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COVID-19 lockdown is unleashing people's creativity
Armed with today's advanced digital tools and itching to express ourselves, "boredom" is bringing out the best in us.
02 August, 2020
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- While staying at home, many are exploring their creative sides to unprecedented levels, sharing their creations with the world in similarly novel, and sometimes collaborative, ways.
- People are finding amazing ways to create and to share from the safety of their homes using apps designed to promote expression and not simply distract users.
- Creative professionals are also stuck at home, facing unemployment, and a lack of access to their usual creative outlets.
<div>In the mess of bad news surrounding COVID-19, it can be hard to see a silver lining. There have, however, been some positive outcomes. People are <a href="https://www.bigthinkedge.com/?_ga=2.55029675.1244862290.1595264330-1156672020.1595264329" target="_blank">learning new skills</a>, bonding with family, helping once-anonymous neighbors, and connecting with their wider communities.<br></div><p>While millions are stuck at home during lockdown, many are also exploring their creative sides to unprecedented levels – and are sharing their creations with the world in similarly novel, and sometimes collaborative, ways. </p><p>So what is it about forced isolation that brings out people's creative sides? Apparently, boredom has a lot to do with it, at least according to science. </p>
The inspiration of boredom
<p>Pandemic-related lockdowns and social distancing restrictions have led to millions of people around the world being shut in, isolated and increasingly bored. But might that actually be a good thing?</p><p><a href="https://www.uclan.ac.uk/staff_profiles/sandi_mann.php" target="_blank">Sandi Mann</a>, a senior psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire and author of the books "The Upside of Downtime" and "The Science of Boredom," is researching how boredom can be a creative force. </p><p>In fact, being bored during this time is unleashing a veritable global creative renaissance. Of course, for many impacted by the virus, boredom is a luxury. Millions are out of work, including many creative professionals, and others are too busy dealing with working from home or job loss, homeschooling children without an end in sight, or are tragically coping with the virus itself. </p><p>However, for many, boredom has become a common theme in this new normal – and that might not be the worst thing. <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/07/health/boredom-benefits-quarantine-wellness/index.html" target="_blank">Mann advises</a> her audience to "Harness your boredom by getting bored," explaining that when you really let yourself be bored without distraction, you are forced to let your mind wander and find new ways to occupy itself.</p><p>"That means real boredom, which is where you have to let your mind wander," she says. "This is the real key. Daydreaming and mind wandering. Don't turn to the internet or try to scroll your boredom away."</p><p>While scrolling away might not fuel creativity, people are finding amazing ways to create and to share from the safety of their homes using apps designed to promote expression and not simply distract users. In one <a href="https://www.lightricks.com/blog-posts/how-is-covid-19-impacting-creativity-at-home" target="_blank">survey from Lightricks</a>, a software company that specializes in mobile tools for creative expression, over 70 percent of respondents said that using a creativity app helped them overcome anxiety and more than 90 percent responded that they use creativity apps to combat boredom. </p>What are people doing to get creative under quarantine?
