How Can We Last Long As Writers (And Creators)? Four Ideas From The Founder Of Patagonia, A 'Small 49-year' Old Globally Respected Clothing Brand Fighting Climate Change
This 49-year old clothing brand has something to teach us about longevity.
I'll borrow a business idea to talk about what I think writers (and creators) can do to last long doing the things they love.
Here's a snippet from an interview the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, had with McKinsey's Tony Hansen:
"We know we have to be intentional in our growth to be around for another 50 years, so we're focused on longevity, not expansion... Our success is based on quality in whatever we do and we're taking that into the future."
Profound and full of deep wisdom.
These are the kind of ideas that make me excited about entrepreneurship and business in general.
Before we go ahead, Patagonia, in a recent global survey, was ranked the brand with the best reputation ahead of well-known global giant brands like Apple, Amazon, and Samsung.
Well, you should already have an idea why.
They have a firm commitment to their 'why.'
They don't just talk about their why; they do it.
The founder of Patagonia recently gave his company away. He donated it to fight climate change.
Yeah, you heard that right!
Let’s dive right in…
Intentional About "Good" Growth
to be intentional in our growth…
Writers and creators who are deeply intentional about their growth will last long. Why?
It's simple.
Writers who want to grow understand that their growth is directly proportional to the quality of work they produce.
And if the quality of work produced is excellent and of a high standard, that means it positively impacts the lives of those who read and interact with it.
Their pursuit of growth is not just about metrics or numbers (bad growth is all about numbers, profit without considering deeper things) but about going deeper and deeper, unearthing the hidden treasures in their art and, at the same time, enriching the hundreds, thousands, millions and even billions of human beings who interact and consume their art.
Writers and creators who are intentional about growth will last longer.
They are never bored with creating because they are seeing new things, experiencing fresh realities and discovering novel possibilities.
In the world of creativity, burnout can attack creators if they refuse to improve, get better and discover new things.
Creativity is all about adventure. And if you aren't on an adventure, then what are you doing here?
Every new song, new book, article, art, drama or whatever you create is an adventure.
Focusing On Longevity And Not Expansion
focused on longevity, not expansion...
Expansion is good when it considers longevity.
Unfortunately, most businesses, and in this context, writers and creators are just bothered about expansion.
...more followers, more money, expanding into more territories...
No one is saying expansion is bad.
The problem with expansion is that it's easy to get lost in it and forget why you started in the first place.
You get distracted by how big you are getting, forgetting that growing big isn't the same as growing deep.
We can get lost in the euphoria of our success, the attention we are getting, and we forget to retreat into our closet to contemplate, recover and keep seeking meaning.
Forever Pursuit Of Quality
Our success is based on quality in whatever we do…
In today's fast-paced digital world, everyone is talking about how much you can churn out as a writer, creator, or business.
It's all about how many products you produce, how many articles you write in a day, week, or month or how many books you write in a year.
There's nothing wrong with creating a lot if you can.
The problem is that people now begin to focus on quantity and neglect quality. And it's not easy to churn out stuff all the time that is always of high quality.
Quality work takes some time to create or design.
I am not saying we don't have creators or businesses capable of pumping out lots of quality stuff within short periods of time. We have them. However, most of them have perfected the art and science and have created solid systems that enable them to produce quality work or products quickly.
Though the question now is, “How long can they last?”
If they are pumping out stuff as fast as lightning just to keep up with market competition or make money, I wonder how sustainable it is. I wonder how long they will survive out there.
Writers and creators running fast, in a hurry to create and write to keep up with algorithms, will soon find out they will get tired if they don't slow down and concentrate on quality.
Writing fast and shipping stuff regularly is important (especially in the digital ecosystem). Nonetheless, I want us also to understand that some writers and creators will never be able to write (and create) a lot like Tim Denning or write a daily blog like Seth Gooding; that doesn't mean they are not good or don't have fantastic ideas. They are just built differently.
The bottom line is if you want to last long as a writer or creator, be ready and willing to pursue quality forever.
The quality of your work sets you apart. Quality work adds value to readers and consumers (as discussed in the growth section).
And finally.
Thinking About The Future
we're taking that into the future.
Why are you writing (or creating)?
Are you doing it for the immediate moment, or do you've your gaze fixed on the future?
You'll get tired and give up if your focus is on today and not tomorrow.
Your craft has a future, and it depends solely on you to discover that future. No one is going to do it for you. So stop waiting for that moment. Just start doing something about the future now.
Writers, creators, and businesses that want to last long should think about the future. Whatever steps they take now are part of their efforts to secure their future.
They have solid goals, dreams, and visions. They have vivid pictures of what they want their future to look like.
Folks who don't think about the future won't last into it.
"Our success is based on quality in whatever we do."
Yvon Chouinard.
I enjoyed this short (2 min read) article from the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard—Earth is now our only shareholder.
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