They took up the cross I thought I was going to have to bear alone

June 28, 2016 11:38 AM

Philippe’s compelling book on his creative process explains that to offer the most honest performance, he must be all alone. He must be prisoner of the fortress of his art. And so, he creates a giant wall around himself and, inside that wall, follows his honesty and intuition.

I agree with his philosophy, but only eighty percent of the time. Because the other twenty requires collaboration. For years, I had it in my head that I must always work alone.

But the reality is, it doesn’t make sense to be a singular unit. Brains need other brains. Trying to regulate by ourselves is like being trapped in a circle. We can’t survive alone, and even if we could, we wouldn’t want to.

What I’m learning is, collaboration isn’t about compromise; it’s about ending up somewhere else. Somewhere different. Somewhere better. Somewhere we never could have gotten by ourselves.

That’s my favorite part about executing creative projects with a team. Despite my control freak tendencies, despite my incurable individualism and despite my allergy to feedback, collaborating challenges me to expand the echo chamber of my own mind.

It forces me to walk in alien worlds in order to see the project afresh. And it gifts me with the opportunity to see my own work through the eyes of another.

That’s priceless perspective. And it doesn’t have to happen all day, every day. But anything less than twenty percent, and I don’t feel connected to the world in the way that I need to be to be the best version of myself.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Whom are you asking to take up your cross with you?LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

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Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com