<p> Every day people are going deep with amazing art projects and finding ingenious ways to stay occupied. The trend is, in part, inspired by the need to keep kids busy and engaged, but the wave of creativity goes way beyond this motivation. </p><p> Instead of shutting down and switching off, people have become creators of content rather than just passive consumers. </p><ul> <li>Early on in the pandemic, families and friends found ways to keep busy and have fun with creative TikTok dance videos. This trend has only picked up as the months have wore on, with COVID-19 related hashtags like #quarantine and #happyathome connecting users across the globe.</li> </ul><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@tommy_bracco/video/6806044372379929862" data-video-id="6806044372379929862" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;" id="v64928368834841060"> <iframe name="__tt_embed__v64928368834841060" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6806044372379929862?lang=en-US" style="width: 100%; height: 897px; display: block; visibility: unset;"></iframe></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><ul><li>Pinterest is another tech platform that is helping people get creative at home. With <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/pinterest-accelerates-tech-projects-as-pandemic-boosts-user-engagement-11591194991" target="_blank">searches up 60 percent</a> from this time last year and over 30 million new users joining the platform from January to June, DIY and craft projects are some of the most popular pins.</li><li>With public places becoming breeding grounds for coronavirus infection, classes and clubs for art forms like parkour and capoeira have <a href="https://www.candybar.co/blog/merchant-stories-move-academy-shie-boon/" target="_blank">moved to virtual spaces</a>, with different modes of movement.</li><li>New apps are also offering a digital space to be creative and maintain social networks, support others, and maintain mental health. One such app is Quickart. In a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200708005658/en/Lightricks-Launches-%E2%80%9CQuickart%E2%80%9D-Turn-Images-Photos-Digital" target="_blank">press release</a>, the creators of the app explained that the pandemic has "accelerated consumer appetite for powerful, easy-to-use creative tools that empower users to unleash their artistic expression while offering them an escape." With filters like Split Colours (below) and AI-enhanced animation tools, this app is blowing users away and putting the power of advanced editing in the hand of every person – no professional skills required.</li></ul><p> <br> </p><div> </div><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@tommy_bracco/video/6806044372379929862" data-video-id="6806044372379929862" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;" id="v42403778904227576"> </blockquote><script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUyODU2My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDI4MDM0MH0.MOaHTbEVwtNc53oit0cIxP1mVXMqP6O6R-b6_ut25Mc/img.png?width=980" id="1ba6f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="81de082824b5291c18d9be8457d7fdb7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
@sereiadosuburbio via Instagram
<ul><li>In one incredible project, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles tweeted a challenge for people to <a href="https://www.instyle.com/news/getty-museum-art-recreations" target="_blank">recreate famous works of art</a> at home. This unleashed an amazing display of creativity as people everywhere reached for everyday objects to reimagine masterpieces. </li><li>Using an app called <a href="https://mudeo.app/#/" target="_blank">Mudeo</a>, people are recording themselves singing, or playing instruments, and then layering additional tracks on top of themselves to create <a href="https://mudeo.app/song/k8mep9XaMy" target="_blank">rich self-accompanied arrangements</a> on the fly.</li></ul>Creative professionals are getting in on the fun
<p> Creative professionals are also stuck at home, facing unemployment and a lack of access to their usual creative outlets. </p><p> With amazing resilience, this sector is rising to the occasion in amazing ways that, thanks to technology, are inspiring millions of people around the world. </p><ul> <li>Professional musicians and <a href="https://www.pscp.tv/questlove/1lPKqLAVXaMxb" target="_blank">DJs</a> are playing free-access <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidalm/2020/03/31/when-in-quarantine-create/" target="_blank">online concerts and dance parties</a>. Collaborating from their homes in Brooklyn and Paris, for example, one rock school recorded a "family jam" of "With a Little Help From My Friends" by the Beatles, captioned with the words: "Created Under Confinement."</li> </ul><div> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zrP7YqaMry0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> </div><ul> <li>The <a href="https://forgefiction.com/quarantine-fiction/" target="_blank">#QuarantineFiction </a>campaign encourages authors (and aspiring authors) to write and share their stories, whether it's a memoir or a work of fiction. People can even compose together, and the best stories will be compiled in a book and made accessible all over the world.</li> <li>A <a href="https://www.voidprojects.org/#/home-muralfest-1-2020/" target="_blank">home mural festival</a> featuring artists from around the world, giving them the opportunity to come together and find a creative outlet together. One of the artists involved in the mural project, Jacoba Niepoort, told <a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2020/05/home-muralfest/" target="_blank">This Is Colossal</a>: "Being cooped up has presented an opportunity to come together in new ways, both as coordinators and as artists. To share visuals of the space and time we're standing in now, created in solitude, but with the solidarity and simultaneousness being an important value-factor."</li></ul><div></div><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUyODU2Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTExMTU1Nn0.xK_oq-wLrtQColmO-HNwZk21M9Fh5_iPZSM-3_DVTWI/img.png?width=980" id="9bbdc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e22ffd957a60b4736019c5afd828191b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="window ink mural of birds" />
@daviddelamano_ via Instagram
<p>Adapting creativity to suit the strange circumstances has born inspiring fruit with many otherwise disconnected aspiring artists finding connection, community and opportunities to create and distribute their work.</p><p>This, in turn, is helping to ease the anxiety, loneliness and boredom of lockdown. Of course, all of this creativity is propelled by the ability to share it with an unlimited audience online. </p>Locked down and spreading wings
<p>In 1665, the Great Plague raged across Europe, and Isaac Newton was sent home from his post at Cambridge. Confined indefinitely to his home, Newton got creative and invented calculus.</p><p>COVID-19 is another pandemic proving the creative force of adversity and boredom to inspire ingenuity and art. With agility and perseverance, people will find new ways to cultivate creativity and express themselves. With fun and jaw-dropping tools available on any phone, people everywhere are using their devices to create content and share it with the world, to inspire and be inspired. </p>
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Relieve stress through art with the help of these drawing courses
Pencil Kings will guide you from beginner to mastery with industry-leading teachers from Marvel and DreamWorks.
