Sunday, July 8, 2012

Creativity as a Deviant Activity

This quote is also from "Making Ideas Happen" by Belsky.  I like the mind jujitsu of seeing doubts from others as a sign that you're on the right track.
"Whether it was dropping out of college to pursue a passion, quitting a well-paying job to start a company, or declining certain opportunities that appeared golden to others-, their paths were unconventional.  As these budding creative leaders hacked their ow paths, they lost support from others.  But amidst a cacophony of discouragement from teachers and even their own families and friends, they persevered and learned to gain confidence from being questioned.  They became deviants of a sort.
Deviants are maverick-like, willing to be unpopular, misunderstood and even shunned during creative pursuits.  The vision of extraordinary achievement is, by definition, a few steps beyond consensus and conventional logic.  As such, we should become emboldened by society's doubts rather than deterred...
You must learn to gain confidence when doubted by others.  The uncharted path is the only road to something new.  As pressures mount, you need to stay the course and consider the doubts of others as an indication of your progress... Nothing extraordinary is ever achieved through ordinary means...

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