Good morning, Tuesday. I had a fabulous long weekend celebrating my husband's birthday yesterday- it really was one of those perfect New York weekends- from seeing Jay Z perform in Brooklyn (surely a highlight of my life) to wandering around a sleepy Manhattan on Sunday, having dim sum with friends and walking around neighborhoods undiscovered and weird in that "Flight of the Conchords" kind of way (I always remember thinking they had such strange locations that I had never seen before). Yesterday was a straight up lounger of a day, kicking around the neighborhood and ending up with some homemade mac and cheese courtesy of moi.
But back to Jay Z. I mean. He's a force. When you think about where he comes from and where he is now, it's hard to imagine a more American success story. From living in the projects and being raised by a single mother, to selling drugs and then eventually ruling the world of hip hop, becoming one of the world's most recognizable brands, and marrying one of the most beautiful world, you gotta give it to him. And as he rapped his way into our psyches Friday night with his on point delivery of all his greatest hits with a set that shouted out Brooklyn in the coolest of ways (projections of Brooklyn brownstones and landmarks), he told all of us that we have potential, that we all have genius inside of us, should we choose to use it. I couldn't agree more.
It's funny that HOVA said that, too. Because as I was leaving my freelance gig on Friday night, rushing to get home and change for the show, it occured to me that the most valuable thing we have in thsi world are our ideas. If you've ever worked in advertising, the people who make the most money and seem to glean some happiness from the madness are those who trade in ideas- the creatives. As someone who has always produced for a living, it's a hard fact of life to ignore that although without people to help bring the ideas to life, many great ideas would die a swift death. But I can't help but wonder why many producers don't make more money than they do, for all the stress and spreadsheets and negotiations and interpretations of sometimes opaque concepts. Truth is, ideas are simply worth more. Especially good ones. They're the currency that drives everything we all do, so why not come up with a couple of those? Think about it- not everyone is a writer or "creative" type, but I can't help but think of people like Sara Blakely, who invented Spanx and completely changed the way women get dressed. And why was it successful? Sure there was cute packaging and a good product, but damned if coming up with a more inclusive approach to modern suck-it-inage was quite simply a great idea. It's all in the ideas, kiddos. Imagine if someone in government had one of those from time to time...There is simply nothing more important or valuable than great ideas.
I've wondered for years why I've always felt a bit at odds with what I did for a living- I loved production, loved connecting, loved making stuff happen and giving integrity to great ideas, many of which took months to sell and figure out and integrate into some brand's strategy. But here's the deal- when I'm writing about fashion or life or females or rock and roll, it's effortless. There's no pain with it, at least for me. That's because it's coming directly from my brain, coming up with ideas for posts and pieces feels wholly mine, dependent on my creativity and point of view and mood. I generally enjoy writing things about stuff I feel passionately about , that call on my life experience and tastes. Many people can write technical copy or ad copy, but that's just not for me. And I suspect Jay couldn't either, not that I'm comparing myself to him- just inspired by his method of storytelling. He raps about what he knows- his journey, his current state of mind, his favorite things. This is when ideas are really allowed to sing- when they come from a place of truth. Besides, what's the alternative? To be dishonest and fake and disingenuous? Nah.What I love about Jay Z is everything he does feels so authentic ot his "brand"- and there's no compromising when it come to what he wants the world to see and what he wants his fans to vibe on. He knows his talent so well that it's pretty hard to imagine him failing at everything- he's that laser focused when it comes to sharing his ideas and genius with us. And when you're being true to yourself, I'm of the mind that the rest of us will notice and enjoy it as well. Get away and run fast from those people that that want anything else from your every day.
If we are to move forward in this country or in this world, we need to realize just how important ideas are to our future. And I agree wholeheartedly with Jay Z that we all are capable of so much greatness- it may not one day allow us to be triple digit millionaires, but maybe our very own genius and ideation comes in figuring out new ways to feed our families every night to finding ways to instill a bit of creativity into the every day. Even if we're not willing to quit our jobs and our lives to write the great American novel, meditate on a rock in India, or take a crack at world peace, we all need to channel that spirit that speaks to who we really are.
Too often our jobs take that away from us- don't let it. Find a work around- whatever it is that inspires you to keep thinking, creating, or recognizing your genius has to somehow find its way into your overly scheduled life. I know that no matter how many readers I have, I have to keep writing to stay alive. I feel lucky to have found writing again after so many idle years- we are all capable of "more" and more does not always mean more money, though that's always nice. If you're feeling trapped by your every day, take some time to come up with some solid ideas. Make something. Do something. Feel something. Inspire someone. Take a leap. Take a risk. Don't be afraid and don't let anybody try to take that from you. We all have such a unique perspective and we all come from different DNA- embrace that "you" thing and there's no stopping you. I'm trying to live in that truth today as I try to forget the crappy commute in the rain- I joined a writing class whch I'm stoked about, and hope to continue to bring you my thoughts and ideas- my currency has so long been entrenched in making stuff happen, that now I'm going to spend some time focusing on making stuff for myself. I'll still do what I need to do to make a living, but being creative is now a big part of my life, and honoring it is more important to me than anything. And that's what's up this don't stop believin' kind of Tuesday in the rainy and yawny NYC. Be true and believe today. Let it shine. XO