Be Here Now

I wrote ‘Be Here Now’ on a slip of paper that I kept on my desk at my previous job. The inspiration came from a post on Ze Frank’s site that discussed slogans or phrases that people used to stay motivated. At that time, I felt as if I kept looking to the future, or looking back to see what I could have done differently. I needed a reminder to stop and remember that I could only affect the present moment.

Affecting the present moment translated into making changes in the way I think and work. I started to explore multiple options for a problem, rather than resorting to the obvious idea or concept. To do this, I had to loosen my need for perfection. I was obsessively trying to create perfect concepts, which was causing me to lose focus of the core idea. I began thinking in the present, while still remaining focused on the client’s needs and execution of the final product. My concepts became very rough, but they illustrated the idea. I was less concerned about a paragraph of text lining up the right way, and more focused on communicating the idea.

The idea was king, and the layout was my stumbling block. By creating stumbling blocks I allowed myself to trip along the way. I found that creativity flourished when I focused on the idea. An initial concept doesn’t need to be brightly polished. It can be rough in layout as long as the core idea sings loudly.

I found myself thinking to the future, and basing ideas off the past by striving for perfection early on in the process. I didn’t want to be wrong, and I became overly self-aware of what I was creating. I self-censored at a time when I should have keep my mind open.

Keeping a reminder to be here now helps me be more expressive. It’s easier to keep my mind open, and I enjoy stumbling along the way. One of the stumbling blocks I’m creating at this moment is this Web site. I’m not a great writer, but I’m going to keep on writing. I’m not a rock-star designer, but I’m going to stand proudly behind my work. I’m going to be here now.