"JUST DO IT"
Back in 1988 a man in the USA, Dan Wieden, who founded a world renowned advertising agency, Wieden + Kennedy, was having trouble.
He had a huge contract to develop some advertisements for Nike and had prepared 8 of them featuring the world's top sports stars. He had until the morning to present them to Nike executives. But he knew there was a missing link. A caption. A slogan to 'connect' them. To make the consumer sit up and take notice. He had been thinking about something suitable for months but he couldn't get it right. Time was running out. At midnight he was playing around on the computer (a very slow one back then!) searching for something but he didn't know what. Earlier that day he had heard a work colleague talking to some others about Norman Mailler who authored a book about Gary Gilmore, who was executed in Utah under controversial circumstances (he requested the death penalty). Dan read the story that Gilmore, when facing the firing squad, was asked if he had any last words and he said "Let's Do It". Dan wrote the words down doodling while he read. When he finished he looked at the pad with the words. Something made him change the "Let's" to "Just" and probably the greatest advertising campaign was launched.
Dan still doesn't know why or how the creative process to produce the slogan came about, other than to confirm that creativity can be very spontaneous and seems to happen when people are in a relaxed stress free mode. A time of reverie.
People ask me why I continue to live in La Chateau Tento. Right now, I need all of the creative influence I can muster up for the STEPS that I am taking. I know that I have been able to put together the design of DotsHQ purely because I have been able to think my way through it. No busyness. No distractions and plenty of knowledge accumulation. Wherever I lay my hat is inconsequential.
If you research the great creators and entrepreneurs and inventors over the years you will find a common link. During their greatest creations they were in an environment where reverie, daydreaming, stillness, meditation, were abundant.
So if any of you are seemingly tired of a pointless life, or have reason to re-invent, and have something that you have a passion for, then....
JUST DO IT !
He had a huge contract to develop some advertisements for Nike and had prepared 8 of them featuring the world's top sports stars. He had until the morning to present them to Nike executives. But he knew there was a missing link. A caption. A slogan to 'connect' them. To make the consumer sit up and take notice. He had been thinking about something suitable for months but he couldn't get it right. Time was running out. At midnight he was playing around on the computer (a very slow one back then!) searching for something but he didn't know what. Earlier that day he had heard a work colleague talking to some others about Norman Mailler who authored a book about Gary Gilmore, who was executed in Utah under controversial circumstances (he requested the death penalty). Dan read the story that Gilmore, when facing the firing squad, was asked if he had any last words and he said "Let's Do It". Dan wrote the words down doodling while he read. When he finished he looked at the pad with the words. Something made him change the "Let's" to "Just" and probably the greatest advertising campaign was launched.
Dan still doesn't know why or how the creative process to produce the slogan came about, other than to confirm that creativity can be very spontaneous and seems to happen when people are in a relaxed stress free mode. A time of reverie.
People ask me why I continue to live in La Chateau Tento. Right now, I need all of the creative influence I can muster up for the STEPS that I am taking. I know that I have been able to put together the design of DotsHQ purely because I have been able to think my way through it. No busyness. No distractions and plenty of knowledge accumulation. Wherever I lay my hat is inconsequential.
If you research the great creators and entrepreneurs and inventors over the years you will find a common link. During their greatest creations they were in an environment where reverie, daydreaming, stillness, meditation, were abundant.
So if any of you are seemingly tired of a pointless life, or have reason to re-invent, and have something that you have a passion for, then....
JUST DO IT !
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