This summer, in collaboration with Taco Bell, we put out a call for how you would make the future more creative.
We were overwhelmed with the great responses we received, but in the end, we could only choose three finalists.
Below, we ask Cody Wanner, a finalist, to explain his idea:
Cody's Submission:
I started a YouTube channel at the beginning of this year with the mission of encouraging creators and entrepreneurs to make stuff! I have heard from some amazing people about the things they are starting, thanking me for getting them to take the first step. I am making the future creative by encouraging anyone with a creative spark to fan it into a flame.
What sparked the idea for this project?
Over two years ago I saw my first Casey Neistat vlog, and I was immediately intrigued. I thought it was an awesome way to tell a story, and I loved that in a vlog the creator has complete control over the story from beginning to end. Fast forward a year and a half, and I still had not pulled the trigger. At the end of 2017, I heard a quote by Grant Cardone, “If there is something you know you need to do, stop thinking about it and do it.” The vlog idea immediately came to mind, and I committed to start on 1/1/18 and not stop for a year.
How would you define the future of creativity?
The future of creativity is in the hands of the doers. Not just those who can imagine, dream, think, and talk, but those who have the courage to do. To try and fail, and try again. The future of creativity is hard work and grind, mixed with fun and freedom. It is unhindered by technology or culture. The future of creativity is bright—and it is available to anyone who is willing to put in the work.
How does this project support the future of creativity?
My project is supporting the future of creativity by encouraging anyone who is interested in it to take action. There is a very long runway required for a creator to start creating things they are proud of, so there is a lot of “fruitless” work that has to go into it in the beginning. That work is a necessary step, but it is extremely hard. My project encourages those who are trying to keep on trying, daily.
What inspires your creativity?
My creativity is inspired by purpose and passion. I find so much purpose in encouraging people to do things, that I get extremely passionate about it, and that comes through in every vlog I create.
What advice would you give someone who is struggling to be creative?
Just put pen to paper, or hit record, or set up the meeting, or ... whatever. Just take the first step. And then the next and the next. Creativity is not about lightning strikes, or light bulb moments. It is about making progress daily until things start to click.
What excites you the most about your project?
All of the people who are encouraged by it. The people who are doing and creating new things as result of hearing something that I said or seeing something that I created. And all the new relationships being formed, and the strengthening of ties between groups of people that would not normally interact.
Stay tuned! We will be announcing the winner in October.