Wed 20 Dec 2017, on solo retreat in Ubud, Bali.
Do what you can’t.
I’m really taken by Casey Neistat‘s YouTube video Do What You Can’t. It’s like Apple’s Here’s To The Crazy Ones – a passionate, inspiring proclamation to world. A warning – of caring to the point of not caring about what the rest of the world thinks. A manifesto for creators.
“Keep you head down. Follow the rules. Do as you’re told. Play it safe. Wait your turn. Ask permission. Learn to compromise. This is terrible advice.” – Casey Neistat
It’s a timely message. At a time when I’m trying to find my voice, in work and life. At a time when I’m no longer inspired by my work, even though it made the world a better place. The work was great, made a more than decent living, was helpful to society, intellectually fascinating. I couldn’t be happier. I should be happier.
But I’m not. There. I finally said it.
Being able to say that publicly had been sooo difficult, especially when things are going well. It smells of ingratitude. It smells of weakness. But there’s only so much pretense I can put up, even if it’s only for myself.
Now, I don’t f**king care what it comes across as. I will say it as it is. And I will do what’s next as desired.
Now, I find myself craving to create. The consultant is done. The creator is taking over. Despite all the autonomy I had, I want more. I want total creative control over my work. I want to create tangible, useful stuff that actually sees the light of day, in the hands of real people. I want to make the final judgement calls on who I work with, who to fire or hire, when to push ahead or when to pull back, what ideas to pursue or to thrash. I need my voice out there. I want to do what I want to do, not what someone else who’s paying me want to do. And the world can go to hell if they disagree.
At this point, I start hearing “No you can’t…” I’m tired of hearing “You can’t do this, you can’t do that, because…”, especially from myself. All the inherited wisdom from “them” within me – I want to crush it, Hulk-smash them into powder and cast them into the Sun to vapourize into bitter ash.
Do what you can’t. Do what I can’t.
What ‘can’t’ I do? Here’s my burn list:
- Create a product that helps a million people.
- Learn to code. Learn to design.
- Create stuff that’s fun to make and fun to use.
- Live and work overseas like a digital nomad.
- Paint. Watercolour. Sketch.
- Live in Kyoto to learn from a master craftsman.
- Learn Japanese.
- Live in Iceland.
- Live in Ubud.
- Create music.
- Create travel films.
- Write poetry.
- Just write goddamit. 100 words a day
- Travel the world.
- Have children and travel the world.
- Have children and be a digital nomad.
- Travel the world and still care for your parents.
- Travel the world with your parents.
- Learn to drive to travel the world.
- Be rich.
- Be rich and be good.
- Be super healthy and free from ailments.
- Enjoy well-being.
- Work less, play well.
- Swim in the sea often.
- Live near the sea, live near the jungle.
- Think less, do more. CREATE AUDACIOUSLY.
- Don’t seek approval from others, not even God.
- Embrace your weirdness.
- Go to space. Like, why not?!
I think this will do for now. I might add or remove items from the list as it goes along, as needs change. But it’ll do.
Now let’s go F**KING do it.