curiosity, rigor and learning as you go
Another great post from the folks at 99%. Andrew Zuckerman discusses the lessons he learned from his WISDOM project, in which he interviewed “elders” from around the globe including Chuck Close, Bill Withers, Jane Goodall, Frank Gehry, Massimo Vignelli, and many more. Zuckerman talks about the anxiety we feel as we start a new projects, how fear can help us get things done, and the importance of honesty and good, old-fashioned hard work. His project consists of a truly inspiring collection of priceless thoughts from people who are masters in their craft and arguably at life, so it’s no wonder he came away with more than a few insights.
If found this particularly relevant as I embark on a massive project, that will most likely take years to complete. Maintaing the curiosity and rigor that made us want to start this project is what it’s going to take to keep it moving forward. A few ideas that I took from this that I’ll be keeping in mind as we move forward: focus on the essential qualities of the subjects themselves (surfboards in our case) and let that shine through. Don’t get too caught up in the technicalities, just work hard, get things done and keep moving forward. Work on ideas that are important to you and don’t worry if it’s too similar to something else that might be out there.
Inspiration is for amateurs — Chuck Close
