There is nothing harder than having an idea and putting it into the world.
Any creative person knows this. It can be lonely. The kind of loneliness that comes from being unable to communicate things that seem important.
Some try to make it seem easier than it is— like they’re just doing what the earliest people have done— lifting their heads up, taking a breath of fresh air, choosing to do something different and new.
But you know the real work happens in the dark. It’s complicated and difficult, but it’s the only place where your best intentions can be set free from distraction, and you can hope to find a clear moment.
We work in the dark – we do what we can – we give what we have. Our doubt is our own passion, and our passion is our task. — Henry James
I think you can find clarity by paying attention. There is plenty to look at, but the goal is not just to look, it’s to see. Mary Oliver said, paying attention is an act of devotion. I think that’s beautiful. Devotion compounds, little by little, developing your taste along the way, helping you see more clearly.
So what happens when you do see? When you do resonate with something in a meaningful way? Well, for starters, you can remember that it actually isn't about you. It’s about them. The someone who made that thing. The someone who worked in the dark long enough to find devotion, consistency, and dedication.
If you subscribe to the notion that our lives are inevitably entangled in the lives of others, then you must send whatever comes your way back out. Send it back out again actively, muscularly, and with feeling — Anne Bogart
When you start to think in this way, networking will change your life— guaranteed. When you find the person responsible for making something you love, reach out to them right away, thank them for their work— and be specific.
Try and be honest and vulnerable. Be brief and don’t apologize. The best kind of gratitude is the kind that says, I’m showing up bravely, as myself, in service of you and the thing you made. And that’s all there is to it.
It’s good to share this kind of gratitude… It’s a good omen. Because the magic of gratitude is that it improves everything it touches, especially the person who offered it in the first place.
Here is a recent example
A few months ago I started using mymind, which is like a personal Pinterest board for everything you want to save but don’t want to sort. This is for you if you take a lot of screenshots and never look at them again. Or if you have the best intentions of organizing your personal stuff, but it’s simply too much admin.
Basically, I’m obsessed with it. There are no ads, no social features and it actually feels like an oasis— exactly how you’d want your mind to feel. If we’ve talked in the past month I’ve probably told you about it.
Once I realized I loved it I had to know… Who made that thing? ⚡️
4 mins on LinkedIn and I found him:
Tobias Van Schneider. Amazing name. Even better mustache whoa.
4 more minutes looking at his website and work and I realized:
This might the most interesting, creative person on the internet, and probably in real life. Everything he’s made is more impressive than the next. If you are an artist, if you love design, brand, and storytelling, you must, must, check him out. (These color palettes are also an amazing vibe.)
So anyway, I knew had to reach out. Mainly because I get so much joy out of using a product he made, but also because this is exactly the type of person I’d love to collaborate and work with someday. I was nervous to send it for a second. But calmed by the fact that the worst thing that can happen is I wouldn’t get a response.
Also, and more importantly:
There is just a limited amount of time on this earth and you really just have to get over yourself and not worry so much about being embarrassed to be who you are with people.
It’s true what they say, what you pay attention to opens up. And more often you’ll find that you will get a response. Sometimes you’ll get a response so kind, it will help you remember that connecting with ourselves enough to connect to others might just be all we have in this life. In the Reach Out Party we called it the “reply high.” It’s the same feeling you get when something really lucky happens to you. Or when you experience a moment of true clarity, away from the noise. The feeling of lifting your head up and taking a breath of fresh air.
As for Tobias and I, this is only the beginning. Here is the initial reach out, reply, and what I hope will come next.