Ignore Everybody

1. Ignore the Noise, Trust Your Gut

GOOD IDEAS ALTER THE POWER BALANCE IN RELATIONSHIPS. THAT IS WHY GOOD IDEAS ARE ALWAYS INITIALLY RESISTED.

Trust your feelings. When you have a truly original idea, others, even close friends and colleagues, won't understand it or may actively resist it. This isn't necessarily malice; it's human nature reacting to change and potential shifts in power dynamics. Your gut feeling is often the only reliable guide in the early stages.

External validation fails. Asking friends or business associates for validation on a nascent, original idea is often unhelpful. Friends may not want you to change, and colleagues may see your success as a threat to their own position or control. Their perspective is limited by their own world, not yours.

Resistance is normal. The better and more disruptive your idea, the more resistance you will face. This resistance comes from the inherent threat good ideas pose to existing power structures and relationships. Expect it, understand it, and press on alone when necessary.

2. Own Your Idea, Big or Small

Your idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours alone.

Sovereignty inspires. The true power of your work comes not from its scale or immediate commercial viability, but from the complete sovereignty you have over it. Doing something purely because it amuses or fulfills you, free from external approval or financial pressure, is incredibly liberating.

Freedom fuels amazing. When an idea is entirely yours, you have the freedom to make it truly amazing, honest, and powerful. This authenticity resonates with people far more than work created to fit a perceived market or impress others. This personal connection is what allows a small idea to potentially snowball into something big.

Personal fulfillment first. The author's experience with drawing on business cards started as a random, non-commercial act done purely for personal amusement. It was this lack of ambition and external pressure that gave it its unique edge and eventually attracted attention. Focus on making something special for yourself.

3. Put in the Hours, Sustain the Effort

Ninety percent of what separates successful people and failed people is time, effort, and stamina.

Success takes time. Anything worthwhile requires significant time, effort, and stamina. There are no shortcuts or sudden discoveries; things are built slowly and often painfully over years. Don't underestimate the sheer volume of work required.

Stamina requires management. Sustainable creative work isn't about intense, short bursts fueled by desperation. It requires pacing yourself over the long haul. Keeping a day job, as the author did, can provide financial stability and connection to the real world, allowing you to pursue your creative work calmly and consistently without pressure to make it immediately commercial.

Find your productive time. If you have a creative dream, find an hour or two each day that is solely yours and dedicate it to your work. This consistent effort, compounded over time, leads to magical, life-transforming results. It requires sacrifice, but the payoff is immense.

4. Success is Built Slowly, Embrace the Pain

Nobody suddenly discovers anything. Things are made slowly and in pain.

The myth of sudden discovery. The idea that success comes from being "discovered" by a big shot is a fantasy. Real success is the result of years of consistent, often lonely, effort. Relying on external validation or a lucky break is a plan destined for failure.

Pain is part of the process. Doing anything seriously creative or building something meaningful involves pain and sacrifice. Accepting this pain upfront makes the journey more manageable. The pain of making necessary sacrifices is real, but it hurts far less than the regret of never trying.

Focus on the act itself. Assume your work will not be immediately rewarded or recognized. This mindset removes the pressure of external outcomes and leaves you with the only question that matters: Do you feel compelled to make this thing exist? Answering this truthfully simplifies everything.

5. Reclaim Your Innate Creativity

Being suddenly hit years later with the 'creative bug' is just a wee voice telling you, 'I'd like my crayons back, please.'

Everyone is born creative. Creativity isn't a rare gift; it's something we all possess from childhood. The "creative bug" is simply your inner voice reminding you of this fundamental part of yourself that may have been suppressed by conventional life and education.

Listen to the wee voice. This urge to create isn't about seeking fame or fortune; it's a primal need tied to your soul. There's something you need to express or do. Ignoring this voice means losing a significant part of yourself.

Make something, don't just sell. The wee voice wants you to create something special, powerful, and true, not just something commercial. If you focus on making something amazing for its own sake, success is more likely to follow than if you try to engineer something for a hypothetical market. Don't fear the "crayons."

6. Climb Your Own Mountain

Admit that your own private Mount Everest exists. That is half the battle.

Identify your purpose. Everyone has a unique, personal "Mount Everest" they are meant to climb in life. This isn't necessarily about creating "Art"; it could be building a business, raising a family, mastering a craft, or pursuing any endeavor deeply meaningful to you.

The cost of not trying. While you may not reach the absolute summit, the real tragedy is not making a serious attempt to climb at all. Years later, the regret and emptiness of not pursuing your deepest calling will be profound.

