Creative Bulletin n.235
I wrote The Creative Ambush between October 2023 and February 2024, and I designed the book while in Lisbon between March and April.
You might think that was the real work, but it’s not quite that simple 😅
Inspiration, grounding, and expansion. The first phase of a creative journey—in this case, writing a book—is the most poetic. It’s when ideas flow, and you try to give them shape. It’s the stage where you pace back and forth, excited by a new idea, where you lose sleep out of excitement (or sometimes despair). Then, you write “The End,” and it’s easy to think the journey is over. Haha.
But how do we bring our creation into the world? How do we honor it? How do we give it the dignity it deserves? If we do nothing, the novel stays in the drawer, the project never takes off, the business never opens.
The commitment to expanding The Ambush. This past week, I’ve focused on tasks that might not seem very creative:
- Enhancing distribution. The Ambush is doing well, which means spending hours on the phone and at the computer streamlining the shipping process. How can we ensure it reaches everywhere without long delays? The headaches are real 😅
- Finding international partners. There’s growing demand for translations in Polish, German, French, and Spanish. Meanwhile, publishing houses are interested in acquiring the rights for their countries. So, I’m working to find international agents who can help us. I feel completely out of my depth—I've never done this before and don’t really know where to start 😂
- Handling setbacks. Success always comes with its challenges. The paper supply doesn’t arrive in time for the next print run, a crucial contact goes on vacation, a team member’s oversight triggers a domino effect of problems. And who has to deal with it? That would be me.
🌈 Creative Takeaway: Creativity also means doing the dirty work
It might feel less honorable to compile a list of publishers, to knock on doors seeking investments, or to handle something as mundane as shipping.
But here’s the truth: that’s all part of the process. Creatives who only create don’t truly care about their work. There’s a time to create, and there’s a time to roll up your sleeves and get elbow-deep in whatever needs to be done, even if it’s not glamorous.
It’s an excellent way to gain a broader perspective on what we want to achieve, to become more aware, and to build a stronger foundation for our creativity 💪
With ❤️,
Matteo
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