looking for something..
so, guys, i'm looking for something. for awesome things i don't know about. things i haven't been exposed to. things i wouldn't normally pick up, unless you showed them to me. these things can be in the form of movies, books, music, photographs, ideas... anything really. tell me about them! please
( Read more... )
So instead I am going to write about Pixar and paradox. Today I read an article about Pixar, and their model for making creative products. (They have been getting loads of press because they just got bought by Disney, but are now all but running their new investor-parent.) An excerpt from the article about making creative products:
We've made the leap from an idea-centered business to a people-centered business. Instead of developing ideas, we develop people. Instead of investing in ideas, we invest in people. We're trying to create a culture of learning, filled with lifelong learners. It's no trick for talented people to be interesting, but it's a gift to be interested. We want an organization filled with interested people."
This is a sentiment that is shared by many of the new, young entrepreneurs. I think it sounds fantastic. They are hiring the people we all want to become -- the ones that never stop thirsting, thinking, and trying. It is also, I think, a trap for complacency. One of the things, aside from being tremendously talented, dedicated, and lucky, that has made Pixar such a great, successful company has been their willingness to ignore convention, and try new things. When Pixar began working to produce content for the box office, they ignored what everyone else was doing and stuck with the sort of philosophy described in the excerpt above. (I am not going to go into this in very much detail, but if I remember in the morning I'll link an article that I doubt you'll read.) My point is, they learned everything by sticking their neck out and trying something that seemed to make sense. In fact, from what I've read, they take pride in sticking their necks out to do something hard, because they take pride in making it all work.
The reason that I said it was a trap for complacency, however, is where we begin toward paradox. Pixar has a very inspiring and exciting platform that is very appealing to the sorts of people they are trying to attract. (and perhaps that is one of the secrets to their success...) It sounds good, seems to make sense, and is obviously working. If I were to take that idea, and use it to start a company, however, chances are I would fail at it. Their success is in their people, their mentality, and their desire for momentum. It's the avoidance of complacency, not some tidbit of philosophical advice. I think that being 'interested' is all about living in paradox. It is about reaching for something that is always going to move out of your grasp again. It's about always reaching for things that aren't easily gotten.
I think that I often find myself defining my battle against complacency by how often I push myself into situations that I am uncomfortable or intimidated by. It occurred to me while writing this that if I consider my goal a thing that must constantly change, I would be a fool to try to place criteria on what progress is. Which brings me full circle to the master paradox that there is no truth. (I am not going to fully explain this, because you probably know what I mean, and it would fall into a boring logical proof pretty quickly.)
My dad used to always tell me that truth seems to always lie in paradox. (which isn't very useful truth.) But if that were true, (heh) I suppose that living with a goal of paradox would be ideal. The world really is a beautifully complicated place.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment