Ideas are Just the Start of the Journey. Stories for getting your creative project off the ground.
We’ve all heard the cliché “new year, new you.” But if you’re starting 2021 with the same job, same apartment, same routine, there’s a simple way to break the monotony: start to do some creative work on the side. That could mean sketching, designing your own graphics in Photoshop, starting a writing project, or picking up an instrument—whatever kind of creative project speaks to you.
SIMPLIFY: IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE LIFE-CHANGING
People tend to think of side projects as big undertakings, like writing a book, developing an app, or starting a business. But that’s the wrong tactic. Why put yourself under so much pressure? My approach is a lot more simple than thinking about something that’s going to change your life or make you money. Rather, approach creative projects as a way to express his feelings about whatever’s happening in the world.
To take the pressure down a notch, I split personal work into three categories: short-term, midterm, and long-term. Short-term projects don’t take more than 30 minutes. That usually means a column that I share on linkedin. Midterm projects take a few months, like a short storytelling seminar. Consider any big goals, like a book, long-term projects. By splitting up personal work into different categories, you mitigate the expectation that they have to be life changing. Sometimes it’s really just to have fun.
DRAW INSPIRATION FROM ANYWHERE. THEN GIVE IT STRUCTURE
When it comes to actually developing ideas, I have a few suggestions. First, draw inspiration from the world immediately around you. For me, that’s my surroundings, current events, and my travel memories. One of the most important strategies to me is to constantly observe my thoughts, and really hang on to the first idea I had and execute it. No need to force something; just pay attention when you’re out and about. What do you notice? And when an idea strikes you, sketch it out or make some notes before you forget it.
Second, apply some work principles: create a brief to come up with a more concrete concept. What’s the target audience? Project objective? Give yourself some guidelines for the creative process. A lot of people love to talk about ideas. More often than not these ideas don’t turn into any action or tangible thing. I couldn’t put more emphasis that ideas are nothing in the end; doing is everything.
PUT NETFLIX ON PAUSE
So how do you find the time? That’s one of the things that I get asked a lot. But for me, it’s less about having a regimented schedule once I am off the clock, as much as it’s about setting the aside time.
Making time for creative work requires the same discipline as going to the gym. It has to be prioritized over the first half of a game or the fourth episode of Bridgerton. As far as frequency, I make about three short projects a week (though I think about concepts every day) and have bigger projects chugging along in the background at the same time.
WANT TO MAKE THAT SIDE PROJECT INTO PAID GIGS? SHARE IT
Maybe you’d like to use personal work to get freelance gigs. To start with, simply sharing your work can have a huge impact. Even if you’re self-conscious about the work, it’s an opportunity. Personal work showcases the power of storytelling in a way a client project can’t. When you’re doing professional work, your main objective is to sell something. With personal projects, you’re not really trying to sell something. There’s a personal story behind that journey. I found that people are interested in this because it’s more engaging; I even gotten job offers out of it.
There are examples of finding purpose for yourself and others around you that truly can have a difference. I’d like to encourage people especially when working from home without interaction, depressing news, to turn negative energy into thinking about the purpose of your life and doing something positive.
Virtual Journey in Paris: Create Your Own Legend
- Start Date: 21 January
- Duration: Five weeks
- Time: 1 hour/week Zoom/Skype meeting
- Form: online personal coaching with Peter de Kuster
- Price: Euro 599 excl. VAT
Reserve your ticket at theherojourneyquestionnaires@gmail.com or 00-31-6-33661772
Freelancers, those thinking about changing careers midstream, and even creative people working in corporate environments need a set of skills that will turn their passion into a viable career. These skills include:
* How to chose the career that best suits your talents
* Setting realistic goals using right-brain techniques
* How to avoid the pitfalls that ruin a creative career
* How to schmooze your way to success
* How to create a business plan when you are the business
* How to be disciplined when you are your own boss
When you find an outlet for your creativity in the form of a acting career, you’ll discover a freedom in your working life that you can live with for the long term. You can follow your passion, build a brilliant career, and have financial security — if you know which skills to use. Let Peter show you the way.
Join us for a truly transformational vacation for the mind
What Can I Expect?
Here’s an outline of The Hero’s Journey in Paris: Create Your Own Legend.
Create Your Own Legend Outline
- Introduction
- What’s Right About Being Right-Brained?
- You Are the Storyteller of Your Own Life
- What is Your Quest?
- It’s Not Just a Job, It is a Hero’s Journey
- Selling Your Story
- Self Made
- Your Travel Companions
- Be Your Own Boss
- Right Brainers in Business
- The Lean Years
- Business Plans
- Pitfalls
- Help! I Need Somebody
- The Cheering Section
- Networking is a Two Way Street
- Mentors: Been There, Done That
- Role Models
- Tell Your Story
- The Seven (Bad) Stories of Highly Ineffective Heroes
- The Power of Your Story
About Peter de Kuster
Peter de Kuster is the founder of The Heroine’s Journey & Hero’s Journey project, a storytelling firm which helps creative professionals to create careers and lives based on whatever story is most integral to their lives and careers (values, traits, skills and experiences). Peter’s approach combines in-depth storytelling and marketing expertise, and for over 20 years clients have found it effective with a wide range of creative business issues.
Peter is writer of the series The Heroine’s Journey and Hero’s Journey books, he has an MBA in Marketing, MBA in Financial Economics and graduated at university in Sociology and Communication Sciences
The Hero's Journey 