Dear Creativity,
I am writing to you in the middle of a small project turned big project. Okay, it was always a big project and I was going to keep it small and then I got going and could not stop. I am in the middle of putting together a video library series as an offering for my business. About a year ago in celebration of the official launch of The Innovation Doctor, I decided to run a video experiment on social media. I posted 30 days of innovation video activities on TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook to see if I could get any of the algorithms to pick me up and grow my following. It was much work writing scripts, video recording, video editing, and creating copy for socials. Truth be told, I think it was more a test of my willpower to see it through than anything else. Alas, I did make it to the end, but I did not gain that many followers, and only a handful of people engaged with the activities despite getting some views. However, I learned a lot about myself and gained a lot of valuable experience in video recording myself and editing video shorts.
All of that hard work has been sitting idle for so long and so the idea for the 30 Days of Creative Sparks and Innovation Explorations Library was born. And so began another labor of love in a new format. The only problem was that the videos were good, but edited as a social media series and not for a library. It was like Groundhog Day but with new challenges: locating the old videos, remembering what tool I used for editing, editing the videos, and packaging it all into a usable format that anyone could use to boost their creativity and learn more about harnessing the power of innovation.
This project has sucked more hours out of my long weekend than I even desire to think about, but I know the result will be helpful to many people, including myself when it is all done and complete. So now that I am a few steps closer to my finish line surrounded by video files, editing software, YouTube, and Google slides, I can’t help to wonder…
When is it time to bail on a project or keep plowing through to see it to its end?
You’ve been with me through this journey, Creativity, whispering ideas, and pushing me forward. But now, I seek your wisdom on this delicate balance. I know you thrive on completion, and helping me see ideas come to fruition. Yet, you also dance in the realm of possibility, always tempting me with new directions and fresh starts. So, how does one reconcile these two aspects of your nature?
Perhaps the answer lies not in a universal rule, but in the heart of each creator. When I look at this library taking shape, I see the potential to inspire others, to spark innovation in ways I couldn’t have imagined when I first hit “record” on those social media videos. The labor feels worth it because it’s evolving into something greater than its original form. But I also hear you reminding me, Creativity, that sometimes letting go is the most creative act of all. That there’s beauty in the unfinished, lessons in the abandoned, and growth in recognizing when a project has served its purpose, even if that purpose wasn’t what we initially envisioned.
So, as I stand at this crossroads, I choose to see this project through – not because I must, but because I want to. Because the spark that ignited it still burns, transformed but undiminished. And isn’t that the essence of innovation? To take what exists and reshape it into something new and valuable? Thank you, Creativity, for being my constant companion on this winding path. I trust that you’ll guide me to know when to persist and when to pivot, always leading me toward growth and discovery. You always have the back of us wannabe creatives and so even when we leap, we know we won’t fall far from our next creative triumph.
Innovatively yours,
Dr. Abigail
