Over the last 28 years that I’ve been taking notes (gawd I feel old writing that!), I’ve noticed something that is common to books (both fiction and non-fiction), websites, artwork and business ideas.

I’ve seen people at business courses suspiciously tentative about revealing their ideas because “no one else has thought of them before,” and I’ve seen writers who won’t share anything about their plots for fear they will be stolen.

So what have I noticed?

Something that repeats itself over and over…

There are no truly original ideas, only unique perspectives

It’s not the idea that makes your work unique, it’s you.

There is no one that’s been through exactly what you have, but there will be people who have been through similar situations. Don’t be threatened by them – this is what gives you a sense of camaraderie with them – they are often your target audience…

So what I’m trying to say is do it…

Doers DO, talkers just talk
– or: Ideas mean nothing if you don’t ACT!
Don’t hide under a rock – make sure people know about your work. Make sure they know about you! Whether it’s a publisher, artistic studio or the local BEC or business registration office… Make sure as many people as possible have seen your work.

If you have been working on an idea for years and you suddenly see the same thing published and think “DAMN, they stole that!” They probably didn’t steal anything. They just acted on it, even if they came up with the idea long after you.

They did something

So…

What are you waiting for?

Launch that business. Write that story and send it to the publisher you dream of writing for. Send your art to Disney or Marvel. Let it go and watch what happens… it might take on a life of its own 😉

But.

Don’t just sit in a group that meets to talk about it. You gain experience by doing, not talking about how you plan to do it one day.