J: How to know what to make

P: A podcast journey to take the first steps on your big idea!

J: Welcome

Phoebe: Hi there creative, artist, business owner, human in the world. Phoebe and Jacque here.

Jacque: We see you!

You’re a seasoned doer. You have launched new ideas before.

You know you have have great ideas, and you know how to get them out in the world, but instead you’re doomscrolling on the apps, worries your ideas “aren’t unique or cool enough”.

You’re ignoring the spark of inspiration because it’s “not the right time”.

Phoebe: You’ve got a bullet journal (vintage!), notes app, and a notion database functioning as a idea graveyard. You’re up late googling “perfect podcasting mic” that will surely grant you much success and make my skin perfect too, and have your mother (finally) love you.

& you have the nudge to make something new, maybe something you have never done before, or in a way that feels unchartered.

Jacque: We invite you to come a long with us as we move through the journey of beginning together.

Phoebe: Let’s tune into your creative spirit/guide/gut butt. Plug in your headphones, grab a matcha, hot girl walk, unload the dishwater, get in the bath, go to the place where you have your ideas. (Theres some cool science to why you have ideas in the shower)

Jacque: We know you have a kick ass idea. That’s already determined. That’s fate. Ideas will come. Your ideas are great. But the one you can stay committed to over the next few minutes, that one can create universe shifting, galaxy expanding, big beautiful change in the world. We are moving forward under this impression. Unlock that mind palace!

J: Ideas and Containers

Jacque: How do you know what you want to make?

Phoebe: Each idea has a container. There is the idea. Which is really a feeling, vibe, vision we want to bring into the world. And then there is where that idea fits. Where does the idea belong?

Jacque: A painting isn’t a painting because an artist calls themselves a painter, it’s a painting because its the artist job to translate an idea into a painting. It’s a painting because an idea became a painting. That idea could have been a book, a play, a course, a YouTube series, a poem, a dance, a concert.

Phoebe: Some of our fave multi-hyphen artists, David Lynch, Issa Rae, Donald Glover, Miranda July, they have a lot of ideas. And they do a lot of things with those ideas. They are performers, composers, writers, producers, singers, film makers, dancers, directors, musicians. They have published books, created solo art exhibitions, and won Emmys for their tv shows.

Jacque: What do you want your idea to be? Now consider, what does your idea want to be?

Phoebe: So you have your idea, and you know the container it will fit within. We are here with you and we are working once again from the impression that everything turns out better than good. Then, comes the how. The how, how, how, keeps us up at night. How the fuck do we make what we need to make to see this thing out in the world?

P: Simmering and Dopamine Hits

Jacque: First things first, simmer.

Okay, you’re excited! Your amped! Your idea now has a direction! You want to share it all with the world right now because this feeling - this new, shiny, could maybe change everything for everyone and yourself idea is gonna be IT!

Phoebe: The dopamine hit of NEW SHINY IDEA is TANTALIZING, especially for the squiggly brain creative crew. Before telling everyone and their mum you’re writing the next great American novel, what is the messy, DIY quick and easy way you can experiment with this idea?

Like I am the patron saint of thinking I can become a candle maker, going out to the store and buying all of the supplies to make candles and then stuff all of those supplies into a closet to never see the light of day again.

BUT what we’re doing to experiment with here is space/time.

Jacque: What if, you gave your idea a little bit of room. Even for an hour, two, a day. What if you nourished it with some light, soil, and the gift of a regulated body and some rest?

Phoebe: This is not procrastination. This is experimentation. This is treating your project and ideas with respect while honouring your freaky, deaky, little dopamine addicted frontal lobe (unsure of the science on this I am sure someone will write in to correct us).

P: Starting:

Jacque: Your idea trusts that you know exactly what it needs. You know how to begin.

Experimentation is one way to begin. So is production, and then, feedback. These are the many places you COULD begin. They are all important. They are all a place to start. Ugh, oh, starting. Maybe you’re a seasoned starter. Maybe actually starting doesn’t scare you. You go get all the ingredients to begin, and then you get bored and walk away.

We have all been here. We all know procrastination station. It is so easy to pull off the highway before we have even begun.

J: Procrastination:

Phoebe: We see great minds do this all the time, and I think its kind of a cute way for our brains to protect ourselves from the Big Idea. Let’s talk about Bikeshedding

Bike Shedding // Bikeshedding, describes our tendency to devote a disproportionate amount of our time to menial and trivial matters while leaving important matters unattended.

