A good friend of mine told me about a great new market for my ideas and that got the wheels turning. It happened like it usually does. The idea kind of sits there in the back of my mind for a few days and then at some obscene hour of the morning, the idea kicks me awake and I begin to sketch, then hopefully I can catch a few hours of sleep before I have to go about my day.
The market is a market for a ministry resource that really encourages creative ideas. This means it is both in my wheel house and lines up with my personal mission to inspire and encourage the body of Christ. I share that because this is one of those ways to prioritize your ideas. There is a sweet spot when an idea is smack in the middle of your abilities and your mission. If either of those is missing, it might be best to write the idea down and put it on the back burner until such time as it moves more into your sweet spot.
Next up, I designed the logo. I thought about the group that would use this resource and designed accordingly. In projects like this, it is best to design with the end user in mind. Remember design is different than art at times in that you are creating for a specific audience rather than just self expression. I wanted to make it appealing to my audience because this is an item I intend to sell to earn money to support my ministry and my family. There is nothing wrong with creating a commercial project so long as you don’t find yourself on the slippery slope toward idolatry. We all have to earn a living.
Finally, I have no idea whether or not this project will be successful, but fortunately my friend has sold ideas to this market. Rather than invest a ton of time in something that will not get used, I am going to mock up a demo and test my concept with my friend, before delving into the large amount of work it will take to get this idea to market. That way I can tweak the idea or trash it without a lot of time lost. Also because my friend has an established relationship with this company, I may ask him to help me open the door or perhaps even collaborate.
This is how I work a project. I get an idea, work it up, test it and ship it. Of course the most important thing is what happens after I ship it. I don’t wait around for an answer, I go to my idea file and start what’s next.
Here’s a sample…
AMOKArts 