Kevin Kaiser on the Work Behind Art – 011

Kevin Kaiser is hard to describe. People always say that behind every great man there is a great woman (which is a phrase I actually hate- a much longer discussion), but I think Kevin is proof that behind every great success, there are other hidden people and work that you may never see. Kevin is one of those people, a true creative and also marketing strategist who has been a ghostwriter and a person behind the people. He truly lives in that place where creativity and business intersect.

Listen to Create If Writing – Episode 011

Some great posts from Kevin:
Get Low (about Wu Wei, which he talks about in the interview)
5 Things Star Wars Taught Me about Creativity and Life 
3 Essentials to Building Influence

You can find Kevin on Twitter, Facebook, or on his site.

At a Glance

• Kevin defines creativity as the ability to connect the dots.
• If you want an audience, you can’t JUST write.
• In today’s landscape, you are competing against everybody and nobody. There are so many choices. Your only limitation is your imagination.
• Relationship is the premium, the thing that is the most valuable.
• How do you get attention when there are so many messages? Confidence and trust of an audience.
• If you have a short-run view of things, success a voting machine. You work for the likes and the shares, but it’s a veneer and doesn’t last. If you are looking at the long-run of things, success is a weighing machine. What has substance and resonates will LAST.
• Keeping a job while you do your art can be a competitive advantage. You don’t have the stress of people waiting on you for food.
• Let go of the need to be validated. That’s when things will loosen up. Let the work be what it will be.
• Creativity doesn’t depend on us. Be an antenna for the inspiration that is all around us. The most necessary thing is to be open and present.
• We should think about life in terms of apps verse operating system. Apps come and go, but an operating system helps us make sense of the world in a clear way.
• The number of relationships you need to make a living is smaller than you think. 10,000 followers (thinking email list) shows a real connection. Consider that 1/2 to 2% will BUY.
• Think of platform as building trust and gathering people.
• Viral posts are shared because people like sharing things that validate something in themselves. There is a psychology to sharing.
• You can’t fake authenticity. If you try to fake it, you will lose trust. Since relationship is the underlying factor, you will lose the most important thing.

 

My Big Takeaway

“The artist’s primary responsibility is to be the champion for the work.” <- THIS. I feel like that quote sums up the whole of platform-building and some of the audience growth.

“Writer’s block doesn’t really exist. Writer’s block is a story we tell ourselves when we are afraid.” Mind=blown.

Relevant Links

StorySellerU (will be opening again in the fall)
Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Advice for Starting Your Own Mastermind Group  from Cliff Ravenscraft of the Podcast Answerman
Transcending Fear in the Creative Process from Atlantic Monthly

One of the things Kevin said that I loved was that to aim really low. Aim to get 10 new followers this week, not 100. Be methodical and work for a slow build. Overnight successes don’t last. True successes have done the hidden work that other people don’t see.

What I Want to Know from YOU

Kevin and I talked about deadlines and stress. For some (like me), a deadline can make you totally freeze. For other people, that stress gives a hyper focused flow. How do YOU react to deadlines?