30 July, 2020
- In a stressful time, art therapy has been shown to relieve stress, stimulate the brain's pleasure center, and help you become emotionally resilient.
- Creating art stimulates the release of dopamine, which in turn raises self-esteem levels.
- Pencil Kings features world-class teachers from Marvel and DreamWorks guiding you through art therapy by drawing.
<script async="true" src="https://widgets.stackcommerce.com/js-deal-feed/0.1/widget.js" type="text/javascript"></script><p>Creativity is a uniquely human trait. We can dream up gods and demons and give them form through drawing. We can even take a two-dimensional surface and bring our ideas to life in three dimensions. All we need is a little training for our giant imaginations to blossom on the page.<br></p><p><a href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/ultimate-character-drawing-and-design-course-bundle?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ultimate-character-drawing-and-design-course-bundle&utm_term=scsf-419763&utm_content=a0x1P000004spmNQAQ&scsonar=1" target="_blank"><strong>Pencil Kings</strong></a> has trained thousands of artists in beginner-to-expert drawing without the high costs of attending a college or university. Since 2010, the company has offered courses taught by <a href="https://www.pencilkings.com/about/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">professional artists</a> from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Warner Bros., DreamWorks, Sony, EA, and Activision.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5836011/#:~:text=Overview%20of%20the%20reviewed%20studies,50%2C51%2C52%5D." rel="noopener" target="_blank">2018 study</a>, published in <em>Beha</em><em>vioral Sciences</em>, discovered that creative endeavors, such as art, have particular relevance to stress prevention and stress management. The team discovered that <a href="https://commerce.sunmedia.ca/sales/the-complete-creative-art-science-of-drawing-bundle?utm_source=torontosun.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=the-complete-creative-art-science-of-drawing-bundle&utm_term=scsf-413313&utm_content=a0x1P000004sgGHQAY&scsonar=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">creative arts</a> are used intentionally to provoke therapeutic change, and help patients effectively manage traumatic experiences. Over 80% of the studies the team looked at found significant improvement in problems related to stress. And I think we can all agree, these are stressful times.</p><p>In <a href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/ultimate-character-drawing-and-design-course-bundle?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ultimate-character-drawing-and-design-course-bundle&utm_term=scsf-419763&utm_content=a0x1P000004spmNQAQ&scsonar=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Pencil Kings Ultimate Character Drawing and Design Course Bundle</strong></a>, you'll gain access to 11 incredible courses, including Gesture Drawing for Beginner Artists, Anatomy For Beginners, Figure Drawing with Style Distortion, Advanced Anatomy for Artists, and more. With lifetime access to these courses, you can take them at your own speed, in whatever order suits your needs, and watch your stress melt away. </p><p>You can sign up for the <a href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/ultimate-character-drawing-and-design-course-bundle?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ultimate-character-drawing-and-design-course-bundle&utm_term=scsf-419763&utm_content=a0x1P000004spmNQAQ&scsonar=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Pencil Kings Ultimate Character Drawing and Design Course Bundle</strong></a> on sale now for just $34.99 – an 80% discount from the list price.</p><p><em>Price subject to change. </em></p><div data-react-checksum="-750825353" data-reactid="1" data-reactroot="" style="position: relative;"><a data-reactid="2" href="https://shop.bigthink.com/sales/ultimate-character-drawing-and-design-course-bundle?utm_source=bigthink.com&utm_medium=referral-cta&utm_campaign=ultimate-character-drawing-and-design-course-bundle&utm_term=scsf-419763&utm_content=a0x1P000004spmNQAQ&scsonar=1" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> </a>
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How "thinking about thinking" can help children in school and in life
Teaching your child metacognitive techniques can improve their learning and life skills.
