The Audacity to Think Different

What We Can Learn from Steve Jobs on Changing the World

I recently rewatched a 1994 Steve Jobs interview that has stuck with me over the years. In just under 2 minutes, Jobs shares his advice on values, entrepreneurship, and living life to the fullest. His words are as inspiring today as they were back then. If you want to watch the excerpt from the interview, you can find it here.

One quote from the interview especially resonates:

This perspective empowers us to think differently about what’s possible. It’s no coincidence that one of Apple’s biggest ad campaigns under Jobs was the “Think Different” campaign in the late 1990s.

It’s a call to action to break free from limiting beliefs and become architects of our own lives. When we realize the power we have to shape the world around us, it unlocks tremendous creative potential.

The Myth of the Fixed Life

We tend to go through life believing that the world just is the way it is. That we must accept the status quo and work within the system. That we are limited by the circumstances we find ourselves in.

But as Jobs asserted in the interview, life is not fixed, but fluid. Everything we call life was created by people no smarter than us — which means we also have the power to recreate it.

This is an incredibly empowering truth that allows us to take control of our destiny. Yet it’s also an idea that many reject or never realize in the first place. We grow so accustomed to the world as it is, that we fail to see how we can change it for the better. We limit our creative power with false beliefs about what’s possible.

But the only real limits in life are those we impose upon ourselves. As Jobs put it, “Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.”

This applies to all people but especially to artists and creators.

We have vision. Imagination. The ability to think different.

This newsletter is for you.

It’s a call to break free from limiting beliefs and change the world around you. To become an architect of your own life.

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Stop Accepting Things As They Are

It’s easy to passively accept life as it is. To stay in your comfort zone and be complacent. But Jobs reminds us, “Your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much.” This mindset of just dealing with circumstances as they arise causes us to sell ourselves short.

To reach our potential, we must proactively shape the life we want. You may crash into some walls along the way, but each failure brings lessons to refine your vision.

Had Jobs resigned himself to the status quo, we wouldn’t have the Apple technology we enjoy today. Your ideas are just as powerful as his were. Don’t let limiting beliefs stop you from creating the impact only you can make.

Ignore the Skeptics

When you start thinking big and chasing unconventional dreams, you’ll encounter skeptics. People who call your ideas crazy or try to steer you down a “safer” path.

But remember, “Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you.” The critics do not have special powers.

Trust your vision. The naysayers may think it’s arrogant or naive to try changing the world. But it’s precisely this willingness to pursue your purpose with childlike disregard for the impossible that enables you to make your mark.

Let the skeptics scoff while you keep choosing faith in yourself.

Be Curious

Although we can’t see the future, adopting an attitude of curiosity gives us confidence to face uncertainty. Every day presents new opportunities when we approach life with childlike wonder rather than fear. Curiosity breathes energy into your work and unlocks creativity.

Jobs exemplified insatiable curiosity. He took calligraphy classes out of interest that informed the typography on the first Mac.

Your openness to explore new territories guides you to breakthroughs others may never find. Let curiosity give you the courage to poke life a little and see what possibilities emerge on the other side.

Reshape Your Environment

Jobs encourages us to “build your own things that other people can use.”

As artists and creators, you have tremendous power to generate physical and digital works that shape culture. Through your works, you remake the world in your desired creative discipline. Never underestimate the impact your creations can have.

Trust that your unique vision and inner spark fill a void no one else can. When you refine your craft and pour yourself into your projects, you alter the collective consciousness.

Your environment is just a reflection of your inner state. So focus on raising your inner bar, and your outer world has no choice but to transform.

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Create Something Out of Nothing

There’s tremendous freedom in knowing you can start with a blank canvas and envision something entirely new. Jobs notes that if you push life, “something will pop out the other side, that you can change, you can mold it.” You have the power to go from empty space to a completed vision that inspires.

This generative power is you at your most godlike. Conjuring something where there was once a void. Manifesting your purpose through creative action.

When you really embrace this power, you develop confidence that you can tackle any endeavor. Starting from scratch excites rather than intimidates you.

Leave Your Mark

We all want to make our mark and create a legacy that outlasts us. To become architects of our own lives. But it’s easy to only fantasize about this and never take action.

Ask yourself honestly — are you showing up fully and making the impact only you can make? Don’t let imaginary limits hold you back.

You don’t have to make a massive dent in the universe to feel fulfilled. It’s about living ‘intentionally.’

About squeezing all the juice out of life. About using your natural creative gifts to contribute to the collective good. You have a unique genius — don’t take it to the grave. Make it tangible through your works and inspiration.

“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dreams.”

— Les Brown, Motivational Speaker, Author & Activist —

Remember, everything made by humans, however monumental, first existed merely as a vision in someone’s mind.

Allow yourself to dream big without concern for “practicality”. Then pour yourself into that vision relentlessly. Don’t buy into the myth of the fixed life.

You get to write the story.

Break Free and Build Your Future

Hopefully this has opened your mind to the endless possibilities within your grasp. You are not limited by constraints, only empowered by your vision.

As Steve Jobs said, “Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you.” The unwritten future is your blank canvas to envision and construct the world you wish to see.

Now is the time to break free of stagnation and limiting beliefs.

Here are 3 actions you can take today to start manifesting your bold dreams:

1. Define Your Vision: Get clear on the unique impact you want to make. Envision exactly how you want your work to shape the world. Refine this vision into a blueprint for the future.

2. Silence Your Inner Critic: Notice any negative self-talk holding you back. Then consciously replace it with uplifting truths about your gifts. Your perspective is essential — let it shine.

3. Take Steps Each Day: Carve out time daily to turn your vision into reality. Set micro-goals that inch you closer to completing your next breakthrough, your next project. Progress breeds motivation.

The unwritten future awaits your visionary mind. Seize your creative power to make your bold dreams concrete.

Jobs reminds us, “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”

Reject stagnation and constraints. The opportunity to make life anew awaits - embrace it fully.

That’s it for this issue of The Intentional Artist.

As always, if this resonated or was of help, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Artfully yours,
Chris

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