To Be Continued: The random search effect I

"Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by [ambitiously] "lazy" men trying to find easier ways to do something." -RAH

Today starts a new feature on WWED called "The Random Search Effect". It is, in essence, exactly what it says and refers to the notion that sometimes I just find things that match my thoughts at the moment or thoughts I've had in the past by no intent whatsoever. The quote above comes from JA Heinlein of the Heinlein Publishing Group in Colorado, and I found it while following a link for Hugh MacLeod's new book, Ignore Everybody. And I am of course, looking for a publisher for Wild Wild East, so what the heck - this random thing works pretty well - but what I like about the quote is that it closely parallels a thought by Lech Walesa, former President of Poland, that I had written about earlier this year in a story called "Workers of the World Unite - A Recession Re-imagined - The Individual Collectivist is Born". Walesa said, "I'm lazy. But it's the lazy people who invented the wheel and the bicycle because they didn't like walking or carrying things." I like both of those expressions of the same thought but in reference to my own way of working, would describe myself in terms of a thought by Madison Avenue's Bill Bernbach. "I spend many hours, making up for not being a genius".

So here's to random search. To happy accidents. To just foraging around in a mass of non-directional information until the right idea just presents itself - and you think that you're a fucking genius just for finding it. I'll just put in my hours, thank you very much.

For more in the Random Search Effect series see:

To be continued: The Random Search Effect I
Children & Unselfishness: The Random Search Effect II
Your Inner Fire: The Random Search Effect III
Mystery Google: The Random Search Effect IV
Warren Buffet: The Random Search Effect V

"I've spent many years making up for not being a genius": Am I Doing Enough?

I'm listening to a musician named Sufjan Stevens and reading about the sheer volume of work he has already done, not to mention his ambitious plans for the future. Last week I downloaded and cataloged over 30 Todd Rundgren albums – the week before, all of Zappa and Brian Eno and some Ennio Morricone. Here are are a number of extremely prolific creative people and I ask myself, "am I am doing enough?".

My wife used to say my life was too complicated and maybe she was right, but I was doing a lot. And I like doing a lot.

Oh, I wrote a book last year and even in that book it seems I've got a million things going on at one time in that rendering, but am I doing enough? I collect as much music as I can get my hands on, work a regular job, I write, I make films, I attempt musical composition from time to time. I read. I cook, I clean and keep a journal – different from what I do here.

But do I do enough? Do we all do enough? One thing I have always brought to the creative process is the idea of a million influences. From music to architecture to the social sciences to whatever. How can I create if I don't know anything? How can you give if the tank is empty? So my tank is probably brimming over most of the time.

But I'm not sure I always get more from it. Because many of the people I deal with only want a certain amount. Too many ideas is not what a lot of people want.

I like and old quote from Bill Bernbach. He said, "I've spent many years making up for not being a genius".

I suppose it's going to take me more than many years. That's why I always ask myself if I'm doing enough.

For more in the "Am I doing enough?" series, check below:

III An Ozomatli Day: Am I doing enough? III
II Blimps & bullshit: Am I doing enough? II
I "I've spent many years making up for not being a genius": Am I doing enough?