LEARN TO BE INNOVATIVE

It's a talent that everyone has in their toolbelt to use, but many don't think they do. Maybe they simply don't know how to use it correctly. It's called the power of innovation. If you've ever stared at someone else's creative prowess, and thought, "there is no way I can do that", then you are dead wrong . You can create and innovate too. It just takes time to learn how to apply your creative juices and mental energy. Everyone is born with the ability to be creative.

Look back upon your childhood. Do you remember how long it took to learn to ride a bike? What about driving a car? How many times did you screw something up before you learned to never commit that same mistake again? It's the exact same thing when it comes to innovation. It takes a bit of practice and a lot of time before your brain learns how to turn this on without thinking about it.

First, don't listen to what other people say. You do you! Follow the beat of your own drum. TallPines Forest Products was told by three separate banks that we would fail in 1997. Three different banks! The best part of the story? We weren't borrowing money. We were opening a business checking account and inquiring about a corporate line of credit. We never even needed to money. That didn't stop the bank managers from telling us how risky opening your own business was though.

Allowing for the input of other people THAT DON"T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE will only bring noise and doubt to your thought process. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand it. They simply won't. Any "help" you will get from these people will probably come in the form of negative feedback. Don't ask. Don't try to explain it.

Spend time on your projects. I cannot stress this enough. If you want something to succeed then you must put time and effort into it. The more time that you spend thinking, planning, and working out the details of your dreams and projects, the more likely it will succeed. 

Exercise when you are frustrated. Take a walk, go play golf, get some energy out! Exercising can certainly clear and relax your mind and allows for you to come back to your project with renewed focus.

Find your own style. You can always try to paint a Van Gogh or a Matisse, you will fail. Hemingway wrote something great by being himself. It is the same with you. People will appreciate your contributions more because it is uniquely yours and no one else is doing what you are doing. Being "ahead of the curve" is an unpleasant position to be in.

Don't ever hide behind gadgets or tools. You won't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same is true with writing. You don't need an expensive fountain pen and fancy paper for a bestseller. J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series in basic notepads. So what if you've got an expensive camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a fancy laptop if you can't write at all? The best artists actually reduce the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft. He/She knows what works and what doesn't.

Nothing will work without your passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning inside? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with more talent are overtaken by the people who want it more in life. Ellen Degeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. Sometimes you just want something so bad that you become virtually unstoppable. That is passion. Passion will keep you going when things look gloomy.

Don't worry about finding inspiration. You can't force it. Inspiration hits you when you least expect it to. A great idea could strike you on the subway, yet you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world later. Type it in your phone, scribble it down, or even use lipstick if you have to.

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