I wanted to open with invention, because I am attending The Reinvention Summit; a virtual conference on storytelling.  My new friend Michael Margolis has been working his ass off to make this happen and I am proud to support his efforts. I also look forward to watching and hearing all the great presentations.

I could tell you my story, but I’m afraid it isn’t one of reinvention.  My story is mostly bland for the first 26 years, then I started inventing myself.  It’s been 6 years or so and I’ve become attached to a variety of stories, myths, and philosophic memes.  I make these attachments lightly, because of their epic nature and then wait for others to connect the dots.  Thus I can’t tell you how I do it, but if you watch, listen, and ask good questions, I’m sure you can find out what I’m trying to do.  It really isn’t about me and tends to come straight out of our collective imagination.  By mixing characters, themes, and living my life along a path I do not own, I hope to invent myself until I die.  No need for reinvention at all.   One thing that never changes is my anal tendency towards wordiness and technical definitions.  What is reinvention anyways? Isn’t invention good enough?

One thing is certain to me: We are all artists with differing sets of talents and skill levels, with infinite opportunity to expand both.  If you want to take that next step into your own story of invention, you should sign up for the summit.  I’ll meet you there!

Thanks for reading!

Also, buy stock in our influence while it’s still affordable.  Find us on http://EmpireAvenue.com GAIA & GAIA7

Re: invention by jazzmann91; Encouraging you to Question Everything.

Are you a rebel?
Definition #2 To resist or defy an authority or a generally accepted convention.
Rebels want freedom.  They want control over their destiny and choices.  They want freedom from authority, rules, and restrictions.  We love freedom and think our democracies would be much better served if we promoted and valued our rebels more.  Marc Emery is a rebel who is currently locked up for selling seeds (a heinous crime indeed).  What rule or authority are you railing against?

Are you a jester?
Definition #3 a professional clown employed by a king or nobleman, esp at courts during the Middle Ages.
We do not want to suggest that you are a pro clown from the year 711 AD.  We do want you to be a person who pokes fun at serious stuff.  Society has modern jesters.  They host shows like The Daily Show or This Hour Has 22 Minutes.  They just don’t get their paycheck from the magistrate anymore (though technically the Queen does dole out the cash to the CBC).  If you like ripping on stuff in a way that is comedic, you are a jester in my books.  No, we cannot pay you, but if you are that funny we’re sure someone will help you go pro! :-p

Are you a believer?
Definition: #6 A person who has confidence in the truth or value of something.
This is our broadest category.  Most people believe stuff, but what we are looking for are people who believe very strongly in something.  If you have a cause, a religion, a conspiracy theory, or an opinion that you want to advance, we need you.  We need you to share that belief, so you can find others who agree, as well as, find where our values diverge.  Our belief is that questions hold the keys to peace.  What do you believe?

Are you a thinker?
Definition: #1 One who devotes much time to thought or meditation.
Philosophers, futurists, academics, and voracious readers.  You like broadening your minds and probably have thought this at least once about yourself: “I think too much”.  We definitely think too much, but meditation has helped. We need thinkers to examine and sift through the values we hold and ask the questions that will drive humanity to resolve our differences.  Without you, we get nowhere.

ACTION STEP:
1) Choose your faction
2) If you use Twitter get listed by us. Mention me and which list you want to be on.
“I am a rebel! @wizard_71 ”
“I am a jester! @wizard_71 ”
“I am a believer! @wizard_71 ”
“I am a thinker! @wizard_71 ”
3) Comment! Share your thoughts. critical feedback is what will make us great.
4) Consider following us on twitter, becoming a fan, or subscribing to the blog.

Why are we sending out the call?  We need a community of passionate, sarcastic, unreasonable, and reasonable people to test the prototype with, in the coming months.

Thanks for reading and especially for taking action!

rebels, jesters, believers, and thinkers by jazzmann91; Encouraging you to Question Everything.

1) I got my first business card printed.  My moms think it’s super, except the text is a bit tiny for their eyes.

2) I joined a Single Founders Mastermind community started by Taweed at his community site, Braintrust.io. It’s been helpful to have somewhere to share thoughts that is more focused than my blog. In fact it’s helping me revamp my blog to be more focused too, or at least I hope so.

3) I connected with a new friend I’ve been following for a few months: @mgua. He owns and operates a medium sized systems and security company and has been encouraging me here and there. He shared with me an idea he’s patented in Italy, that he hasn’t found any buyers for. I think it has great potential, but I’m unsure how I can help. The offer of partnership on developing it did wonders for my confidence level, which has been fluctuating. I was surprised, at the time, and I asked him why he chose me. He said it was because I cared, and that most people don’t. Thanks for the boost Marco and I look forward to our next chat!

4) I had a job interview with Elevated Ventures, which is positioning itself to become a startup incubator in Victoria. It was for a project leader position and it sounds very promising, it’s exactly the kind of thing I need to learn. I’m not sure I have the breadth of experience that they might like, but I showed my passion for my own startup and was confident and forthright in my answers.

5) I officially entered the NewVenturesBC business contest and attended their IP seminar, which I had already heard most of at a different seminar. Do lawyers all sound the same? If only there was a protection against lawyers, that did not require a lawyer, wouldn’t that be nice? I have nothing against lawyers, I just know how much their protection can cost.

6) Via ACETECH I entered the Market Entry Program and participated in session 1 of 3. Thanks to Discovery Parks for subsidizing the program, or I would not have attended. It was an all day session and covered positioning and some market analysis. Thanks to Ralph Turfus for leading and Simon and Kathy for organizing. It was great to do the positioning statement exercise again and I look forward to connecting with my assigned mentor towards the end of April.

7) Between traveling and writing I’ve not had much time to work on my MVP(minimum viable product) design, but it is slowly progressing.  After watching Taweed throw up a new product in 3 days I’m kinda thinking I’m a bit of a loser for not having built something on my own in the past 6 months.  This is where I could use the inspiration of a full-time co-founder to push me back into programming.

Anyways, that’s my update.  Thanks for reading!

progress happens by jazzmann91; Encouraging you to Question Everything.

This is in response to the dancing guy commentary posted by @sivers.  Thanks Derek! It is very encouraging, to a nut like me, that this information be provided to potential followers.

I am a nut.  There is no doubt about it, just ask my ex-girlfriend.  I’m more than willing to embarrass myself to make my dream come true, of that there is little doubt.  See my last post, for an example.  I have yet to lead a movement, or a crowd, as dancing guy did, but the time is coming.  Who knows maybe you’ll be my “first” follower?

I highly relate to dancing guy as a leader, because I also enjoy dancing.  I found it very helpful to get advice on how the nut has to keep it simple enough, so a “first follower” has a chance.  If a nut goes for broke, with all the skill he has, they end up a lone freak.  No one can keep up, let alone join in.  This is how I like to dance in nightclubs or on tree stumps in fractal forest.

I’ve been lucky or persistent enough(I can’t tell which) to find my passion and a path has sprung up in front of me.  I’ve been dancing along it, with more and more awareness, for the past 5-6 years, training myself in the way of the nut.  A vision of peace has settled around me that is so moving, I can no longer deny I am on this path and I need others to join me, or I risk becoming a lone freak.

My dance, both at the club and in life, has been largely unfollowable, until recently.  I am working on making it simple enough that others feel comfortable joining in, but it requires a mastery and ease that I am still developing.  I really need to start making videos.  I hope to have a first experiment done in the next month.

Are you a nut, first follower, momentum builder, crowd member, or fence sitter?

Thanks for reading!

I’m a nut by jazzmann91; Encouraging you to Question Everything.