The It Factor

What’s the difference between success and failure?

What makes one sink and another swim?

Who has the ‘it’ factor? And how do we get ‘it’?

If ‘they’ have ‘it’ and we don’t have ‘it’ how do we get ‘it’ so we can keep ‘it’?

 

What is ‘It’?

Anyone in any creative field is an ideator–an idea generator.

But so what?

Anyone can come up with ideas. Even bad ideas flourish… (insert the last corny informercial video you saw here).

So what made those terrible ideas succeed?

What makes your writing, your business, your art, your sales reps, your managers, supervisors, your ‘you-name-it’s’ what they are?

What would you guess?

  • Education
  • Experience
  • Confidence
  • Ignorance

Ideas become infectious and unable to ignore for one reason and one reason alone: belief.

Macys - Believe
Photo Credit: J J via Compfight

We’re drawn to believers.

Think of the last book, blog post, movie, speaker that enthralled you. Belief was the common denominator. Guaranteed.

 

How to Get ‘It’?

So how do we get the ‘it’ factor?

We work. And we work hard.

To be believable, we first have to believe. 

To be convincing, we must be convinced.

There is no shortcut to belief.

Jump in a time machine to when you first rode a bike, sans training wheels.

My mom tells the story of watching me out in the cul-de-sac as I fell and fell and fell again. It pained her to watch me keep getting back up, skinned knees and determined heart.

Do you have the same story?

Now when you ride a bike, do you think about it when you get on it? Are you sure you can do it?

You believe you can, so you do.

Belief fuels action. Fear fuels inaction.

It’s the same with your creativity. We all want ‘the it factor.’ Chances are you already have ‘it’. You just need to keep working … and believe.

 

‘The It Factor’ Final Step

After we start believing we have something to offer, we are fearless to create.

Belief is a fear-killer.

What’s even better than overcoming fear with belief? Giving belief away.

Share it.

Take your work to the streets, the galleries, the speaking podiums, the internet, your family, your co-workers your                                             .

Believe. Create. Share.

 

How’s the if factor of belief transforming your creativity?

Leave a comment for us all to bolster our believer…

 

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Author: Andrew Zahn

I'm a son, husband, dad, business owner, actor and good sleeper/eater. On this blog, I pave a highway for creative growth by providing food, water, and shelter for those wishing to live, work, and play with creative zest.

9 thoughts on “The It Factor”

  1. I really think that it might be a combination of confidence and ignorance. Education is optional. Some people just seem to have it in the right mix. Or maybe I’m retarded in my thinking.

    1. Cool. I’ve yet to check it out. Some of us just don’t know HOW to start.

      I say, start with belief.

    1. Thanks Andy. I was also thinking of using the “learning to drive a stick shift” analogy, but the bike is more relatable…

  2. Believing is seeing. Right, Andrew?

    If I didn’t believe in what I’m doing over on my corner of the Internet, I would pack up my toys, and go home. As it is, I can’t–because I believe.

  3. This is a great post. Love this, “Belief is a fear-killer.” To be creative and accoplish great things we need to believe we can.

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