Being creative can be both a blessing and a curse.  I never hide the fact that if you give me 30 seconds, I can probably give you 50 ideas.  I enjoy being creative and as previously stated, “it’s how I navigate life.”  Some people cannot thrive without writing, running, yoga, ect., I…must create!

So, the creative person in me, the marketing agency owner, the “creative child” of my parents, decided to create an event in the early 2000’s.  The event was going to be so awesome!  In my head, we had created the perfect backdrop for an intimate discussion around male-female relationships during African-American Heritage Month.  I had even secured a celebrity panelist for the affair which was, inevitably, going to change lives. (I hope you can hear the sarcasm.)  My perfect event…Was. An. Epic. Fail!

The celebrity, Hill Harper, eventually had to be eliminated from our planning because there was no money. *Gasp*

• No sponsorships.

• No vendors.

• Nothing that I had thought financial was coming to fruition.

The awesomeness did not create (pun intended) financial resources.  Can you imagine? (Again, sarcasm.)

Even with the media coverage, myself and my team were at zero.  So, the awesome event became a free event.  However, it costs me a lot of things.  Beyond time, there was a formidable investment that would not be recouped…EVER!  And, there was a need exposed.

What need?

The need to plan.  Or more so, to analyze the profitable part of the plan.  Before my MBA, I would create all types of events, and things, and things to-do.  In that iteration of my life, my creativity often overruled my pragmatic side, causing it to take center stage, when perhaps it should not have.  For this reason, I teach my students to lead with the costs.  Learn to see the idea, and then question if it’s life-worthy or notebook-worthy, at this in this season of their lives.

Yes, have a tremendously creative idea, but don’t be remiss–if it’s supposed to generate an outcome, especially a financial one–of the business/pragmatic side of the idea.  Many times our analysis of this element of the idea will determine if it’s viable or even feasible.

“‘A-ha’ is a lovely sentiment. ‘A-how’ should follow closely behind.”

-Stephanie D. McKenzie

It took time, and a few more creative “failures” for me to realize and cultivate the discipline to both create and implement successfully.  However, I am grateful for those moments of failure, so that I can teach my students and others to be greater than I was then.

In terms of applying my lessons in the future…commit to being diligent about analyzing the idea past the light bulb moment.  Light bulbs are great, but they need power to be seen and let their light shine brightly–therefore, the “light bill” must be paid. (Pun intended.)  For me, this is about examining the costs.  Sometimes the costs are not always financial, but there are always investments in bringing creativity to light.

And yes, that pun was also intended.