Finding Soul in Switchyards
It’s not easy to explain what makes creatives tick. Or what would cause us to work straight through a gorgeous summer weekend. For free. So I was reading this article on Style.com by Matthew Schneier:
And the author asked both of these talented artists about working in a creative environment with good energy (in this case, from the benefits of transcendental meditation). Here’s what they said:
[Designer] Italo Zucchelli: In my case, I have to say, it has so many implications. It guided me to create, for example—and this is very important to me—a setup with my team, with the people I work with, that is happy. I have fun every day. The people who work with me work with me for twelve years, nine years, [because] we are in fun, we’re here together. When you do a creative thing, it’s so important, because then people will give you 100 percent. When you’re working in an atmosphere that is conducive to being creative, to creating things—fashion thrives on that. I have to say, a lot of people that come to my office, the first thing they say is, “My God, this office has such a great energy!”
[Film Director]David Lynch: Well, sure. I remember being at a business conference. Many businesses run their business on fear; they think fear motivates people, and they emphasize competition, and the employees feel that their job is pretty much 24/7 in jeopardy, and they live under this fear. They take that fear home, so their wife or husband catch it, and the little kids in the house feel it. It’s like introducing this poison at work that spreads to other places. And then people are more apt to get sick and not sleep well at night. It’s a downward spiral. Common sense tells you that if your employees are happy, they’re going to be more productive and have more ideas and go with you the extra mile. The other way, you're fueling a kind of hatred for your workplace, and sometimes employees. It’s “fuck you” style.
And then there’s Switchyards style. Last weekend, I participated in a 48-hour challenge to create exciting new consumer brands “Made With Soul in Atlanta”… and witnessed 10 awesome startups emerge.
We began with just a few ideas. Success was in no way guaranteed. But we were not motivated by fear.
Developers, designers and a few copywriters worked together day and night in impromptu groups. Supported by organizer Michael Tavani and a small team of dedicated organizers and volunteers—the weekend’s participants spun straw into gold. They pushed through the strain, the doubt, the lack of sleep. What kept us going?
Simply, we were having fun. Getting into the zone, achieving flow—all of that, too. But by working in an atmosphere that is conducive to being creative, we could focus on what makes us happy: making stuff. It’s the opposite of fear. It’s freedom.
David Lynch may call it Transcendental Meditation. I call it Soul.
Want to see what we made? Sign up for Switchyards Demo Night on Thursday, June 12 here.
About the Author: Stephanie Roman is an Atlanta copywriter and flash fiction author. She also enjoys a damn fine cup of coffee.
[Photo Credit: http://streetsofatlanta.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/entrance-of-the-tunnel.jpg]
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