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Making Things Fast

Leila Johnston
December 03, 2011

Making Things Fast

A version of a talk I give about remaining motivated and getting projects finished

Leila Johnston

December 03, 2011
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  1. Leila Johnston Copywriter at ‘agile’ digital co Made by Many

    Magazine/newspaper background Two humour books BBC Comedy Online columnist, Radio 4 WIRED UK contributor Co-creator of iTunes top 50 podcast, Shift Run Stop Saturday, 3 December 2011
  2. Three Golden Rules 1. Stop caring. 2. Stop having ambition.

    3. Stop making claims. Saturday, 3 December 2011
  3. 1. Stop Caring 1. Stop caring about past projects. 2.

    Stop caring about possible future aims. Saturday, 3 December 2011
  4. 1. Stop Caring 1. Stop caring about past projects. 2.

    Stop caring about possible future aims. 3. Stop caring about it being perfect, it never will be. Saturday, 3 December 2011
  5. 1. Stop Caring 1. Stop caring about past projects. 2.

    Stop caring about possible future aims. 3. Stop caring about it being perfect, it never will be. STO P RO M A N TICISIN G TH E IDEA Saturday, 3 December 2011
  6. If you love it, let it go • Be generous

    with your ideas Saturday, 3 December 2011
  7. If you love it, let it go • Be generous

    with your ideas • Collect them constantly Saturday, 3 December 2011
  8. If you love it, let it go • Be generous

    with your ideas • Collect them constantly • Don’t be left with one thing to hang onto Saturday, 3 December 2011
  9. If you love it, let it go • Be generous

    with your ideas • Collect them constantly • Don’t be left with one thing to hang onto • Make it. Then forget it Saturday, 3 December 2011
  10. The past... is OVER! “I had the idea for Twitter

    years ago” Saturday, 3 December 2011
  11. The past... is OVER! “I had the idea for Twitter

    years ago” “I once wrote a book” Saturday, 3 December 2011
  12. The past... is OVER! “I had the idea for Twitter

    years ago” “I once wrote a book” “We once won a prize” Saturday, 3 December 2011
  13. The past... is OVER! “I had the idea for Twitter

    years ago” “I once wrote a book” “We once won a prize” “I was on the internet before anyone else” Saturday, 3 December 2011
  14. Motivation Time GREAT IDEA! Fast project Find people to inspire

    you. Keep making. Saturday, 3 December 2011
  15. Motivation Time GREAT IDEA! Fast project Find people to inspire

    you. Keep making. What’s next? Saturday, 3 December 2011
  16. Dominic Wilcox “30 day speed creating project” • £10 a

    day • Every day for a month Saturday, 3 December 2011
  17. •Every weekday for a year •Now massively famous Ze Frank

    “The Show” Saturday, 3 December 2011
  18. • Every week for a year • Now massively famous

    Jonathan Coulton Saturday, 3 December 2011
  19. 2. Stop Having Ambition • It means you’re not happy

    YET • You’re looking at everyone else Saturday, 3 December 2011
  20. 2. Stop Having Ambition • It means you’re not happy

    YET • You’re looking at everyone else • Ambition is calculation, not compulsion. If you’re imagining, you’re not doing Saturday, 3 December 2011
  21. Forget viral • Again, if you’re thinking about the future,

    you’re not thinking about what you can make today. Saturday, 3 December 2011
  22. Forget viral • Again, if you’re thinking about the future,

    you’re not thinking about what you can make today. • Untrain yourself from thinking about what’s next. Saturday, 3 December 2011
  23. Forget viral • Again, if you’re thinking about the future,

    you’re not thinking about what you can make today. • Untrain yourself from thinking about what’s next. • If it’s out of your hands, it’s not interesting. Saturday, 3 December 2011
  24. 3. Stop making claims • To yourself • To your

    employers Saturday, 3 December 2011
  25. 3. Stop making claims • To yourself • To your

    employers • Let others make up their own minds based on evidence Saturday, 3 December 2011
  26. 3. Stop making claims • To yourself • To your

    employers • Let others make up their own minds based on evidence • Claiming slows you down! Saturday, 3 December 2011
  27. Make THINGS not statements of intent All supplementary writing =

    distance. Something that exists is always better than something that doesn’t. Saturday, 3 December 2011
  28. Make THINGS not statements of intent All supplementary writing =

    distance. Something that exists is always better than something that doesn’t. Except unicorns. Saturday, 3 December 2011
  29. Make THINGS not statements of intent All supplementary writing =

    distance. Something that exists is always better than something that doesn’t. Except unicorns. Saturday, 3 December 2011
  30. • Comedy writing is just improv + edit • Practice

    improvising fun Saturday, 3 December 2011
  31. Barriers to fast making Worrying about what may happen. Thinking

    you’ll never have a good idea again. Thinking it has to be successful. Describing instead of doing (CVs, About Me) Saturday, 3 December 2011
  32. Solutions Play pointlessly. Detach from all goals. Make partial things.

    Make regularly, make fast. The faster you are, the more you can make! Saturday, 3 December 2011