All In My Saab

My good friend Andrew Murphy sent me this video to watch.   Although it is a very technical and talks a lot about programming, the message of the speaker REALLY rung true to me.  Quotes like “I demand all of your talent and trust non of your judgment” really reminded me of some places I have worked.

Especially Min. 15 -> 30ish.

Zed Shaw - The ACL is Dead

If you don’t have time to watch an hour and a half video on programing, here are some of the basics.

• Creativity has a value beyond the product that it can produce.
• Most creative people work for business (read non creative) minded people.
• Don’t let yourself be taken advantage of.  If someone values your creativity and drive, they should show it beyond a paycheck. (This is one place were I disagreed with the speaker a bit.  He seemed to imply that EVEN a high paying job is not enough of a reward.  Although I agree that ideally one should benefit directly from there work… there is a value to job security and a FAT paycheck as long as you enjoy the job).
• Don’t let your creativity slow down if your job does not fulfill it. (I got a BFA in graphic design, but within 1 month of my “design job” I was doing SEO and writing HTML.  I had to find a way to keep designing on the site in order to keep my design skills up to par).
• Do something other people are not doing.  “I am going to start a blog about being a mom and review toys.”  That’s fine, but you should have a real good twist to it if you want a following.  This doesn’t mean that you can’t make it with a simple “parenting blog” it just means your chances are slimmer.

Before I left my job and started my own firm, I used to do a lot of the things he mentioned.  I had various sites that I would work on in my free time.  Although, as an employer I don’t agree with doing personal projects while on the clock, I do agree that any creative work (this includes programming) requires some level of flexibility.

Have you gotten to the point were you are getting the value out of your talent? If not, how are you able to keep the creativity going?  Are you actively moving towards a place in life were you can benefit?