Expert-Novice
“If we approach a task with ignorance, it can remove the barricade of knowledge blocking progress.” - Rick Rubin
I have been really enjoying the book we featured last month, “The Creative Act” by Rick Rubin. It’s a book I find myself reading slowly, and often time re-reading sections. Ruben has managed to take seemingly complex, illusive concepts and make them so simple that I often wonder why I never saw it that way.
In this week’s newsletter, I wanted to share a concept from Rubin’s book that focuses on tapping into more inspiration and innovation in our work.
As we go through life we are shaped by our experiences. Often these can be powerful, and helpful, like finding a passion for learning a specific skill, and the feeling of mastery once we have accomplished a challenging task or project. However, sometimes the labels we develop can hold us back. They can shift from a badge of honor to a limitation:
“Any label you assume before sitting down to create, even one as foundational as sculptor, rapper, author, or entrepreneur, could be doing more harm than good. Strip away the labels. Now how do you see the world?”
Who are you if you strip away the labels? What might you create or do if you allowed yourself to move past those identifiers?
“Innocence brings forth innovation. A lack of knowledge can create more openings to break new ground.”
By liberating ourselves from the constraints of labels in our work, embracing the mindset of beginners, and perceiving our tasks with a fresh perspective, we open the doors to novel ways of thinking and approaching our work. It is within this open mindset that innovation thrives and inspiration flourishes. When we release the notion that we already possess all the answers, we create space to discover alternative approaches to our tasks. This willingness to explore uncharted territories paves the way for groundbreaking ideas and creative solutions to emerge.
“If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.”
I’m changing up the resource section of this week’s newsletter to share a few musings and what I’m enjoying lately:
What I’m watching: I’ve seen Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse several times and it is a fantastic movie with mind-blowing animation 🕷️
What I’m reading: Surprise, it’s “The Creative Act” by Rick Rubin. I can’t recommend this book enough! 📖
What I’m looking forward to: Getting ready to attend my first “Games for Change” festival. This is a fantastic event and I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces, meeting some new thought leaders, and learning more about the amazing work being done to drive social change through video games. 🔥
What I’m listening to: I have several regular podcasts in my rotation but recently discovered a very funny and entertaining podcast, Normal Gossip. I recommend it for a laugh and an example of engaging storytelling 😆
What enlightened me: I’ve had several great conversations with people in my network and they have reminded me to be open to different ways of doing things. It has been an interesting theme and showed up in Rick Rubin’s book as well: “Beware of the assumption that the way you work is the best way simply because it’s the way you’ve done it before.” 💡
Did you know? We now have merch on our website! I recently bought the crop hoodie and I love how cozy it is, and very stylish too. There are also notebooks and mugs.
“You are the artist of your life” Journal
Journaling is a powerful leadership tool to unlock ideas, release stress and anxiety, and reflect on your past while looking to the future. This journal is a tool to remind you that you are the artist of your life.
➡️ Available now!
BADASS HABITS by Jen Sincero
In "Badass Habits" by Jen Sincero, discover the extraordinary impact of cultivating empowering habits. Unleash your inner badass as Sincero guides you to break free from self-sabotaging patterns, create positive routines, and adopt a mindset of success. With practical strategies and personal anecdotes, this book empowers you to transform your life and achieve fulfillment in all areas. Embrace the power of habit and unleash your limitless potential to become the best version of yourself.
P.S. Reply to this newsletter and let me know what you are reading 📚
Consider how many different pieces of content you see in any given week. See something that really resonates with you? Share it with us so we can feature it in our Social Media of the Week section!
This week’s feature is from Liz Fosselin:
We are praised for being busy, Not for resting.
“Everyone knows that breaks are key to high performance, but so many of us feel guilty about taking them or like we can't step away from our teams and to-do lists.
If you're a manager, make it a point to explicitly encourage your team to develop sustainable habits. Take time off yourself and, when you do, step away from your inbox.”