The first step is acknowledgment. The most crucial step is simply admitting to yourself that your personal mountain exists and that you feel compelled to climb it. This acknowledgment is often the hardest part and sets you on the path.

7. Focus on the Craft, Not the Props

A fancy tool just gives the second-rater one more pillar to hide behind.

Talent needs minimal tools. True talent and mastery are not dependent on expensive equipment or fancy surroundings. Great work can be created with simple tools, as demonstrated by historical figures like Lincoln, Hemingway, and Van Gogh.

Pillars hinder progress. Relying on external props—whether fancy studios, expensive suits, or state-of-the-art technology—can become psychological crutches that get in the way of the actual work. They provide places to hide rather than enabling creativity.

Spot and remove pillars. Successful people, creative or otherwise, are adept at identifying and eliminating unnecessary "pillars" in their work and life. Constantly questioning whether something is truly essential or just a distraction is key to focusing on what matters most: the craft itself.

8. Forge Your Own Path, Avoid Crowds

All existing business models are wrong. Find a new one.

Avoid the well-trodden path. Trying to achieve your dreams by following the exact same path as millions of others (e.g., "write a novel, get discovered, become a bestseller") is a recipe for failure. These paths are overcrowded and rely on outdated models.

Originality in execution. Your plan for getting your work into the world needs to be as original as the work itself. Instead of waiting to be discovered by gatekeepers, find a new way to reach your audience directly.

Freedom is key. Choose a path that maximizes your freedom from external control, approval, and conventional expectations. This freedom allows you to create authentically and build something truly unique, which is far more likely to succeed in the long run than conforming to a tired archetype.

9. Define Your Boundaries

The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do from what you are not.

Art vs. Commerce tension. Creative work often suffers when external money and demands enter the picture. The more you rely on others financially, the less control you have and the more compromises you'll be forced to make, diminishing the joy and integrity of your work.

The Sex & Cash Theory. Creative people often have two types of work: the "sexy," fulfilling creative work and the "cash" work that pays the bills. This duality is inherent and rarely transcended. Accepting this tension and managing it is crucial for long-term sustainability.

Know your limits. Defining your "red line"—what compromises you will and won't make, what control you will and won't relinquish, what price you will and won't pay—is essential for maintaining your creative sovereignty. Not knowing this line leads to suffering and being exploited by others.

10. Passion is the Engine

Wanting to change the world is not a noble calling, it's a primal calling.

The Pissed Off Gene. Humans have a primal drive, a "Pissed Off Gene," that makes us dissatisfied with the status quo and compels us to create, explore, and change things. This urge is the fundamental engine of creativity and progress.

Primal urge vs. noble facade. We often intellectualize our creative or entrepreneurial drives with sophisticated language ("superior integrated logistic system"), but at their core, they stem from this basic, primal need to get out of the cave and hunt the woolly mammoth.

Align work with passion. Your work should allow you to act on this primal urge to create and change things. Taking a job that offers money but requires you to suppress this drive is a form of selling out your core nature, leading to dissatisfaction and stagnation.

11. Build Your Own Audience

The ease with which a blog (or whatever social medium you prefer) can circumvent the gatekeepers is staggering.

Circumvent the middlemen. The internet and social media have revolutionized the ability of creators to reach an audience directly, bypassing traditional gatekeepers like publishers, galleries, and producers. This empowers you to build your own platform and audience.

Share your work online. Instead of waiting for permission or validation from established institutions, put your work out there yourself. Whether it's writing, art, music, or ideas related to your profession, sharing consistently online allows you to build trust and attract people who resonate with what you do.

Patience and consistency. Building an audience takes time, often years of consistent effort. However, it's a far more proactive and empowering path than waiting tables while hoping for a lucky break. It allows you to connect directly with people who care about your work.

12. Frugality Protects Freedom

The less you can live on, the more chance your idea will succeed.

Financial independence is key. Living frugally reduces your financial needs and, consequently, your dependence on external income sources that might compromise your creative vision. This is true both when you're starting out and after you've achieved some success.

Avoid the golden cage. High-paying jobs and expensive lifestyles can trap you, making you unable to take risks, say no to undesirable work, or weather economic downturns. The pressure to maintain a high standard of living can force you into compromises that stifle creativity and freedom.

Protect your sovereignty. Frugality is a tool for protecting your creative sovereignty. By keeping your expenses low, you increase your ability to choose projects based on passion and meaning rather than just money, allowing you to pursue your own path on your own terms.

Last updated: May 15, 2025