23 July, 2020
Photo by Asia Images Group on Shutterstock
- Metacognition is the idea of "thinking about how we think" - this can give us insight into our feelings, needs and behaviors that allow us to adapt and grow.
- Metacognition can (and should) be taught from an early age to allow for students to do their best in school and in life.
- Simple forms of metacognitive thinking techniques can be taught at home and in the classroom.
<p><em>"Metacognition is a big word for something most of us do every day without even noticing. Reflecting on our own thoughts is how we gain insight into our feelings, needs, behaviors - and how we learn, manage, and adapt to new experiences, challenges, and emotional setbacks. It's the running conversation we have in our heads, mentally sounding ourselves out and making plans." </em>- ChildMind.org</p><p>According to <a href="https://childmind.org/article/how-metacognition-can-help-kids/" target="_blank">ChildMind</a>, teaching our children how to use metacognition proactively can be a powerful tool, helping them overcome obstacles and adapt.</p>
<p><br></p><div></div><ul class="ee-ul"></ul><ul class="ee-ul"></ul><ul class="ee-ul"></ul>
Why children should learn metacognition from an early age
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUwNjM2NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzI4MzUwMX0.rUZDnHDz-ATJTVDu4-8U4nv84X5rnGzAWCSN9UlDYh0/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C351%2C0%2C0&height=700" id="28119" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4d8ec0d774cb198fcd2ae27aebcdaa6d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="children standing on bright yellow background holding books concept of school learning metacognition" />Metacognitive thinking in children can allow them to adapt and overcome obstacles at school and in life.
Photo by Rawpixel.com on Shutterstock
<p>In simple terms, metacognitive thinking teaches us about ourselves. According to Tamara Rosier, a learning coach who specializes in metacognitive techniques, thinking about our thinking creates a perspective that allows us to adapt and change to what the situation needs.</p><p>A simple example of metacognitive thinking (or reframing) is this: </p><p><em>"Math tests make me anxious."</em> This is a statement, a thought. Turning to metacognition, this train of thought evolves into<em> "What about math tests make me anxious...and what can do I to change that?"</em> </p><p>According to Rosier, children who are taught to think of themselves as being either "good" or "bad" at a particular task can end up with a fixed mindset that makes them passive in approaching a challenge relating to that task. However, teaching kids to become more metacognitive helps them develop a mindset that leaves more room for growth and adaptation, promoting self-awareness and resilience.</p><p>This isn't just a theory, there are many studies that prove the worth of teaching metacognition to children. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053810013000068" target="_blank">Research suggests</a> that as students' metacognitive abilities increase, they also achieve at higher levels. </p><p>Even beyond academic learning, metacognition can help young people gain awareness of their own mental states so they can begin to answer important questions like "how do I live a happy life?" and "how do I feel good about myself?"</p>How can we teach our children metacognitive thinking?
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUwNjM2OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MjQ0MjMwN30.dZjm64puC1SltpbYsJzQEgYsyJvfBqTK-JV9Xfqy7a8/img.jpg?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C87%2C0%2C87&height=700" id="9e72d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="80b44c15587c39705ddfc7488eaf365e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="" />Teaching children metacognition can happen at school and at home with just a few simple tricks...
