A brief but necessary guide to living a remarkable life as a creative genius

re•mark•able [adjective]: worthy of being noticed, especially as being uncommon or extraordinary

The first thing you must do on your quest for remarkability is to make a decision to be remarkable. 

Pretty simple so far, right?

But let’s not get carried away… If you truly want to be a remarkable creator you have to promise yourself one thing:  

You must solemnly swear that you will do everything in your power and put every ounce of your being into creating something special.

Something worth sharing.

Nothing else will do. 

Remarkability is not easy. If it was easy it wouldn’t be remarkable, would it?

You know you will have to overcome fear, slay your demons, and take treacherous paths full of risk without any guarantee of a return. 

You will fail. Time and time again. But you will get up. Time and time again. 

 And keep striving on regardless, for you know that the path of least resistance is the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. 

You will walk the lonely road

The only one you have ever known

You don’t know where it goes

But it’s home to you, as you walk alone 

— Green Day

We have looked at inversion thinking before and we shall do so again.

What is inversion thinking?

It’s a mental model about approaching what you want to achieve in reverse. 

It is a unique and counterintuitive strategy to problem-solving which starts with imagining the worst-case scenarios – and then using those scenarios as the basis for developing the solutions

In order to be a remarkable creative, we must list everything an unremarkable creative would do…and then do the opposite of that.

To be remarkable we simply need to do the opposite of the unremarkable. 

How to live an unremarkable creative life? 

Follow these steps to live a stress free unremarkable creative life.

Blame others:

Surround yourself with people like you. Blame others for your mistakes. Blame the market for your failures. 

Talk about the times you ‘nearly’ made it a lot. Spend your entire life telling everybody you could have been somebody. 

Don’t push yourself: 

Create every now and then. Whenever you feel like it. Succumb to your fears.

Care more about what others think of you rather than what you think of yourself. 

Never leave your comfort zone. Start creative projects but never finish them — and refer back to point 1) if questioned. 

Never think about or question the status quo:

Never question authority. Do as you’re told. Never, under any circumstances, question your own thinking. 

Always moan about how things used to be better. 

Be a sheep:

Follow the crowd. Don’t stand out. Don’t take risks. 

Dilute your creative potential in case it gets criticised. Get frustrated at your lack of success. Blame the saturated market ( point 1) and quit your passion. 

When you fail, resolve never to do it again. Go with the flow. Agree with everything that is popular until it fades and then claim you never liked it anyway. 

Work:

Get bitter because your creativity isn’t providing an income and reluctantly accept a 9-5 in a cubicle. 

“Work 50 hours a week doing a job you hate so you can buy shit you don’t need to impress people you don’t like.” — Tyler Durden

Attend pointless meetings. Never take responsibility. Pretend to like your colleagues just to get through the days. 

Instead of trying to fix big problems that will serve others, focus on small wins that give the illusion of productivity to your boss with the minimum of effort on your part.

Occasionally have business ideas that excite you but never do anything about them.

Life:

Marry someone like you. Have kids like you. Spend every night sitting on the sofa watching mind-numbing TV shows while counting down the hours until you need to go back to your cubicle.

Live a life of quiet desperation:

Get in credit card debt. Buy expensive cars to try and fill the emptiness inside. 

Spend the next 40 years with dreams of retiring and seeing the world when your body is old and your mind is expiring. 

When you reach your final curtain:

Start feeling regretful for not taking your opportunities. Try to blame others but the truth weighs deep down that is all your fault.

And then die with regrets. 

How to be a remarkable creative genius and live a life worth living?

Do the opposite of everything above☝️

A bit about me

I help maverick artists and creators make a racket in crowded markets, crush the creative blocks that hold them back, and build engaged audiences

Every creative rebel’s worst enemy?

Creative mediocrity: Being bland. Staying in our lane. Creating in our comfort zone and following the crowds.

The Goal?

To create authentic work that matters. Take creative risks, avoid creative burnout, and turn audiences into superfans. 

I’m a former multi-platinum artist manager who got burnt out and became a creative blogger, coach, and consultant.

I’ve challenged myself to write 50 articles in 50 working days. 20 down, 30 to go.

Find out more information on my website or connect on my LinkedIn