Where to Begin?

Has anyone ever told you to do something that you really had no clue how to do it or where to begin? I know I have. But somehow I always found a way. Maybe not the best way but the project always got done good enough. I feel like this often when creating too. Here is an example. I was asked to submit a piece to the GLAAD OutAuctionNYC in New York. The auction is in November. I had submitted and was accepted before with a piece I just happen to have on hand that fit that year's theme. This year however, I will have to create a piece from scratch.

At first I deleted the email since I didn't want the hassle of creating something special. Then the other night I was thinking about this, my stomach churned and the acid reflux began. This auction pressed a button. I dug out the email and read it again. I still have time to create something special just for this event to match its theme. I was getting excited by the idea of it. But, I had NO idea of what to do. So, I repeated the theme of the auction (btw, it is "In/Out") in my head a few times and went to bed. I woke up the next morning with nothing.

All through the day I began to notice the theme of in/out here and there and all the different ways it can or may apply. The potential is limitless. So there went my acid reflux again. It is limitless. Again, what to do? Where to begin? This is even bigger than I first thought. Before I went to bed last night, I commited to submitted a piece to the auction. I repeated the theme again and off to sleep I went.

This morning I still had no ideas! The frustration was mounting. As I began my creative portion of the day, I found myself looking for distractions. I had no ideas, no approach so I didn't want to start. I refocused and began by finishing up a piece I started a few weeks back. Now I had some momentum. Then I got out the blank canvas. A blank canvas, a blank piece of paper, a blank anything is intimidating. Fortunately, it isn't overwhelming. I told myself that I wasn't going to finish it today and in fact, I have two weeks to complete the painting. That is more than enough time even if I have some setbacks. So all I had to do today was to commit to begin. Not to paint for a certain period of time nor applied so many brush stroke or heaven forbid, finish it. Given the medium I selected, resin, and a layered approach, it is physically impossible to finish in one day. That was my out! It all fell into place. I can't finish it today so I don't have to try to do so. I just had to start. So I did!


Here it is! It took me 20 minutes to develop the first layer. As for the second layer, well, I have no clue. That is something for me to tackle tomorrow.

Begin Anywhere

This past week, the suggestion from Bruce Mau's "Incomplete Manifesto for Growth" was "Begin anywhere. John Cage tells us that not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. His advice: begin anywhere." This sounds much easier that it was.

When I consulted, we had a phrase "paralysis by analysis" referring to projects and managers that need more and more information before a decision can be made. I see "begin anywhere" as very similar. I can think about starting. I can think about doing. I can even think about the end state or goal. But all that time, I'm only thinking. I'm not doing. I'm not moving. I strongly believe that moving, however fast or slow, no matter the direction is ultimately better and more productive than thinking, planning, and analyzing. With movement comes momentum.

The other aspect that occurred to me is that since everything is a process (I've talked about that before) and the focus is on the process not the goal (also discussed previously), the process is already in progress, even if we haven't jumped in yet. To put it another way, just start. There is no beginning or starting point. There is no goal or finish line. Those are artificial ideas we dream up. It is sort of like running to catch a moving train. I'm here and the train is approaching. Where is the starting point? Where I am? Where the train originated? Do I need to go to where the train started and wait for the next train? No. Start running and jump on when the meets up with you. So the next inevitable question is, where is the train going? Where do I jump off? My question in response, does it matter? I'm moving. I'm doing. I can jump on and off at my pleasure. And just because I jump off does not mean I'm at the end.

So the moral of the story, as Nike so nicely put it, Just do it. Go. Start today. Move. Make something happen. Watch how things, especially you, will change as a result.

This week I will be investigating "Everyone is a leader. Growth happens. Whenever it does, allow it to emerge. Learn to follow when it makes sense. Let anyone lead."