Heard some interesting things recently. Made me think.
In a podcast by my anti-procrastination guru, David Kadavy (mentioned in earlier posts), he touched on the medical term of Minimum Effective Dose – that being the smallest amount of treatment that will elicit a positive response in a patient. He then went on to introduce the idea of Minimum Creative Dose – that being the smallest amount of creative ‘beginning’ required to engage ones natural creative momentum that will cut in (hopefully like some torrential waterfall!!) and carry you on. Just get started, he reasons, and the love of what you do, the intellectual enjoyment, the rise of ideas will arrive (only slightly late) and join the party.
Then, in another podcast, totally unrelated to the first, Seth Godin, author and marketing expert, talked about Smallest Viable Audience. His idea was that we sometimes feel we have to conquer, connect with, market to, the whole world. In reality, we simply need to communicate with enough people to keep us rolling along. “Blow them away and they will tell their friends”, he says. Thus, our connections will grow. Of course, this is all related to marketing which, as you know, is NOT my happy place …. but somehow that idea takes the pressure off.
And so, I will dive into a new week with a new resistance-decreasing technique and a need-for-wider-marketing avoidance tip (I’m sure that’s not what Godin intended!!). I hope any creative endeavours (indeed, ANY endeavours) you tackle this week can perhaps benefit as well.
Best wishes,
Kirsten
Everyday Thoughts of an Artist 
I so love this post!
I have re read it and read it again.
I think a great deal about the minimum, the enough-i-ness of enough, the aweful, terrible, nothing, bad, good, better, best, perfect, enough continuum, if there is such a thing. I think of homeopathy and why it’s so poorly maligned, I think of hormesis…
“Hormesis is the term for generally favorable biological responses to low exposures to toxins and other stressors. It comes from Greek hórmēsis “rapid motion, eagerness”, itself from ancient Greek hormáein “to set in motion, impel, urge on”. A pollutant or toxin showing hormesis thus has the opposite effect in small doses as in large doses.”
And I think of rest.
And I wonder why we are so intent on the thought that more is better, as a default: when we know it’s not true.
And I aim this week, after pondering for over a week, to find each new connection to be enough, even if it takes much labour for me to understand how each CAN be enough.
Kirsten, I thank you an infinity for this thought provoking post: it came to me as fresh, cool water in my desert.
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Oh, Tanja, so pleased it was thought-provoking for you too. I like your aim for the week – worth pursuing!
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This reminds me of something else I loved reading just this morning.
https://www.manrepeller.com/2019/02/trap-of-turning-hobbies-into-hustles.html
“You don’t have to monetize your joy.”
The joys to me are the realisations, achievements, and freedoms found in the act of creation.
Today I feel much more inclined to highly value time spent in a meaningful connection as more important than fleeting “thrills” of engagement or reach on an endless search for popularity.
Lovely insightful blog.
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Thank you, Carol. So true about monetising joy (although those art materials cost a bomb!!! Hahaha. Always good to pay for a new piece of paper or whatever.) The time we spend creating is so valuable in its own right! Keep enjoying! K
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