Summary

(est. 5 min read)

I will be going over:

• become creative in 5 minutes 🎯 

• The story of the creator who broke the algorithm 📈

• How to hack your brain into loving the process 🧠

• …and much, much more!

Actionable Tip

If you just use data for your content, then you will create unoriginal, mediocre content.

Creativity involves going outside of what you are confident will work.

Any viral video is novel in some regard. Novelty inspires curiosity.

Best Links

🎯 How Ryan Trahan broke the internet (link)

📊 A break-down of 77 VIRAL YouTube thumbnails (link)

🚀 My 2.7B view YouTube ideation process (link)

How To Become Creative In 5-Minutes

This creativity process earned me 2.7B views. However, it is the sole contributor to everyone’s success. Even without knowing it.

When it comes to acquiring knowledge and practise in any industry,

there is a cycle that always takes place.

1) Learning The Rules 📐 

You begin by learning the “rules” of your industry:

• a movie is 120 minutes long,

• music is made with instruments,

• an advertisement must show the product,

• a house has four flat walls, and a slanted roof,

• a youtube video has a hook, body, and an outro,

• a book must be printed at an a5 size in a black font,

• a painting is done on a rectangle canvas made of fabric.

As a beginner, it’s intimidating to start. Especially from a blank canvas.

These simple rules come from best practices that are often used.

They are the foundational elements that are the building blocks of successful works in your industry.

By understanding the rules, you can get to a mediocre level. Fast.

2) Questions 🧠 

As you become more knowledgeable,

you naturally start to question why things are done a certain way.

Sometimes, the benefits are obvious.

However unfortunately, poor judgments are also common.

You see, it all comes from human’s desire to see patterns in data and oversimplify things.

For example, saying "the sun melted the ice cream, and the sun also caused the sunburn" makes sense.

But saying "the ice cream melted because the person got sunburnt" doesn't.

Many rules come from misunderstandings about what really works.

These misunderstandings can lead to incorrect and harmful conclusions.

And therefore - they are incorrect and harmful conclusions.

In step 1 - you learned the rules of the industry.

In step 2, you understand that these rules can be faulty, and in step 3, you start breaking these rules.

3) Experimentation 🌊 

Now comes the exciting part: breaking the rules.

But to do that, you first need to be aware of them.

Begin by writing down every rule you believe about your industry.

For each of these rules - think of interesting alternate ways of doing them.

• Create a movie that's 45 minutes long,

• or 5 hours if that's what your story needs.

• Make music without instruments, using everyday sounds instead.

• Design an advertisement that never shows the product, but uses it to tell a powerful story.

• Build a house with curved walls and a flat roof.

• Make a YouTube video without a script,

• or a YouTube video scripted like a movie.

You get the point.

Take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them.

Double down on the experiments which worked,

Learn from those which didn’t.

4) The True Foundations 🌱 

A successful house does not need four walls and a roof.

A successful movie does not need to be 2 hours long.

A successful painting can be made on a circular canvas, or no canvas at all.

At this stage - you have experimented, and discovered that following your initial rules blindly proved more harmful than beneficial.

However, having a guide is vital.

A compass through any endeavour is crucial. A north star to indicate progress and signal direction.

Initially, your north star was a set of arbitrary rules.

Now, it's time to pivot to a more solid and stable foundation.

What truly makes a piece of work in your industry successful?

A successful movie doesn't need to be 2 hours long,
but it DOES need to evoke a range of intense emotions.

A successful house doesn't need four walls and a roof,
but it DOES need to make its inhabitants feel comfortable, protected, and inspired.

Your task now is to build an understanding of the true foundations of your industry.

Identify the core elements that make something successful.

These elements will become your new north star.

5) Playing On Your Own 🚀 

While this is the final stage - as a description, that can be misleading.

The creative cycle never ends.

This step is the beginning of a completely different creative cycle.

Following your compass from step four, continue to find new ways to break your industries rules.

NEVER again settle for meeting a set of criteria, and nothing greater.

Great work cannot be repeated mindlessly.

You will need to constantly find new ways to make your work different, along with BETTER in the direction of your compass.

The Invisible Trap 🔥 

Throughout this journey, the hardest step is to actually see your industry’s rules.

Most people will be blindly following them, and have been for as long as they can remember.

An artist may never have even considered that their greatest limitation comes before they even put paint on the canvas.

For it’s not their skill, or their supplies.

It’s the size and shape of the canvas they are using.

But still, when you visit a gallery, you will find that almost all paintings follow the same rule.

Stretched fabric across a wooden frame.

1. Observe and Reflect 👀 

   Take a step back and observe your industry from a distance. Spend time reflecting on what you see without making immediate judgments.

2. Ask Questions ❓️ 

   Constantly question the status quo. Ask "why" things are done a certain way.

3. Seek Fresh Perspectives 🌻 

   Surround yourself with people from different backgrounds and industries. Their fresh perspectives can help you see the limitations of your own industry's rules.

4. Experiment with Constraints 🖌️ 

   Change the constraints you typically work within. For an artist, this could mean using a non-traditional canvas or unconventional materials.

5. Study Other Art Forms 🎨 

   Look at how other art forms and industries solve similar problems. Draw inspiration from their methods and apply them to your own work.

6. Consult with Mentors 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 

   Seek guidance from mentors who have successfully broken free from conventional rules.

What Have I Been Up To?

I have arrived back to the UK!

I was also greeted by two additional play-buttons. My girlfriend and I dedicated an intense day to figuring out how to mount them.

As always, the simplest solutions are the most effective.

I would love to talk to you. No strings attached.

Book a call with me using the button below.

Let’s talk about YouTube.

Let’s Get To Work 🚀

I have an insane guarantee.

And I’m able to do so because of the team we’ve built.

If I don't at least TRIPLE your views over the next 30 days - you don't have to pay a penny. And I'll do that:

1) Without diluting your target audience.

2) Without even increasing your number of uploads.

3) Without creating sensationalist content

4) Maintaining and upholding your brand image

Interested? Of course you are.

Thanks for reading,

All the best,

Daniel Faraday