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Great Spreadsheets Are Given To You


Carl

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Imagine you have a job creating spreadsheets. Every now and then, inspiration strikes and you create a piece of artistry in Excel - it wins awards, is talked about at the office, and earns you a nice bonus.

Great right? Except for all those days when the spreadsheet magic isn't there, which is most of them. You might try reworking your champion spreadsheet or copying someone else's, but it's just not the same. After a while some kid comes along and creates a new spreadsheet that becomes all the rage, and yours is banished to the archives.

I thought of this scenario when I heard it yet again from a songwriter:

Great songs are given to you.

In this case, the songwriter is John Parr, who co-wrote and recorded the #1 hit "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)." But this sentiment extends to the majority of writers, and here's what's weird: It even applies to the Nashville folks who work business hours. You know, the ones who get up in the morning, head to a songwriting appointment, write something, make a demo and pitch it to Toby Keith. Most of what they write is passable - good even - but uninspired. Other times they hit on something with real emotion behind it (the "Wrecking Ball" story is a good example).

Here's my theory: These lightening bolts of inspiration do exist, and they can hit anyone in any profession under the right circumstance. So whether you're a butcher, a baker or a spreadsheet maker, if you open your mind and allow your ideas to grow, you just might hit on something big. There are myriad impediments which can be intractable, but especially these:

1) You have too much work to do and are struggling to keep up.

2) You can't grow your ideas because your boss won't nurture them.

3) You don't have time or space to think creatively.

What I have figured out from these talks with folks who have created works of wonder is that it's very rewarding, and once you've done it, you've notched an accomplishment that will stick with you for life. For all of us in the proletariat, it means we might want to prepare for these lightening bolts by creating conditions for them to flourish. I've found that a notebook helps.

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