People tend to talk more frequently about their successes, rather than their failures. This is natural, but it can make you feel awfully small when you think you’re the only one in the room who has failed. FuckUpNights is an organization that hosts events in cities around the world where individuals from all industries meet to share stories about their failures and then welcome questions and conversation. In addition to removing the shame from failure, this organization helps you learn from it. They also host a failure institute and have … [Read more...]
It’s a Shark.
Have you heard the saying "a few sharks can ruin the sea"? Probably not. It’s not an actual saying. Perhaps it should be. Have you ever wanted to take a chance on a new idea or project but found yourself hesitating? Why? It could be because you realize there is a chance it might fail, so you find yourself afraid to follow through. Our friend, Beck Tench, writes often about failure. About confronting it, admitting it and defining it. On her blog, she offers a "flow chart for fear" to help you better understand its root. The fear of failure … [Read more...]
Setting Intention
"One great lesson we learn when we mess up is how to set intention." In this Forbes article, Liz Ryan highlights this as one of the great take-a-ways from a big failure. Ryan notes that after making a mistake, creative leaders have the opportunity to set intention. I believe we have this opportunity as we venture into any task. Each morning during the Creative Community House, a cornerstone component to the Creative Community Fellows program, we begin the day by setting intention together. Each day has a theme, a theme that the day's content … [Read more...]
Complex Problem? Fail your way to a solution.
Like Ed Catmull of Pixar states, failure is necessary to producing successful creative work. If only because the first idea is not always the best idea. It requires reworking, shapeshifting. In this article, Financial Times columnist Tim Harford provides principles that you can use to accomplish this so-called ‘productive failure’: 1. “You have to cast a wide net” 2. “’Practice failing” in a safe space’” 3. “Be primed to let go of your idea if you’ve missed the mark” We've seen over past two days that folks continue to come back to: … [Read more...]
The Story Behind Toy Story
Why are Pixar’s movies such a huge success? Creative successes might be more related to failure than you think. In this article on his book, Creativity Inc., Ed Catmull, President of Pixar Animation and Disney Animation shares his insight on managing a creative organization that thrives on innovation and embracing new ideas. In order to be truly open to new ideas, he argues, organizations must have a culture of trust. “The antidote to fear is trust, and we all have a desire to find something to trust in an uncertain world. Fear and trust … [Read more...]
10 Reasons We Fail
There are a myriad of reasons that we fail, from plain bad luck to miscommunication or organizational shortcomings. In this article, entrepreneur Caroline Cummings, offers a set of ten reasons why many of the startups she's seen throughout her career, failed. Her observations reflect much of what we have seen and heard from our colleagues in the Creative Community Fellows program. They touch on team building, audience research and change. Caroline’s list leaves us thinking about what failure can teach us about success. Have you experienced … [Read more...]
Fail Better
Best selling author, Seth Godin shares what we all know to be true, we all fail. So, how do we make the most of it? If you’re going to fail, you should fail in the best way possible, right? We can’t control what external events occur, but we can control our reactions to setbacks and failures. Seth offers six ways to help us fail better and with intention: Whenever possible, take on specific projects. Make detailed promises about what success looks like and when it will occur. Engage others in your projects. If you … [Read more...]
What is failure?
What is failure? How do you define it? Is it really the worst thing that can happen? Does fear of failure prevent you from innovation and opportunity? Watch Ekaterina Walter’s Ted Talk on redefining failure and how it can lead to success. Walter says that our definition of failure is affected by three things: Passion, Attitude, and Purpose. Your passion and your purpose control your attitude. This affects your reaction to failure. If you have a strong passion and purpose, as many in the arts do, you will be much more resilient in the face of … [Read more...]