Photo by ImageFlow on Shutterstock
<p><strong>Teach children how their brains are wired for growth and productivity.</strong></p><p>How your child thinks about learning will greatly impact their performance while learning. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ryan_Korstange/publication/330563817_Developing_Growth_Mindset_Through_Reflective_Writing/links/5c4861b8299bf12be3ddba12/Developing-Growth-Mindset-Through-Reflective-Writing.pdf" target="_blank">Research shows</a> that when students are able to develop a growth mindset (compared to a fixed mindset), they are more likely to engage in reflective thinking about how they can learn and grow which serves as motivation to do so. </p><p><strong>Provide opportunities to reflect on what they've learned.</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/blog/8-pathways-metacognition-in-classroom-marilyn-price-mitchell" target="_blank">According to Edutopia</a>, higher-order thinking skills are able to be fostered when students recognize their own cognitive growth. Simple questions like<em> "before this test, I thought earthquakes were caused by _____, but now, I understand them to be caused by ______."</em> </p><p>This kind of thinking promotes the idea that they have learned a new fact or acquired a new skill, which allows them to become more motivated to learn and grow. A very simple way of doing this could be having students keep an education journal where they track things like what tasks they found easy each week at school, what assignments they found most difficult, and what new things they learned as a result of their studies. </p><p><strong>Simple interactions in the classroom can promote metacognition.</strong></p><p>Even the way teachers interact with students can help improve metacognition. Before a class, a teacher could give a few tips on how to actively listen and learn. Following the class, the teacher could ask students to write down three key points from the class. After, the teacher should share what they believe to be three key points from the class and ask students to self-check how closely their answers matched the teacher's answers. </p><p>This activity is able to increase active listening and improve metacognitive monitoring skills at the same time. </p><p><strong>Making the most of "teachable moments" everywhere (at home, in the classroom, etc.) </strong></p><p>You can model metacognition by talking through problems. Children can learn a lot from listening to their parents or teachers use higher-order thinking strategies (or metacognitive thinking) out loud. </p><p>Taking advantage of "teachable moments" like this can allow children to see metacognitive thinking in action and promote the idea that everyone makes mistakes and the best way to correct those mistakes is to work them through and think about it as an opportunity to learn and improve. </p>
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How start-ups raise capital when their bank account is empty
Big Think's co-founder and CEO, Victoria Montgomery Brown, offers six pieces of advice to founders in her forthcoming book.
20 July, 2020
Credit: PM Images via Getty Images
- Big Think's CEO and co-founder Victoria Montgomery Brown explores the challenges of being a female entrepreneur in her forthcoming book, Digital Goddess.
- In one chapter, Brown offers key insights into how to raise capital when you have no money and no MVP.
- She advises to use every edge at your disposal; perseverance and tenacity are essential.
<p>In 2017, 40 percent of entrepreneurs were female, representing a 58 percent uptick in female-owned businesses from a decade prior. Fifty-six percent of college students are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/the-degrees-of-separation-between-the-genders-in-college-keeps-growing/2019/10/25/8b2e5094-f2ab-11e9-89eb-ec56cd414732_story.html" target="_blank">female</a>, a complete reversal from fifty years prior, when 58 percent of men filled university halls. Yet in 2017, only 2.2 percent of venture capital (VC) money went to women-founded companies. Society has changed, yet the worlds of start-ups and venture capital are still predominantly run by white men.</p><p>Big Think was founded in 2007 by Victoria Montgomery Brown and Peter Hopkins. As with many start-ups, the fundraising process provides quite a story, one that Brown has now decided to tell. Her forthcoming book, <em><a href="https://bit.ly/2B9sCDz" target="_blank">Digital Goddess: The Unfiltered Lessons of a Female Entrepreneur</a></em> (HarperCollins Leadership), reveals how this website came to be—and how women can overcome barriers in a male-dominated business world. </p><p>Below are six lessons from Brown's chapter on raising capital when you have no money or product. Brown writes that there are essential qualities for starting a business that help you navigate the terrain, such as a having a strong vision and maintaining unflinching tenacity. While some of these came naturally to Brown, others were hard-fought lessons that changed her for the better. The chapter—and the book—is a reminder that with perseverance and dedication to learning, anything is possible.</p>
