Just wrapped The 99 Percent Conference here in New York. This conference was about making creative ideas happen, and it was definitely inspiration in that respect. Overall it was great, and a lot of the speakers were inspiring which made it worth it, but I don't feel they connected the dots as much as I would have liked to hear. I was hoping to hear more stories, and methods of how to get from A to B, but it was more so just motivating you to go from A to B without any HOW to get from A to B. How do I move an idea forward by creating a product, business plan, and raise capital to implement? (If any 99% people reading this, that would be my only constructive feedback) Would I go back again? Yeah, if the processes were refined. It would have been great to hear how the speakers went from point A to point B. It was great to be with a group of creative professionals. The branding of the conference was fantastic.
Ok, so that said, I did get a lot of really great nuggets of wisdom. Of which, Here are a few to impart to you that really stuck out to me.
1. "Surround yourself with people that motivate you." -Scott Thomas(Design Director for the Obama Campaign) "You are who you hang out with." -Jason Randall This was a big common thread of the conference, and something that was a great reminder to myself. I've always believed in aligning and spending most of your time with people that motivate and inspire you. It's a key to being successful. Hanging out with people that inspire you to be a better person and motivate you creates a synergy that propels your dreams. What does your close circle of friends look like? In the same respect, how much do you give to inspire others?
2. "Write everything down." -Scott Thomas Another great reminder that makes you commit to getting things done. I recently started writing my to do list down on with a sharpie on a piece of paper. It's definitely helped me to be more productive.
3. "Personal & Professional projects compliment each other." -Ji Lee(Creative Director, Google Labs) This is so true, and something that completely translates into the world of photography. I've always been a big advocator in shooting your own projects. If anything, you are building portfolio work that will get you hired for your vision in the future. Sometimes they will translate into money down the road. (experiencing that now) Ji talked a lot about personal projects and how they are an essential part of the creative journey. They challenge you, and create a personal motivation. They are always fun, and give you a purpose in life even if its for a short period of time. Previous Related Posts: Testing For Your Book, ABS Theory, Expanding your Default
4. "Sharing is Rewarding." -Ji Lee Always the case. Sharing is always personally rewarding. Besides, what goes around comes around. Give and it shall be given to you. I believe that. This blog is a way for me to give back in a broad casted platform. Life in this world gets busy, so gets hard to answer everyones questions as much as I'd like to.
5. "I cannot depend on others to make things happen." -Ji Lee So true. You can only depend on yourself to make things happen. Make the decisions to get'er done! Do Work!
6. "Reduce everything to an action you can do RIGHT now." -Scott Belsky This simplified things for me. Sometimes we get so bogged down in the grand scheme that it gets too overwhelming to even begin. Reducing to a single action that you can do right now make it easy to get that ball rolling.
Nick these are awesome I am going to print them out on poster size paper and put them in my office. These are awesome points to live by. Thanks Nick for giving us those and for your awesome blog that provides us with such awesome inspiration
Posted by: jeret | April 19, 2009 at 12:28 PM
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts...you are a true inspiration for many people, including myself! Your art is beautiful and your generosity on sharing these type of info just complements a genuine work. I see much success to you!
Posted by: Priscilla Gragg | April 20, 2009 at 01:40 AM
Two things: Awesome and Thank You.
Posted by: ashley | April 20, 2009 at 02:50 PM
Hi Nick, thanks again for posting this. I regularly read back over your blog - your writings are a great source of inspiration for me - and they give me a kick in the behind too :)
Posted by: therese | April 21, 2009 at 10:27 AM
most people go from A to B to find creativity but not very many would dare go from A to C. it's all about thinking wrong. something i learned when i was at Project M - http://www.projectmlab.com/
Posted by: lucia @ d*lsh design | April 21, 2009 at 05:21 PM
Hi Nick, I've been following your work for over year now. And I've noticed [what I perceive] as a BIG shift for in your attitude and work in the past year. And its great to see. The shift is that you are so FOCUSED, and conscious of what you want to achieve, and it shows in your work too. I really like that you share your thoughts with clarity. And your posts share your knowledge and what you experience. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Marc Weisberg | April 25, 2009 at 09:16 AM
Nick, I found this post through Burns Auto Parts. Thanks so much for taking the time to put it up. I'm going print this one out for reference when I get overwhelmed, and will certainly check your blog frequently in the future.
Posted by: Jenna Close | April 27, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Damn, how did I miss hearing about this conference? I just found this post because I was googling to make sure I had the Einstein quotation right! Anyway, right on -- I think I am doing well with many of the points above, but it was really important for me to see that "You are who you hang out with" bit...
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