Jacque: And while we don’t believe in the shame blame game, and we know procrastination can play a role in the creative process, we are going to send some love to the two gremlins of doubt right now, procrastination and perfectionism.

Phoebe: Our perfectionist brain loves to tell us the big shiny way of doing the THING, it has to be 11/10. And word to the perfectionist brain right, it’s probably there to keep you safe, perfectionism asks us to stay hyper vigilant. If your Sleep paralysis demon is taking up residence in your head as the third grade teacher that told you did your assignment WRONG, normal, same and they can leave.

Jacque: “Hey there, P+P thanks for protecting me. I love you. Now, you no longer are driving the bus. I am driving the bus. You two are the best way for me to never get anything done. I am committed to building my risk tolerance, so thank you, but goodbye.”

Phoebe: We can’t give ideas space if we don’t give ourselves permission to FUCK UP.

P: Starting Again:

Jacque: ~~~~Let us return back to starting. Taking the first step. While everyone’s journey is different, and we do not believe in a one size fits the creative approach.

Here is what we would suggest…

If you’re feeling like you are not clear on the WHY of your idea, go experiment some more. The why answers the questions, what am I hoping this will do for me? For the world? What will this container provide/shift/change?

If you’re feeling like you know why you’re making your container, and who it is for, hop into production. Production meaning gathering all the materials, the support, and the time you need to make the thing.

If you’re feeling like 1. you know why you’re making your container, 2. who it’s for, and 3. you have a clear of what you need to make in order to put it out into the world, 4. and, you have access to the time and materials to make it, then, it is time for you to get some trusted, community centered, feedback.

Phoebe: You’ve chosen your starting point: Expierementation, production, or feedback.

Great! You have made another decision! CONGRATS!

There is always a first task in the starting. For experimentation that might look like audience research. For production, that might look like identifying what materials you need, and making a list. For feedback, that might look like choosing a few trusted confidantes to share your container with.

Jacque: Feeling UGH! or overwhelmed by your first task? Let’s try something together! Remember, your idea trusts you to see it through.

Phoebe: What about your starting task feels hard? What are your “ugh” tasks? Write them down.

Jacque: Get specific. Create time in my calendar for research. Take a look at my sewing supplies, assess what I need to get. Send 3 texts to friends for feedback.

Phoebe: What are your ugh tasks standing in front of? What are the things

• Grab your “ugh task” and ask yourself “how might this be more creative/artlike/easeful”?

  • make it prettier

  • emojis

  • write a poem about it

  • go for a walk

  • paint it first

  • sit with a microphone or record yourself, talk it out

  • for me, it’s always gonna be walk to a cafe

Phoebe: This is what we call, artist behavior.

P: Business behaviour vs artist behaviour

Jacque: Here’s the difference between business and artist behaviour. One protects the idea ya know, remember the feeling you were translating into your idea, earlier? The other, not so much.

Our hypothesis is that an artist makes for themselves first. Maybe the making also pays their rent, maybe the making changes the world (it does), but an artist creates and shares their work to feel less alone. To mirror back to the world what is hard, painful, joyful, or possible. Whether or not someone sees, knows, and understands the “art” isn’t really any of the artists business. What is? The process. If it’s fun, easeful, healthy, resilient, dedicated, interesting. If the path there reflects the intentionality of the end product, of the container.

Business exist to give something to someone they may need or desire. Trade implies someone is in need, and the business has the solution. Business is about seeing the container as a way of paying the rent, and being actually very much invested in if the customer “understands”.

Business behavior asks, “will this sell”?

Artist behavior asks, “how does this feel? does this decision, choice, step serve the container?”

Phoebe: It is very easy to distracted by business behavior. Especially in our world of IG ads telling us what we SHOULD be doing to make 10k months ALL THE TIME.

We have not been taught that business can be art, and art can be business.

Jacque: If all of the above sounds like your jam, come join us in our metaphysical studio.

At DYE we use artist behavior to make business moves. We approach business like art, and help you make everything you need to take your seed of an idea to a living, breathing, beautiful project to show the world.

Phoebe: Congrats! You began today. And you trusted that your idea and creativity knows what it needs next.

When you have an understanding of your creative process you have a better understanding of what WORKS and functions, the context of what you ACTUALLY need then the way you show up to you IG stories, your community, your shower thoughts to be able to deliver your big ideas with ease, clarity confidence. 💃🏻