Find your creative thing.

If you want to be good at something, you have to find it first. You have to find that one thing that you are passionate about.

I mean really passionate about. The kind of passion that leaves you near obsessed, yes that kind of passionate. Not the kind of obsession that pushes you tattoo your thing to your inner eyelids, but close to that. Although I have nothing against inner eyelid tattoos, to each their own. Hey, that may even be your thing.

But finding your thing can be hard. You may need to try a number of things until you stumble upon yours.

But you'll know it's yours once you meet it.

It will be the thing that brings you joy.

It will be the thing that makes you smile.

It will be the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning.

Your thing may not be obvious at first. Things often like to hide from you.

You may get caught up with some other things on your journey. But that's okay, finding your thing is like dating - you have to go through a process of trial and error until you bump into the one you truly connect with. The same goes for finding your thing.

The journey is part of the way you find your thing. There's no rush. It could take you years or even decades.

Vera Wang only started designing dresses at age 40.

Harland Sanders was 65 when he discovered that fried chicken was his thing.

Age is not an issue when looking for your thing.

Here is a great little video from talented artist Shantell Martin about how she eventually found her thing and made it hers.

So what do you do when you find your thing?

Grab it. Commit to it. Own it.

Do the best you can do with your thing. But make it yours. Make sure it has your voice.

What is a thing? It can be anything. Art, photography, writing, sculpture, comedy, music, film, drawing, poetry, cooking, illustration, making furniture - as I said it can be anything.

Maybe you like to draw alien spaceships. Make that your thing.

Maybe you like to write poems about goats. Make that your thing.

Maybe you like to sing heavy metal music but use a Mongolian throat singing technique. Make that your thing.

The thing about things is that not everyone will see what you see in your thing, they may not get it. They may ridicule it. They may scoff at it. But that's perfectly okay, because it is not their thing - it's yours.

Be original, be you, be your creative self - that is the only true way to find your thing. Don't copy someone else's thing, that's their thing after all.

It doesn't matter if your thing doesn't immediately bring you fame, fortune, or monetary reward, as long as it brings you pleasure, a smile, and allows you to be you. But the funny thing about things is that if you are truly passionate about yours others will tend to eventually see what you saw in your thing in the first place - that kind of passion is infectious.

Rodd

I'm a Creative Director / Writer / Strategist / Thinker and a bit more. I work with clients/brands directly and with agencies and production companies. I also teach creative thinking and idea generation to groups and individuals. You can read more of my LinkedIn musings here. You can also find me on Twitter,  Instagram and on Facebook. Or drop me an email – [email protected]

Words copyright Rodd Chant 2018

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