatest levels of creativity come from combining skills and interests and focusing them towards some goal. To see this sort of creativity at work, one doesn't need to look much further than Jacob Collier's creative output:  

You only need to watch the first 90 seconds of this video to see exactly what I mean — Jacob's expression and creative ability seems effortless. They seem effortless because Jacob's main focus is being creative. Jacob isn't touting his facility on guitar, percussion, or vocals. He's using those skills along with fantastic audio and video production to present his ability as a creative. Trusting your creativity will orient your attention to build the skills you need. Trust your creativity and play into it. 

2. Run to the starting line. 

One of my favorite principles in starting with the end in mind but it's natural to obsess over the finished product in today's society. We're fixated on quantifying success. Even my research at Columbia University focuses on performance indicators in arts and culture sector.

Followers, views, and sales are all great metrics to follow in a social media reliant business. Goals in these areas are important to have but we should be careful not to let the attainment of these goals get in the way of your creative process. Don't lock on to the finish line too soon. Instead, aim high and start often. Results may vary but you'll be in a stronger position to build the skills you need for your next venture. Additionally, by paying attention to the quality of your work from this perspective, you'll have a well developed awareness of how you're progressing. Start often. 

3. Explore to the finish line.

One of my favorite phrases to use when somebody try to get a yes/no answer out of me during a business discussion when commitment isn't necessary is "well, we'll see." If you ever feel as though you're being coerced into a commitment prematurely, always remember that committing on someone else's terms will probably ruin the bit of potential satisfaction you could have enjoyed at the finish line. In the early stages, the only commitments you should make are those that help you learn and think more deeply about the subject. Study market dynamics, identify industry norms, and learn the language for yourself. This open-minded approach will be useful when it comes to delegate tasks or ask for help and protect you from limiting your scope prematurely. Keep an open mind.

Conclusion

Put your creativity first. Run to the starting line. Explore to the finish line.

In other words, acknowledge your creative potential, show up for yourself consistently, and keep an open mind while trusting the process. Follow these there principles and you'll be closer to building projects that fulfill you more deeply.