The 7 Videos I Most Often Tell Creators To Watch
And the most valuable minute of each.
I’ve spent thousands of hours watching brilliant people share their wisdom about what it takes to produce, promote, and profit from creative work.
While I’ve shared hundreds of them in my For The Interested newsletter over the past three years, there are a select few that stand out.
The following videos are the ones I most often recommend to creators who are struggling to bring their creations into the world, get them seen, and build a career around them.
And if you’re pressed for time, I also suggest the single most valuable minute of each video below as well.
1. Derek Sivers on How To Start A Movement
This three-minute video will forever transform your perception of how audiences and communities are formed.
The most valuable minute comes at the 2:00 mark when he sums up the key lesson: It’s important to treat your first followers as equals to show what you’re growing is about a community and not just yourself.
2. Ira Glass on The Creative Gap
This five-minute video will prevent you from quitting too soon and help you stop beating yourself up when your creations don’t initially live up to your ambitions.
The most valuable minute is at the 0:30 mark when he explains how to cope with the gap between your taste in creative work and the initial quality of the work you create.
3. Elizabeth Gilbert on Hobbies, Jobs, Careers, And Vocations
This nine-minute video will help you figure out how to align your creative passion with what you need to pay the bills (or not).
The most valuable minute is at the 4:21 mark when she defines what it means to have a career and why you should either love your career or not have one at all and get a job instead.
4. Austin Kleon on How To Keep Going
This 26-minute video will give you tactics to stay creative when times get tough and overcome the things you feel block you from doing your best work.
The most valuable minute is at the 15:00 mark when he points out you have everything you need to make extraordinary work already within your ordinary life.
5. Elle Luna on The Crossroads Of Should And Must
This four-minute video will help you recognize the most important decision you’ll need to make in your creative life: What’s a should and what’s a must?
The most valuable minute is at the 2:15 mark when she describes what it takes to pursue your “must” and what happens when you do.
6. Seth Godin On Quieting The Lizard Brain
This 18-minute video will help you get out of your own way, overcome your insecurities, and finish and release your creative work.
The most valuable minute is at the 13:30 mark when he breaks down why it’s so hard to put work into the world and what it takes to become someone who does.
7. Ze Frank On Building A Creative Career
This six-minute video will help you understand what it takes to build a creative career including the importance of actually doing the things you want to do, sharing your work with the world, and understanding your internal and external motivations.
The most valuable minute is at the 3:30 mark when he explains the importance of getting your work in front of people and learning to take (or not take) criticism of it.
Want more tips to produce, promote, and profit from your creations?
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