Creative Collisions may yield the seed of an idea. Find success by knowing how to germinate & nurture that seed to fruition.
- How do you get that precious seed to sprout?
- How do you keep the plant growing until you can harvest?
Food on the plate can often lie a long way from the seed and its potential.
Understanding the nature of growth, and some principles of permaculture can help you get from there to here.
Here are 5 steps that can guide you towards success.
All ideas are mere potential until you take the action to turn them into something real. Just like a seed, there’s work involved in bringing the idea to any kind of fruition.
Sometimes you have to do all of the work. Sometimes there is natural momentum that carries an idea forward. I believe the trick is to understand the nature of the seed and the influence of the environment on its development.
Step 1. Plant your seed in good soil.
The success of any plant or any idea lies in understanding how and when to plant it. You will also do well to understand the composition of the soil.
Picture your idea as a seed, and think about the ground where you plan to place it. Think about the weather conditions. Think about the needs of this particular kind of seed.
If you’re selling creative skills, what kind of conditions does your work thrive in? What kind of people do you like working with best?
What’s the thing you love to do, and it shows in the results of your work? What does that thing need to thrive?
If you’re a consultant with a fabulous solution to a common issue, what are some of the weather currents in the business rhythm of the people you want to serve? How do you work with that weather in your messaging and your communication cycles?
The place, time and manner with which you plant your idea are critical to any later success. Do it mindfully.
Step 2. Walk through any necessary mud...
Not all the steps of birthing a new idea are fun. Some of it is paperwork. Some of it might be financial. Some of it is difficult. Some of it is tedious.
Wade through. On the other side of figuring out a solution to whatever issue your idea is facing, you will get back to why you’re doing it in the first place. Sometimes you just need some thick soled boots, patience, and a clear vision to overcome the most stubborn obstacles.
“You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s a part of it.” — Denzel Washington
Step 3. Work together with others. Share tasks.
Having a good team is kind of critical to getting an idea to grow. Yes, it’s technically possible to do it all yourself, but why would you want to?
Harvard study, almost 80 years old, has proved that embracing community helps us live longer, and be happier. — Harvard Gazette
The process of building a team to work together on a project is actually one of life’s true joys. Scientifically proven! So carefully choose the people you would most love to work with to bring your idea to harvest.
Step 4. Protect and nurture your plants as they grow. Learn how to water them wisely.
When you start growing an idea, suddenly it seems like all these weird conditions can pop up that threaten the maturity of the plants in your garden.
You must learn to manage the weeds.
In the dirt garden, these are the random pests like bugs and beetles that threaten to eat your plants before you can. They are the soil conditions that might require soil amendments to best nourish the plant.
How many times has a good idea been killed from a serious lack of rain?
In the garden of ideas, these are the hoops you often have to jump through to keep your idea viable and moving forward.
This set of challenges to your growth often requires acrobatic mental maneuvering as well as pure cussed persistence to get through. And a good sense of how often and how much to water things.
A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them. — Liberty Hyde Bailey
Step 5. Learn how and when to harvest. Learn how to prepare & ingest the benefits of the plants you grow.
Plants are funny. Sometimes you don’t exactly know what you planted where. Sometimes you’re dealing with a single type of plant over a very long timeframe, or larger investment amount.
Asparagus requires about three years from seed to harvest, but should produce every spring thereafter. Start heirloom asparagus seeds early in a frost-free location with full sun and adequate water in rich, well-drained soil. — Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
You must learn when to harvest what fruits. You must learn what part of the plant to harvest, and what is the best way to harvest it.
Hopefully you’ll be faced with the challenge of managing a bountiful harvest. And here’s hoping you actually know what to do with all the bounty you receive from your efforts.
Patience and Grit are the names of the true game here…
It’s amazing to have an encounter that spawns the seed of a truly beautiful idea. Creativity and the flow of collaboration are some of the joys you find working in the business world of today.
Intelligence to plant the seed well.
Patience to nurture the plant to maturity.
Wisdom to harvest and use the fruits of our labor.
And Joy to share it.
It’s hard work to bring that idea from seed to harvest. But if you have the stuff to make it happen, you will hopefully someday share and enjoy your own feast from the garden you have grown.
Kaia is the Chief Pollination Officer at Melissity Marketing.
She helps her clients understand how to use their digital presence for good. Good for the world — and good for their business.
Her background in physiology, martial arts, western massage therapy, 5 Element Shiatsu, woodworking, technology and the internet blends to create unique solutions for you.
Visit her online here to spark a conversation.
