Reading Update: Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday

I’ve been reading Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday. Currently I am on page 42 so definitely taking my time with reading.

I am interested in creating content that has perennial existence. I am realizing that to achieve this goal I need to learn from those that have already created perennial content. I believe we are in a strange reality. A reality that depends on value and perspective. I may be bias because I am creating a

In part one of the book, Ryan Holiday explains how important it is to have an established creative process that is flexible to the every day struggles that life throws at you. He shows proof of this concept by quoting companies and people that have managed to maintain a creative process that is innovative and practical. Below are a five of my favorite quotes from the book that explain the value in having a creative process.

  • “Two of the most essential principles in the famous “Toyota Way”- the internal philosophy that has guided the Japanese car company for decades-explicitly extol the virtues of taking a long-term view and respecting process.”

  • “People who are thinking about things other than making the best product never make the best products” Phil Libin (cofounder of Evernote)

  • “I see designers and companies whose work represents a disposable, ironic, trend-driven view of product design as my idealogical enemies… My desire to design objects that represent a more thoughtful, sustainable view grew partially from the ironic, anti-design trend I encountered as I was getting into design.” Joey Roth (Designed Sorapot teapot and a series of high-end ceramic speakers)

  • “Even if you fail at your ambitious thing, it is very hard to fail completely. That’s the thing that people don’t get” Larry Page

  • “Insights rarely occur fully baked. The creative process is often nonlinear, with many detours along the way that inform the final product. The creator often starts with a hazy intuition of where he or she is going, but breakthrough innovations rarely resemble the seed idea or vision. This is because creative ideas, by their nature, evolve over time, reflecting the colliding of seemingly disparate ideas. The best we can do is sit down and create something, anything, and let the process organically unfold. Tolerating ambiguity, frustration, and changes in the grand plan and being open to new experiences are essential to creative work. Indeed, they are what makes creative work.” Scott Barry Kaufman (Leading psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania")

In summary, I have learned that the behavior that doesn’t change for successful creatives is having a long-term mindset and creating an enduring method for creative expression.

One way that I am implementing an enduring method for creative expression is reading for thirty minutes before bed and posting a weekly (Every Wednesday) blog post sharing what I am learning and my favorite quotes.

Let me know in the comments if you have a method for creative expression

Peace out,

Reibert-Anthony

P.S.

If you would like to follow along with my reading you can subscribe to my newsletter below to get reminders. Thank you

Previous
Previous

Reading Update #2: Bold, Brash and Brave

Next
Next

Reibert-Anthony: An introduction