December 04, 2019

Starting Something New

What’s up Okito Fam – I know it’s been a while! I want you to know that the past few months have been full of reflection for me. Reflection as a designer, as a business owner and reflecting mostly on my workflows and processes. As you’ll see soon, we’re changing some things up and I am so excited about it. As I approach these new chapters, I wanted to share some knowledge that I’ve gained in my trials and errors and in my business studies.

As a creative, you are constantly meditating on ideas and thoughts on how to create a final product or service or masterpiece. As an idea, the workload is light and seemingly feasible. However, when you start turning the wheel to make an idea into something tangible – the outlook can be intimidating and honestly, detours so many of us from ever taking the necessary steps to get where you want to be. Here are some practical steps to help tackle the daunting tasks head-on.

First, evaluate the steps you need to take to turn your creative thought into the grand finale – whatever that may be. Some steps will seem small and some steps will be very large, so you can create sub-steps in order to meet your goals. Do your best to map out the steps, from start to finish. Doing this will also create a roadmap and timeline for you to follow. Map out big milestones and propose a date for a final deliverable, even if it’s an estimate, this will help you stay on track.

Once you have your steps laid out, the work starts. Make it a personal goal to do “some” steps every day. Trust me, I understand that life can get crazy and some things get moved to the wayside, but on those days, just do one step. And on other “motivated” days, do as many as you can.

A big component that will be your friend and your enemy in the process is TIME. Manage your time wisely. Refer back to your roadmap to ensure you’re staying on track with where you’re going. Time will give you direction if you let it – it can fuel you for any destination.

Personally, this next one is tough for me. But… talk to people about this project, talk to them about other ideas, show them your creations, let them know about your goals. Sharing your ideas with similar creatives can manifest a greater product, they can provide constructive criticism and help you adhere to your timelines.

Showing the world your “art” can be very scary, the second you put something out for people to judge you make yourself extremely vulnerable and you feel the pressure of perfection. Don’t get too caught up on trying to do everything perfectly. Usually, the perfection you’re striving for will be built in pieces and will blossom in the times of letting go and just doing.

Lastly, my final advice is to KEEP GOING. There will absolutely be set-backs, overwhelming moments, big wins, big losses, maybe some tears – maybe even blood but never stop working towards the goal. You can manifest an idea to become whatever it is you want it to be – stay focused and remember “FROM THOUGHT TO FINISH!”