Life Lesson

Doing More Than You’ve Done

Garth Beyer

Of course that’s not possible, but feeling like you’ve done more than you have is.

Shoes tell a lot about a person. I always say that you never have to step in anyone’s shoes to know what their life is like, you’ve just got to look at the bottom of them.

Tried and true… until recently.

I’m wearing my second pair of Steve Madden shoes and I feel bad. I feel like I’ve done more than I actually have. You look at the bottom of my shoes and all traction is worn flat. Oh, and the soles are cracked, creating a hole for my heel to nearly touch the pavement with each step. (They actually did with my last pair!)

Alas, I’ve done very little of anything exciting while wearing these shoes. A few dress-up events here, a few nice dinners there and that’s it. No parkour, no carnivals, or community interactive events. In other words, I’ve done little while wearing these shoes. They seem to reflect the opposite.

Maybe it’s just me. Maybe most people will only think the shoe is poorly made, and it is, but one thing is guaranteed: everything you use makes you feel something.

People love products that make them feel good, make them feel motivated, better-than-average, and like they accomplished something. Whether you think about how you feel when you use something or not, if you’re creating something for someone else to use, you don’t have a choice but to consider it.

 

Stay Positive & How Does That Make You Feel?

Garth E. Beyer

A Tribal Puzzle

Garth Beyer

We are all programmed to find, build, and invest in tribes. It’s just one natural order of being human. Seth Godin proves it in his book Tribes and Lee Richard states the obvious of it in his introduction to Jack Reacher’s Rules.

What puzzles me, though, is that we work best in smaller tribes, yet strive to make large tribes. In businesses, the rule is 150, Dunbar’s number. It’s the maximum number of people who can work socially and effectively in a group. Yet, most businesses do their best to fit as many employees in one large building as possible.

There are three major startup curators in Madison, WI. (100state, Sector67, and gener8tor.) All are working to come together under one roof. To that, I ask, why?

When all data reflects the smaller the better, why strive for more, more, more?

The way I see it is this, if you release a product, make sure it targets a small audience. Focus all your attention on the 20 percent that you can profit from and forget the other 80 percent that will take all your time and energy. And if by some chance, your product begins to appeal to the other 80 percent as strongly as the first 20 percent, then open it up. But until that day, quit striving for it.

I guarantee more creative projects will come out of the three startup curators while separated than when under the same roof.

 

Stay Positive & Less Is More, More, More

Garth E. Beyer

A Spin On UW-Madison Liberal Arts Pursuit

Garth Beyer

Everyone studying liberal arts knows the value and importance of lifelong learning and global perspectives. Through my time at Madison, I have noticed that students have lost a certain sense that is important to the Wisconsin experience, and it will surprise you.

I noticed a lacking sense of community with other students. We’re all aware of clubs, organizations, internships, and work study, but very little of starting something new that has a direct connection to developing the Madison community.

I was barely through my first semester at Madison when I noticed this and decided to assign myself the challenge of building this part of the Wisconsin experience.

Before I can tell you of my efforts, we have to define “community.” A community is not a tight circle of like-minded people, rather multiple circles of like-minded people with a goal to give back.

Much of what students attach themselves to is built as a resource that they can take from. What’s the common reason behind joining a certain club? “It looks good on the résumé.”

What’s the common reason behind building a community? “To create something outside of the classroom that others in the area can embrace, not use as a stepping stone to what they really want.”

What I have learned inside the classroom is that there are hundreds of liberal arts students with phenomenal ideas. I’ve learned that students want to work on projects, want to create something meaningful for others to use, and – surprisingly – want to work in groups.

I saw an opening to do something about it. At this point, I have to credit the liberal arts program that I am in with putting the fire in my belly and the opportunity to lead in my hands.

The summer of 2013, I put together a team of students to be part of a think tank – to share the wildest ideas they could come up with and see if we could fulfill them. Currently, fall of 2013, I have put together a team to talk about fear, failing, and how to follow through with our creative impulses. I plan to take what I’ve learned from these experiences and voice them at Wisconsin’s Festival of Ideas.

 

Stay Positive & Hope To See You There

– Garth E. Beyer

The Swap

Garth Beyer

For some, finding/making time to work on their art is impractical. The hassle of time management, task management, and people management is too complicated and, in itself, time-consuming. Nearly counterintuitive.

That is why I often suggest that they swap something they do regularly to work on their muse. The reading sessions at night can be put on a halt for a week. Karaoke night, family scrabble, lunch dates; they can all be post-pined for a week or two.

Finding time to work on your art is difficult. Swapping it with one of your weekly (or, hopefully, daily) habits is much easier to do.

Before you know it, you’ll be able to do both.

 

Stay Positive & Time Will Find You

Garth E. Beyer

For Starters

Garth Beyer

First sentences are expensive, mentally that is.

I’ve had writers, teachers, and friends remind me that the first sentence of any writing (the attention grabber) is the most important sentence and needs to be perfect. I squirm when I hear people tell me the first sentence must be perfect because they talk as if there is only one perfect way to start.

There are thousands of great ways to start. My philosophy is to find one that is great and move on. Most changes I see writers make with their first sentence doesn’t make it better, it just changes it into another great one.

Artists, not just writers, spend so much time on perfecting that first sentence.

Make it great and move on.

 

Stay Positive & Chasing Perfection Is Time Not Well Spent

Garth E. Beyer

People don’t remember the first sentence anyway. They do, however, remember the story and the ending.

Can You Do It Better

Garth Beyer

Of course you can, there is always room for improvement. But, I’ll admit, you will get to that point when you don’t want to put in the effort. Maybe it’s because you won’t get acknowledged for your effort, you don’t get paid enough, or you’re stretching the expectations of your job further than your boss may want you to.

I am in full support of finding and executing more ways to do what you have to do better. When you get to that point where you don’t want to (or do not have the freedom to) do any better, that’s when you stay just ahead of the game and work on your muse.

You don’t need to quit your job to fulfill your goals as an artist. Nor do you need to work your way all the way to the top of your current job to be able to support yourself as an artist.

If 4 is the best. Put 3 toward your job and 1 toward your muse. You don’t need a 4-0 or 0-4 ratio.

 

Stay Positive & Don’t Tell Me There’s No Way… You Can Do Better Than That

Garth E. Beyer

Habitude

Garth Beyer

When you feel behind, you need to change not what you do, but the attitude you carry with one action. Before you know it, your attitude will be consistent with other actions.

Your consistent attitude with one action always becomes present in all other habits.

It’s just the way it is.

 

Stay Positive & Use It To Your Advantage

Garth E. Beyer