<h3>Use whatever will get you in the door</h3><p>The greatest challenge every start-up faces is "first money in." Many investors are willing to back a good idea only when someone else has already committed—and they like to know who that someone else is.</p><p>In some ways, being a female founder has its advantages. As Brown writes, a Boston Consulting Group study shows that female-run start-ups outperform male-run start-ups, generating 78 cents in revenue per dollar invested compared to men at 31 cents. That's solid data, but you still need to get in the door.</p><p>Brown leaned heavily on her master's degree from Harvard Business School. This helped tremendously for her first investor meeting with Founder Collective co-founder David Frankel. He was enthusiastic, but he wanted to know who else was interested. Brown turned to former Harvard University president, Larry Summers. His buy-in increased Frankel's interest; he became the lead investor. </p><p>Meeting with such heavyweights is no easy matter for entrepreneurs with no product or history in founding a company. As Brown writes, "Study after study confirms that people tend to equate confidence with competence." Presenting Big Think confidently made the impression needed to secure funding.</p><p>With two investors in, landing Nantucket Nectars founder Tom Scott and billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel was not as challenging as one might assume. Brown writes, "Getting the first investor feels impossible, but if you can pull it off, getting the second is sometimes surprisingly easy."</p><h3>Quit your day job</h3><p>This is one of the hardest aspects of being an entrepreneur. Not only do founders not have the capital needed to launch their company, they sometimes work for years without paying themselves. If investors are going to put money into your project, they have to know you're serious about success.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"People don't like to fund things if the entrepreneur and CEO don't have their entire skin in the game. You better have something big to lose, or how are people going to believe you are all in?"</p><p>With no income or savings, Brown quit her day job in order to devote her every waking hour to Big Think. Self-imposed deadlines made sure she hit her targets. Founding a company isn't comfortable; waiting for relief will only distract you from the work that needs to get done.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"If you truly want to start something—whatever it may be—waiting won't help…put yourself in a position where you <em>must</em> do it."</p><p>Three months after quitting her day job, money showed up in Big Think's bank account. </p><h3>Build momentum</h3><p>If you're trying to convince investors to believe in you—and it is<em> you</em> that they're investing in, more than your product—show them traction, even when you don't have it. Go out and make it happen. </p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Our investors needed to be intrigued by the idea and see its potential to succeed and to scale, but they also needed to see that I was actually in a place of discomfort if it didn't work out."</p><p>Securing funding before showing a minimal viable product (MVP) is no easy task. Brown knew that she had to show <em>something</em>. Big Think started as a video platform; she needed experts to appear on video. Through their networks, Brown and Hopkins contacted Richard Branson, Moby, the Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman, and famed architect Lee Mindel. They wanted them to be anchors.</p><p>Convincing high-profile business leaders, artists, and academics to partake in a new project is as daunting as landing VCs. When these figures inevitably asked about precedent for such an initiative, Brown turned a potential negative into a positive. "No one. We are reaching out to a very select, initial group of experts to kick-start it."</p><p>Making people feel critical to a project's success is a powerful way to get their endorsement, Brown writes. More importantly, it worked. A risky play between content generators and financial backers worked out. Big Think had momentum. </p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ2NDI2NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMzIwMzMzMH0.3sLYr31G-fLT6f8P7LJj6RihCHh7hUaenZDR3IJRzto/img.jpg?width=980" id="69df9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="46a3773bba860036123eefb38cbbb229" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><h3>Do your research</h3><p>As mentioned, investors are often more interested you than your product. As Brown writes, fundraising is "about creating a situation where investors get a real glimpse of who you are and why they should invest in <em>you</em>."</p><p>It's not a one-way street. You should also be interested in <em>them</em>.