Overcoming the learning curve to create art

The learning curve
Last week I wrote about the four levels of competency. Regardless of what area you are trying to become more competent in, there is always a learning curve. For some things, it’s small. For others, well…not so much.

My goal is to get past as much of the learning curve as quickly as I can and create art as quickly as I can.

That’s not to say that I want the easy way out or that I’m looking for the “get rich quick” scheme, but I’ve always held to the belief that you can learn one of two ways:

1. From your own experience
2. From someone else’s experience

I’d much rather learn from someone else’s experience at a much faster (and less painful) rate.

What am I learning?
For me, becoming an entrepreneur is something that I’m still consciously incompetent at. I’m fine with that since I’ve really just begun acting on my longterm desire to become one.

But I intend to attack this learning curve that is looming over me head on!

There are some things which I figured would come easy. Stuff like setting up WordPress, tracking mentions of my name online, commenting. All of those technical and repetitive things come easy for me, so no biggie. However, unless they are part of a working business strategy, they ultimately mean nothing to my overall plan.

Also, I love the connections I’m making online and I’d continue to read other people’s blogs even if I never wanted to pursue entrepreneurship. However, if I don’t pursue starting a business, I’m not striving towards my dream. Blogging by itself is not a business.

What I don’t want to do
Even before starting my blog, I did not intend to directly make money from the act of writing daily on it. I never intended (nor do I still) for there to be any Google Ads on this site. I’m not looking for click throughs or affiliates for products and people I don’t know. I have no problem with others doing those things, just not what I wanted to do. Perhaps on another site, but not this one.

But even aside from that, it has never been my thought that money would just start rolling in once I started blogging. For me, blogging is one possible aspect of a business.

Much like the business card is only a tool, so is the blog
Now before anyone gets totally up in arms, I am quite aware that the blog is a bit more dynamic and far reaching than a business card. However, neither one makes you money until someone responds to the call to action that both present.

Without something to buy, you won’t make a dime. That “something” can be a product, a service, an experience. Doesn’t necessarily matter what format you choose, but it has to exist nonetheless.

Defining that “something” and building a business plan around it is the goal.

How I intend to attack the learning curve
Here is the key to reducing the amount of time necessary to overcome my learning curve:

1. Identify the products (product/service/experience/whatever) that I want to market
2. Create a business plan around the first one
3. Identify what areas I do NOT know how to do
4. Seek out information on how to do them

Obviously, I’m going to make mistakes and not know to do certain things.

For me, identifying the pitfalls just means that I can help the next person who takes this journey. Now that is art that I would love to do!

A question (or two)
I’m curious how many others feel this way. I’ve thought about creating a bit of a “think tank” for anyone interested in discussing these questions and others that I have started noticing. For example, I talked on Friday about how launches need to be art too. I’d love to know what a group of people contributing to a discussion on this would look like.

So the questions are:

1. Does anyone else seeking to be an entrepreneur desire to create art as their business?
2. If so, does the idea of creating a group to tackle this discussion appeal to you?

If you don’t want to leave your answers in the comments, hit me on Twitter or my contact page.

Thoughts?