Today, I gave a shit.
In a world of talkers and workers, we stand out as DoerCreators. This is our manifesto.
I believe inspiration is a resource. I build it every time I devote myself to something that matters to me. I expel it every time I work on something that doesn't matter.
I resolve to treat my inspiration as my most valuable asset and protect it.
I know that distraction can come from the inside, when the process of learning about a tool or technology becomes more important than taking the project the next step forward. While educating myself is a fundamental part of this journey, it is a means not an ends. Technology is merely the medium.
We must let go of technology that is too gimmicky, design that is too clever, business practices that are too short sighted. This is about creating things that intensely matter to us. Don't lose sight of that.
I say No to protect myself from becoming obsolete and from distraction. It is the valuable tool in positioning myself to be of value to the world.
I know that distraction can come from outside forces, such as freelance projects which don't allow the pursuit of curiosity or challenge and therefore don't provide any value. Taking on these project merely slows my progress forward, and makes my skills and creativity go dull.
I resolve to guard myself from these distractions and the fear of missing out on opportunities.
I understand that projects which initially do not seem to have the opportunity of a creative challenge will sometimes simply require my initiative to make it visible.
It is up to me to create meaning in what I do.
Note: There is a balance between saying no, and making things happen.
I resolve to keep my identity at all costs. In this way, we can create more unique things, by being irreplaceable we can make things that are irreplaceable, by having overlapping skills we can make things that feel more human, less fabricated.
I am not what I do, but what I do is me.
I will share myself completely with the world and see what happens. I hope to meet new people, encourage other people to share, and push the self-education movement forward.
This communication should not be a one way street. I will do my best to interact with everyone.
I will strive to eliminate confusion by eliminating jargon as much as possible. While in some cases technical jargon can help communicate concepts quickly to the right people, often it is merely a way of establishing a false sense of value.
Everything in life is getting simpler, those who strive to eliminate complexity and communicate simply will enjoy the transition. Those who build their lives to be complex, confusing, and hard to explain will be left behind.
Any task that can be simplified and made stupid, should be. In order to prevent ourselves from becoming obsolete in the long run, we must constantly strive to cut ourselves out of the picture where possible so we don't waste time doing what could be done by anyone else.
In order to be useful to anyone, I must be constantly learning new skills. It is my responsibility to constantly, obsessively seek out knowledge. In other words: Geek Out
Note: Geeking out and procrast-ucation is also a balance.
I do not need an organization to motivate me, for I resolve to keep myself inspired. This requires finding ways to keep myself invested in what I am doing, and avoid tasks which do not allow me to care.
Throughout my life I will be tempted to give myself over to money, or to comfort, or to conformity. I will refuse these things. I will not give up. And I will put my faith in the statement:
You can become who you are.
This manifesto is always a work in progress (2/2/2013) - Seth