Jason Fried

January 19, 2022

Creativity requires optimism

Pessimism can spark an idea.

Annoyance can drive ingenuity.

Disappointment can redirect effort towards change.

But creativity requires optimism.

Creativity isn't about starting something. It's about making something. Making requires sustained effort, and sustained effort requires fuel.

That fuel is optimism.

When you run out, momentum dies, and effort grinds to a halt.

When you run out, creativity converts to drudgery.

When you run out, you give up.

If you're making something that doesn't exist, you must believe that it can. That's optimism, that's the feeling. That's the chemical reaction. Without it, creativity is inert.

About Jason Fried

Hey! I'm Jason, the Co-Founder and CEO at 37signals, makers of Basecamp and HEY. Subscribe below to follow my thinking on business, design, product development, and whatever else is on my mind. Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.