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Be truly interested in the person you are meeting or don't bother meeting."</p><p>Brown advises looking beyond LinkedIn profiles and superficial bullet points. Investigate their interests, such as their passions and philanthropic pursuits. Understand why they might be interested in your venture and where it intersects with their business. Discuss topics outside of the investment opportunity. Engage them as people, not bank accounts.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Helping others feel attractive and special—not in a sexual way but in a human way—helps them see you as a more attractive person, too. But you have to mean it."</p><h3>Learn to say yes</h3><p>The discomfort of being a founder includes stretching your boundaries. PayPal famously iterated numerous times before finding success. Flexibility is key if you want to survive. Sometimes that means admitting your limitations.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Here's something major that HBS [Harvard Business School] taught me. You don't need to know how to do things, you need to know how to ask people to do things for you."</p><p>Finding the right people is one aspect of saying yes. By admitting your limitations, you say yes to help. But there's also saying yes to projects you're not entirely capable of pulling off.</p><p>After scoring a sponsorship with Pfizer, the second Big Think project was with MSNBC. The media company had a deal to provide expert-driven content with GE and SAP. They just didn't have a team to produce it. Being nimble, Big Think could turn it around quickly.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Smaller companies with greater agility can take advantage of this situation if they just have the courage to step up and offer."</p><p>Instead of focusing on the negatives, such as not having a website or even equipment, Brown and Hopkins saw the opportunity. They said yes, and completed the project without a hitch, because they had the foresight to say yes.</p><h3>Learn to say no</h3><p>Not everything demands a yes, however. Discernment matters in the frenetic world of start-ups.</p><p>There are investors, there are people that connect you with investors, and there are charlatans. As the latter often suck up oxygen in any room they enter, it's easy to confuse bluster with their capabilities.</p><p>And so we meet "Jake," who in the early days of Big Think promised a lot, demanded more, and delivered nothing.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"He hadn't brought us any investors, he hadn't booked any experts, he hadn't helped us put together the deck, so what were we doing spending time with him? He felt sort of sleazy, like a smooth talker but not a doer."</p><p>Brown told Jake he was not getting equity without deliverables during their final meeting. This news did not go over well. Jake yelled and stormed out. Such momentary discomfort is a low price for not giving up even a piece of your business. Calling our charlatans demands that you say no. Thankfully, for the future of Big Think, one bad evening paid off in the long run.</p>
<a href="https://bit.ly/2B9sCDz" ><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ4Mzc1MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMzA0MDc1MX0.BUaAlP7Az-koBmkFRaKoySbTMJNFymd8jrgXti6eAOU/img.jpg?width=980" id="0811f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a6ba096a73c8e8c01c9433d8e1a5e33a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /></a>
Credit: Harper Collins
<p><strong><a href="https://bit.ly/2ZAbMqO" target="_blank">Get the free download:</a></strong><strong> 7 Things You Need to Sort Out Before Starting a Business</strong></p><p><em>Digital Goddess: The Unfiltered Lessons of a Female Entrepreneur </em>by Big Think founder Victoria Montgomery Brown is available for <a href="https://bit.ly/2B9sCDz" target="_blank">preorder now</a>.</p><p>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://derekberes.substack.com/" target="_blank">Substack</a>. His next book is</em> "<em>Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy."</em></p>
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Jordan Klepper: Comedians vs. the apocalypse
Watch The Daily Show comedian Jordan Klepper and elite improviser Bob Kulhan live.
13 July, 2020
These days, if you don't laugh, you might just scream. Enter comedian and The Daily Show regular Jordan Klepper!
<p>In this Big Think Live session, Klepper will be in conversation with Bob Kulhan, CEO of Business Improv, talking creativity, adaptability and comedy in the age of COVID-19. How does <em>The Daily Show</em> team work remotely? What's it like to brainstorm in real-time on live TV? And what has comedy done for <em>you</em> lately? </p><p><strong>STREAMING LINKS</strong><br></p><p>
<a href="https://edge.bigthink.com/live_streams/102">Big Think Edge</a> | <a href="https://youtu.be/CFQNox-j3wQ">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BigThinkdotcom/posts/10157503083698527">Facebook</a>
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