Make Brilliant Work

Stop trying to fit in.

Being an excellent student doesn’t make you a creative genius. People who do exceptional work often struggled in school. The educational system rewards you for mastering conventional thinking, but brilliant ideas are always unconventional. It’s normal to want to feel accepted, but if you want to create brilliant work, you need to draw motivation from your work itself, not from a desire for approval.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs states that humans will focus on basic needs like food and shelter first, but will then feel driven to satisfy higher needs. The highest need is not approval but “self-actualization.” Act based on what’s important to you, not to others. Even if you win awards, it won’t be as satisfying as knowing you have realized your vision. Fulfillment comes from satisfaction in your work, not from external validation.

Not only will original work satisfy you more, it will also have a greater impact on your life. You will connect with more people by making things that fit your personality than by trying to fit in.

Try these strategies to help you find your ...