It Doesn't Matter the Discipline, All of Us Are Artists On Some Level

10 thoughts, ideas & creative finds on the genius of simplicity, amateurs outperforming experts and trusting your value enough to earn billions

Matt Gottesman

Dec 06, 2024

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The Rundown 10: Not Waiting For Permission is the Fastest Way to Sovereign Wealth
The Rundown 11: The World Will Reward You For Standing Out Far More Than For Fitting In
The Rundown 12: It Doesn’t Happen All At Once… Until it Does

Hey Everyone,

The Rundown — Here’s what I found over the course of this week that has helped me, inspired me or gave me some creative pushes…

On not waiting for validation for your work — The fact is, we need to create because we’re here to contribute… the world doesn't owe you validation – it's waiting for your contribution. We’re not here for the approval of the people… We’re here to provide value to them” (— Matt Gottesman) — Earlier this week I did a powerful essay titled, “The World Isn’t Here to Validate You, It’s Here To Receive Your Contributions” and it made the rounds. I talked about the “permission paradox” (permission and validation rarely arrive before creation. Instead, creation must come first), the validation trap (your creative prison), the biology of liberation (the science and effects on your body creating from contribution instead of validation) and how the market responds to your value. Powerful essay - CLICK HERE TO READ IT
On getting to the root answers and understanding of your questions — “For decades I did not feel like I was that smart because I would talk to somebody and they’d say well there’s this and that using big terms and big words and defining huge things. It took me a long time to figure out they didn’t know what they were talking about… it’s the mark of a charlatan to explain simple things in a complex way… it’s the mark of a genius to explain complicated things in a simple way” (—Naval Ravikant) — It can sometimes take decades to realize this. Throughout my journey I had doubts about what I was curious about because people who “looked” the part or were “positioned” with authority but without real working knowledge, were telling me otherwise. I had to learn on my own how to understand things I was innately curious about to get to the place I am now explaining concepts in as simplest a manner. My favorite compliment on Instagram is when people say, “I love how you break down things so simply… like, it’s truly that simple even though we make it complex.” I always thank them for the greatest compliment because I find peace in simplicity as well.
On commitment to “passion” work, fulfillment & finding God — “Does it bring you joy… I tell people, when it comes to the passion work, if you’re being led by love and you’re following what brings you joy, the thing that ignites your flame in you, God is the epitome of joy… that means God wired us that as we follow after joy, we will always find him.” (—Albaner Eugene Jr.) — I think Albaner’s post offers so much wisdom into our individual journeys with creativity, purpose and what we’re here to do. A big reason I promote working tirelessly towards your calling is because I believe you’re meant to… we suffer less in surrendering to our gifts and unique paths, than we do following “traditional” paths that are always being promoted to us as the “way.” We’re allowed to experience joy (happiness can be fleeting… as he said) and we’re allowed to do things differently than others because that’s exactly why we’re here.
On building your own house — “No matter what you’re doing and who you’re doing it for, you always have to look at it as you’re building your own house. Every little thing, every little detail, every little step, every little thought, everything you’re doing… you’re building up your life, who’s around you, everything.” (—Logan Linkmeyer) — On his The Backyard Podcast, Logan spoke about how you view all of the work you do in this world being the house you’re building. I like the idea of looking at the whole picture of your life and seeing what kind of “house” are you really building. What kind of work are you doing? What kind of people are you around? What ways are you making a living and earning money? What purpose are you serving or how are you being useful? Try to think of your life like the biggest asset you could manage because it is.
On amateurs outperforming the experts — “Experts built the Titanic. Amateurs built the ark. You’re doing better than you think” — On a recent podcast, I spoke about challenging the notion of “expertise” and why feeling "unqualified" might be your greatest advantage. Amateurs are unbound by conventional thinking, innovate without preconceptions, see solutions others miss, and are okay executing without all the answers ahead of time. Experts often can’t move as fast, flexible or intuitively… not always, but often — My latest podcast on this can be found here (APPLE, SPOTIFY)

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On trusting your own value and worth — In the instant classic (according to me, lol) 2023 movie “Air,” Michael Jordan’s mother, played by Viola Davis, struck a deal with Nike that would change the industry of basketball and sports forever. At the time, athletes were not necessarily parlaying their talents into joint venture partnerships with their sponsors, or at least to the degree in which Michael Jordan would end up doing. The fact is, Michael Jordan, and his mother, not only knew his worth, but what his influence on the sport would do for basketball and Nike. The issue with most companies is that they sometimes can adapt fast enough to new ideas, new ways of doing things and new business models… especially in today’s world where everyone is the media now and we all have our own distribution. Value yourself. Know your gifts and talents. Don’t let business tell you how to do things… instead, give businesses new ways for them to expand while trusting your own worth. Both of you succeed in this way of thinking. PS - Michael Jordan went on to earn a piece of every single Air Jordan brand for life… currently valued at over $5B, to which he has netted hundreds of millions.
On not knowing how to do it but doing it anyways — “We started the company… I didn’t know how to do it, nor did they. None of us knew how to do anything.” (— Jensen Huang, NVIDIA Founder) — I think it’s important to showcase examples like Huang where they were simply trusting their instincts and pursuing their calling. None of us know what we’re fully doing, but the things we can’t stop thinking about or are curious to a fault on, are also the things that we’ll figure out because we’re in love with the commitment to that calling. NVIDIA is now worth $3.48T. I’m not saying to pay attention to the value of the company. I’m saying that let the abundance be a byproduct of you following your called pursuits.
On ALL of us being artists — “ALL of us use creativity… it doesn't matter the discipline, you're an artist on some level. Work with spreadsheets... you're an artists with numbers. Work with gardens... you're an artist with plants. Work with the body... you're an artist with science and nutrition. Artists are anyone committing their talents and skills to a discipline of their choosing and then creating something that didn't previously exist. And that is why everything is created for the world to receive.” (—Matt Gottesman) — I think it’s vital to think about your “creativity” not as art, but as life force energy. When we bring “creativity” into something, we’re not just being artists, we’re bringing life into it… and that’s why others can feel it.
On modern luxury — “Modern luxury is the ability to think clearly, sleep deeply, move slowly and live quietly in a world designed to prevent all four” (—Justin Welsh) — A clear mind, a rested body, an intentional day and peace for you to create… these things will 10x everything in your life. This goes for your health, your wealth and your relationships. Don’t be fooled by “fast” anything. Be diligent with slowing things down to a pace you can create limitless wealth from an abundance of space and time.

Playlist — Dreaming Sunset Jazz House Mix at A Suburban Park — A great playlist from Zouzoua on YouTube of Chill House to work to… great for creating, designing, writing, computer work.

It Doesn’t Matter the Discipline, All of Us Are Artists on Some Level.

When we understand that creativity is life force energy, we begin to see art everywhere – in the precision of data analysis, in the nurturing of gardens, in the healing of bodies.

It's not just about making something new; it's about infusing our essence into everything we touch.

This life force is what transforms mundane tasks into meaningful creations, ordinary moments into extraordinary experiences.

Whether we're crafting code, cultivating relationships, or building businesses, we're all artists channeling this universal energy into forms that serve, inspire, and evolve our world.

So perhaps the greatest masterpiece isn't what we create, but how we allow this creative force to flow through us, bringing vitality to everything we do.

We're all amateurs.

We're all just figuring things out.

We're all learning to trust our worth and value.

We're all learning to ask questions.

We're all building our own house.

We're all channeling life force energy.

We're all creating something new.

We're all leaving our mark.

And we're all artists in our own way.

Because art isn't just about creation – it's about bringing life to everything we touch.

– Matt

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