Juan David’s Newsletter - June 19th, 2023
Make Your Projects Light So They Can Fly
In recent weeks, my days have been a whirlwind of building projects, nurturing expectations, and inadvertently allowing those expectations to swell and overpower me.
It is within the realm of the latter that I have uncovered a flaw in my current mode of thinking, but more importantly, I have discovered an upgrade—an evolution, if you will—of the framing I adopt when embarking on new ventures.
When inspiration strikes and an idea for a project takes root, I find myself compelled to complete it with fervor. I surrender to the intoxicating embrace of creativity. As the construction begins and the form of my creation materializes before me, I am struck with a question: "Great! It is taking shape. How might I elevate it to greater heights?”
This approach seems harmless, but the issue lies in my timing. I have been grievously mistaken in determining when to tinker and allow unadulterated joy to guide me, and when to transition into the role of a strategist, propelling my creation towards larger, more expansive stages.
I have been far too hasty, leaping into the distribution phase prematurely, and this misstep has severely stunted my growth, not only in recent weeks but potentially over the course of the past five years. Although this realization may sound disheartening, it fills me with delight, as I now perceive a clearer and lighter path ahead.
The notion of lightness is crucial, and you must prioritize it. The opposite of lightness is expectations.
Expectations become a burdensome monster that savagely slays the joy of creation. Picture a character, let's call him Mr. Expectations, who presents himself as the announcer of success, happiness, wealth, love, etc. Yet, once you shake his hand, you find yourself unwittingly entering a treacherous labyrinth from which escape seems impossible. This path is known as procrastination or the “burnout” path.
The arrival of Mr. Expectations extinguishes those initial flickers of inspiration. I have suppressed their growth prematurely. I have suffocated them without even granting them a chance to bloom. Expectations must be kept at a distance, allowed to emerge only when the opportune moment presents itself.
Projects, however, demand to be approached one step at a time. They embody a profound sense of amusement and gratification. My projects resemble a nuclear fusion reactor, where the energy I invest, let's say 10 JuanDavidWats, multiplies and returns to me as 1000 JuanDavidWats. This vibrant exchange transpires effortlessly, devoid of expectations—simply play in its purest form.
In the early stages, expectations are far from beneficial, as they dull one's sensitivity to the richness of experience. Instead, it is in the embrace of joy, fun, and the absence of expectations that one finds the pure desire to create from the depths of their heart, to craft something intrinsically meaningful for oneself, and ultimately, to share it with the world when the opportune moment arises.
Just as art is not about drawing, but rather learning to how to see. Likewise, creation is about learning how to observe’s one way and leave it untouched without expectations.
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With lightful joy,
Juan David Campolargo