I sat with a cup of coffee this morning, watching this video of Jason Santa Maria’s recent Creative Mornings talk all about “saying no”. Jason Santa Maria is a big deal in the web design world, and rightly so. His work is amazing, and he’s a talented writer and speaker.
I’ve read/seen other creative people talk about the power of saying no to projects/clients/things, but this talk is a little different. Jason Santa Maria is wonderfully honest about the fear of saying no (even at his level of expertise and acclaim), and realistic about real-world issues (“do I need the money”). He charts the path he took to where he is now, and admits to making many mistakes.
I particularly enjoy the last few minutes, where he outlines his process for identifying potential projects/clients/things that he should say “no” to. This video is a must-watch for any creative professional.