Remember having that natural curiosity and maker-spirit as a kid? I loved to make things with my hands and explore everything and anything I could find in my backyard. Although all kids are little makers, I was particularly into it. From paper collages to digital drawings to writing short essays (that were not part of my homework) and what can only be called a kid’s version of landscape concepts, I didn’t care what it was called that I was doing. I just cared that I was doing what I felt I needed to.
As we grow up, we are taught to label everything we do and are. It’s a way of bringing structure to our lives, to have a common ground in everything we do and to help others understand us better in terms of the themes of our lives. We are architects, designers, travelers, writers and so much more. With labels come categories: creatives, consultants, engineers to name a few.
Last month I wrote about the rise of the multi-hyphenate creative who is a creative across more than one field. Boundaries are non-existent in our minds because our brains look for connections between the things we surround ourselves with, read or listen to. New ideas are formed through precisely that cross-pollination.
The difference between makers and dreamers is follow-through. It is my belief that creatives have a unique skill for bringing ideas to life because they understand ideas need contact with reality in order to expand and fully develop. It needs to be touch-able or usable or experience-able. It needs external influences to provide a value to the collective.
But going from mental musing (seed of an idea) to the actual creative process of making it come to life is often the hardest part. Getting started with something – anything – in today’s hyper-busy world is THE master challenge.
When Georgi started The Creative Insider podcast, he had a demanding full-time job with overtime on a regular basis, the pandemic had just hit so motivation was generally low, he had no experience or equipment or any clue how podcasting works, and there were so many podcasts out there already. So many reasons to keep dreaming.
82 episodes later, countless experienced, fascinating guests, and no longer a solo-project, it’s clear that getting past that starting phase might have been tough, but sticking it out so rewarding.
Maybe this is what defines creatives: It’s less about what your role or job or specialty is but more about what you bring into this world. If I look back at my own beginnings as a young creative at the age of four, I recognize that having to find my category in my professional life has restrained me more than it has given me direction or purpose.
Creativity knows no boundaries. What boundaries are you ready to break down in the new year? What projects are itching your brain and making your fingers tingle? And are you ready to make it a reality?
Stay curious!
Désirée Bambynek
Editor-in-Chief
