Allegra Wilde with Chase Jarvis: Notes on a podcast

I have been a long-time listener of the podcast Chase Jarvis Live.

Love his style of interviewing, his choice of guest and topics, and his ethos; I quote his podcast page:

There’s a common misconception that artists have a monopoly on creativity

This particular episode struck a chord, an interview with creative coach & portfolio reviewer, Allegra Wilde of Eyeist.com. I noted some of my favourite excerpts:

“In a free market economy, we have a lot of stuff that looks alike. This causes customers to often go with the cheapest, go with the one they used before, go with one they were recommended by someone they trust or want to emulate.

The only thing that you have that someone else can’t appropriate, is what is in your gut and your personal story.

If you look like a lot of other people, you get the job a lot less of the time.

You have to [take the picture/make the work/sell the colour/service the client] that no-one else in the world would.

To reach that unique interpretation of the world, start with emotion, start with words and think of a picture that is about what word. Think about compassion, lust, delirium, ecstasy, delight…what you make in your head will, in about 4 seconds, is only from you. You didn’t make it from another picture. You didn’t make it from an outside influence. There is some really important raw material there.

Work to                say

                                articulate

                                express

                                                                the thing that is inside of you

SHOW! DON’T TELL!

How many people do you really need to like your work? How many people, if they hired you, would it take to have a good year?

You are not going to work for 25,000 people; you might work for 10 or for 25 people or companies.”