make a version 0.1 to say "hello, world"

 

the bare ingredients for a newborn creative baby — and how it’ll set you free.

lately, I've been feeling a less overwhelmed about juggling my gazillion creative projects. this is in part due to my tactile project management system: the creative immersion deck (which really helps me hyperfocus) and, a concept I'm about to share with you, now: the version 0.1

as I was sensing into the shape of various projects, backlogged inside of me (politely or not-politely waiting in line to be born), I realized that although I was always a deliberate practitioner of iterative creation (starting with version 1.0, then continual rebirths as 2.0, 3.0, 4.0)... I wasn't seeing a crucial version BEFORE the version 1.0 -- that is, the version 0.1.

the version 0.1 is a made-up framing and distinction, of course. but it's been extremely useful. let me explain.

(years ago, I wrote this post: aim for iteration, not perfection)

 

version 0.1 says: "I exist"

your version 0.1 of a project is its first existence and emergence as a "hello, world."

if version 1.0 says: "hello world. I'm here, this is what I'm about, these are my hopes and dreams, this is what I want to be when I grow up, but here's my humble little offering, now..."

version 0.1 simply says: "hi. hello world."

and implicit in this "hello world" is the claim -- "I exist, therefore, I can grow."

because to exist -- from something to nothing -- is the hardest thing. there are a thousand things that get in the way of being born. existence comes before evolution, or expansion. but once something exists, the momentum can carry that creation forwards.

version 0.1 is the opposite of an elevator pitch. it's not directed TO anyone. it doesn't want anything. it's the feeling of being awake and alive in a body -- in your creative body, whatever medium, shape, or form it takes. it's the seed that grows in the darkness of nothingness. it's the first hint of spring buds on a bare tree, which, over time, might blossom into something magnificent.

but for now, it simply says, "I'm here."

 

finding freedom in process

"but wait," I hear you say, "what if that hello-world isn't enough? how can I share it before it's really ready? what if it's imperfect and ugly?"

that's kind of the point. anything you create - even if it's an offering you'll sell for money - begins as a conversation with yourself. any eloquent lecture to an audience of 100,000 will begin as a few notes scribbled in a notebook.

my question is: what reason do we have to hide the process? (does revealing the process somehow devalue the product?) why do we have to wait until it's a polished, finished product -- before it's worthy of existing, let alone being seen?

why hide your creativity, in the process of becoming?

so, make art in the void. share your work like no one cares, like no one is looking. let go of the need to perform the sense that you're put-together and have all the answers. instead, embrace the darkness of obscurity.

or, put another way: invite the guests of your world into the process of becoming.

and let that process be a teaser, a prelude, a taster of whatever is to come.

 

ingredients of a version 0.1

because we each come with different dials of perfectionism and obsessive-compulsiveness (mine is quite high) let me break down what I think ARE the essential ingredients to a version 0.1.

and, side note: not ALL projects would benefit from the distinction of Version 0.1 vs. Version 1.0. I'd say that the bigger the project is, the more useful it feels to break it down. but it 100% depends on what you feel like you need.

  1. Observable - as in, it's no longer fragments of visual-thought-swirls in your head, but in a place where it can be (potentially) observed by another living being. for me, this is 100% on my website-world

  2. Has a container or form - if all art or creative projects are energy, than the medium is the container-form that holds it. this could be: words, visual, sound, movement, tactile, objects, interactive... and your version 0.1 needs to exist in ONE of its intended forms. it definitely doesn't have to be the only form, and it can be very different from its END form. but it needs to have a starting form. because this is a material container that you can then play with, reshape, and evolve. and yes, this 100% applies to digital containers.

  3. Has an essence or "soul" - this one's a bit nebulous, but you know when an image, a sound, or a few words captures the "essence" of a thing -- rather than being an exact, literal description of that thing. this is about pinning down and conveying the spirit, heart, soul, and being-ness of a creative project. it's an exercise in minimalism, or essentialism -- a distillation of what makes it feel alive.

 

the guiding questions to ask:

  1. where & how can I share it - so that it's observable? (I recommend: your digital world)
  2. what is its very nascent, starting form or creative container? what elements does it include?
  3. what would give it its essence, or soul?
 

I find that this framework of the Version 0.1 applies to big creative projects -- businesses, websites, offerings -- as well as smaller ones. for me, it helps me keep the creative energy moving. always in the spirit of growth & rebirth, instead of falling stagnant, or getting stuck.

 
 
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