You look like an amateur when you hold too tight to that one idea
Protecting your works and ideas is a common worry of those who pursue a career in a creative field, but obsessing about it can be as damaging as not caring at all.
Ah, your super unique idea with the potential to change the world! It must be protected at all costs, right?
You’re so sure that your song can be a hit — no showing anyone until you copyright it, right? Or that super original idea you had for that novel… Ain’t no way you’ll hand your best seller on a silver platter to someone else, right?
You’re so afraid to show your idea to people because you think they may “steal it.”
Well…
Actually, it’s cool that you’re taking your art seriously, but… Sometimes, guarding yourself too much from the risks can be even riskier.
Nothing sounds more amateur than someone who holds too tight to one idea.
When you give too much value to one idea, you’re basically screaming: I will never have another awesome idea like this again!
And if that’s what you believe, then… do you really consider yourself a creator? Is this what art is about, for you? Having ideas?
You are not a creator if you are not constantly creating, and creating is not only about having ideas.
Creativity is often seen as a “gift” — you either have it or you don’t. That’s bullshit.
Art is not fuelled by sporadic insights. Inspiration might play a big role, it’s true — but, on top of everything, being creative is about training yourself. Just like any skill, creativity is something that can be developed— and should be, if you want to be a creator.
To survive in a creative field, you have to commit to work on your craft and constantly deliver better stuff.
Even if you are a prodigy, an above average talented human, whatever you’ve done so far is certainly not your best yet.
It’s great that you wrote such a good song, novel or movie script, but there’s no need to get paranoid about protecting it as if you’ll never make something that good ever again. You will. And if you don’t believe you will, then, well, maybe a creative career is not for you.
If you’re afraid that your idea will be “stolen” by someone, that says less about how much you trust this person, than how much you trust your own ability to create more and better.
I don’t care how good you are right now; you can be better.
You still have a lot to learn. Technically, since the world is always changing, that makes all knowledge temporary; hence, everybody has a lot to learn all the time, even those who already got to make a living from their art. However, if you’re still figuring out a way to get where those people got (or further!), chances are you have more to grow and learn than to worry about in regards to protecting what you’ve already done so far.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t be careful or worry about the legal aspects of your creative endeavour. As a lawyer, I strongly encourage you to treat your art as the business it is, if you want to reap the fruits from your creativity and hard work.
But when you obsess over it, to the point that you won’t even build relationships, discuss ideas and get feedback, you’re pretty much isolating yourself. You’re killing the opportunities you have so far, and probably missing some bigger ones.
Legal protection, by the way, when it’s done too soon, might make it harder for potential partners and investors to work with you.
Take risks. Talk to people.
Get feedback; it’s crucial for growth.
Study. Practice. That’s what confident, creative, experienced people do.
Professionals are just people who have been performing in a higher level than you, probably for longer than you. They’ve been through a lot and they’ve seen a lot. They had to rebuild themselves a lot of times, to step out of their comfort zone; they had their skills tested a lot of times.
If you wanna become a pro, you’ll have to go through all that too — then why are you securing your first works as if you’ve reached your final form already?
When you hold too tight to one idea, you’re basically acting as if you already know it all, while also exposing how little you trust yourself. Both these situations scream “amateur”.
Love your work, but take it as the best thing you’ve done so far, not as the best thing you’ll ever do. As long as you persist and commit to growth, you’ll always be able to do better.
Don’t kill your own potential by acting like you have too much. By doing this, you’ll actually look like you don’t have any.
Thanks for reading!
I hope I could at least open your eyes about what it means to pursue a creative career!
I do this because I really care about art and creative work. Let me know if I can help you with yours!
I work with brands and artists to create amazing content, music and strategies, through our company Big Cool World.
We also have a great team of CPAs & Advisors specialized in Arts, Music, Entertainment & Culture! Get to know us on https://bigcoolworld.com/
