The Creative Flow State ~ 3 mins.

The Creative Flow State ~ 3 mins.

Trying to start a business is taxing to say the least. When I was prototyping the original V1.0, I virtually spent an entire 6 month period of spare time working on iterations, modifying code, the housings, testing, researching and learning. The entire process of designing a product & business strategy, as well as media and content has taken over 4,000 hours from me to date.

The tone of that sentence may sound cynical. But it has actually become an investment of mine, this business - The same way that I invest my currency. Any spare time that I have, is spent either acting, or thinking about acting in the best interest of this product and brand.

Many times, i've been asked 'Do you really believe that it's worth it, all this time you're spending on this business?' and the truth is, you have to be unbelievably, undeniably delusional about the idea in your mind, and believe in it at all costs, to be able to weave it into existence. Actually, you have to be one of two things; 1. you have to be completely focused on its creation and the processes you will use, along with the end goal to remain on track and engaged. OR 2. Utterly obsessive and excited at the idea of your creation coming to life. Only the most disciplined individuals, or the most determined, will see it through. I am option 2: - generating my own product, from concept to reality is a dream of mine, and always has been.

During its creation, I became completely fuelled by the process. It got to the point where 19 hour days were the norm, I went to work for respite, in preparation for the gruelling evening ahead. (BTW this is not a sob story, these were my choices in order to get the quickest turnaround for a prototype).

What's crazy is the fact that I did not seem to tire during creative periods. I would always recommend anyone who has the opportunity to spend a very long time in a creative flow state, to do so for their own personal benefit if nothing else. The brain functions completely differently when given fewer boundaries, and the option to generate something of its own free will. Famous quote from Jimmy Carr, is also to 'spend as much time as you can in the creative flow state'.

I would not change how I spent that time under any circumstance. It's coming up to the three-year anniversary of the first mockup for the product, and we're still refining, with design concepts for V2.0 on the horizon. Plenty more to come.

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