I am excited to bring you this interview with Paul Jarvis. I have been following his work and words for some time now. He is a well-known web designer and bestselling author, the latest of his books being “The Good Creative“. We talked about creativity, starting and launching projects, and success.
You are an accomplished web designer and author. How would you describe yourself?
Basically I experiment with words and design. Someone once called me a “gentleman of adventure”, which I immediately loved, so that stuck too.
Is there a common thread in the four books you have written?
Not at all. The first was a vegan cookbook, the next was about online business, the third was about working for yourself, the fourth was about writing books and the fifth is about the habits of good creatives. The common thread is that I wrote them all, ha.
How did the idea for “The Good Creative” come about?
I had been taking notes for a year or so on habits I saw in creative people. What were the common things the most successful creatives did. When I looked back on those notes, I realized it was MUCH more than an article could handle, so I turned it into a book.
How does one decide if a project is good enough to launch?
If you’re wondering that right before launch, you’ve missed the boat entirely. I gauge interest/reaction from start to finish on projects from my audience. Sometimes books start as tweets that are retweeted or favourited a lot. Then they might turn into articles and if those articles are shared by many people, they may turn into books. I test project ideas from start to finish publicly, so when I’m going to launch them, I already know my audience is interested.
Do you agree with Ken Robinson, who defends that we don’t grow into creativity, but out of it?
Yes, it’s the reason I dropped out of school to learn on my own.
Is passion for what you do essential for success?
Yes and no. I can be passionate about what I do, but not about the daily trappings of it. For example, I like designing websites for clients, but some days I’m stressed about web projects or absolutely hate something my clients want. The ability to do work that’s valued is more important than passion. Passion helps, but passion is also notorious for fizzling out or being inconsistent.
What’s the one thing someone starting on their own should know?
The best way to start is to actually start. Stop thinking about starting, stop daydreaming about what might happen if you do, just put your ass in a chair and start working at it.
To find out more about Paul Jarvis and his work visit http://pjrvs.com
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