The acts of creating and innovating will often be arduous and exceedingly time consuming. To launch a seemingly simple website or app it may take hundreds of hours of programming. Books, poems, songs can take just as long. Months of effort can be consumed in mere moments by consumers. As consumers we tend not to think about this fact. We experience things, say “That’s nice” and move on. It’s not a big deal when we are hearing a song on the radio or just downloading a random app on our phone. We are surrounded by art and product nonstop, so it is impossible to really think about and celebrate all of it. We must however do more to celebrate these accomplishments when they come from our friends, families, and neighbors.
For the creators of both art and product, the moment of unveiling or launch is a mix of fear, excitement, anticipation, and relief. If this effort is the reflection of months of even years of work, this effort is not only a thing, but it is a reflection of large part of identity. As a community, as friends, there is not always a lot we can do to help our friends through their work. Creation is by design, going to have a lot of loneliness involved. After the process is complete there is much we can for our friends.
As a community and individuals we must do more to encourage these creators and innovators. As launch day approaches and arrives we need to share their enthusiasm and interest. Grown adults are spending whole weekends celebrating their birthdays with parties, trips and all other manner of jubilation. Yet when a friend launches their app, their book, their album, often there is little fanfare or excitement, and at times little interest at all. When viewed from this paradigm, society will put more excitement and celebration into simply living another year, than it puts on working and laboring to create. The acts of creating and innovating are hard enough, we should make sure not to pile on a side of apathy to these efforts.
Most acts of innovation and creation fail. Research discovers nothing, the song is bad, the app just doesn’t deliver on its purposes. Even when this happens, and it will to everyone, we need to celebrate the efforts. These people are pouring themselves into things trying to create, trying to make the world better. We need these people to keep going. Without them, nothing will change, nothing will get better, life will be bland. So next time a friend shares their life’s work with you, act like you give a damn, because if you don’t, maybe you’re not really a friend at all.