I am a creative person, and before I started doing improv as a hobby, I used to imagine that the more complicated you make something, the better it is. But I learned that simplicity is actually the key. Let me tell you more.
Then, I was in improv class one day and the teacher said something poignant. She said that most people assume the point of improv is to make some random sassy complicated joke and make people laugh. But in fact, that is not true.
The actual point of improv is to build connections between human beings through simple effective yes/no communication. And to say yes to whatever your partner says.
It can be as complicated as going into space on an elephant’s back. Or it can be as simple as going for a walk in nature and enjoying the surroundings.
Before I heard that, I always tried to come up with complicated routines that would make people laugh, but also create mystery, enigma, and perhaps, even confusion in people’s minds.
Now, I am going the opposite route.
Simplicity In Everything Brings Peace And Contentment
This simplicity trend has been building up in my life not only in improv but has been seeping through invariably into my work.
Recently, I was thinking of building a new Udemy course (I have 8 courses already if you want to check them out). And usually, I would start panicking, because my content is simple, and the course material is simplistic as well. It’s just me sitting there in front of a camera, chattering away about things that interest me.
It seemed like I needed to add some pizazz to my routine. It can’t be as simple as that, can it? I mean, why would anyone care? Why would anyone buy my course?
Then, I started looking back upon my older courses, which have been selling well, to get some inspiration from them. And I came to a sudden realization that my simplest shortest course on Creativity and Sexuality is the true bestseller in my course library.
The rest of the courses might be longer (in fact, one of them has 108 videos in it), and they might be flashier, but this simple course does the best.
The universe is obviously trying to slap the lesson of simplicity into my head as best it can.
We Think Complicated Will Sell Better, And Make Us More Money
From a business perspective, we tend to believe that the more complicated we make our product offering, the better it will sell and the more money we will end up making.
But if we look at the major brands out there which are doing well, like Apple, or Oatly, or Zara, all of these brands are the epitome of simplicity in branding, and marketing, both offline and online.
In this world, people are already overstimulated and inundated with flashy messages all day long. They need a break. They want some relief, in the form of an oasis. Just some clean drinking water and some sweet dates will do.
Keep it simple, silly, is an oldie, but a goodie for marketing and creative folks everywhere.
Whatever you are working on, be it a blog post, the plot for a novel, a YouTube video, a social media post, or a new product offering, keep it simple. Don’t think flashy, or sassy. But small and simple.
Provide your customers the relief of that oasis that they are seeking. They are burnt-out, tired, exhausted, and overwhelmed. They don’t need or want more, but less.
The Same Thing Applies In Our Daily Lives – Simplicity Is Key
Simple doesn’t only apply to marketing, or business, or branding. But to our daily lives as well.
Think about your daily routine. Have you overcomplicated your daily life to reach nirvana? Or to reach that goal of self-actualization? Whatever your goal in life might be, the ultimate thing you can do to reach it is to simplify your life down to the minimum.
Cut down any unnecessary transactions, conversations, or events from your life. Remove all non-essential items from your daily to-do list. Do as little as you can daily. Instead focus all of your time, energy, and efforts on sitting in silence, meditating, being in nature, and learning from the wisdom of the ages through reading or listening to audiobooks.
Take the time to simplify your life and it will return to you ten-fold, even a hundred-fold.
Every single time, I say no to something new and keep my life simple, my soul breathes a sigh of relief, and I myself feel more and more contentment seeping through my overworked, overtired mind.
Instead of saying yes to everything, and burning yourself out, think to simplify. I’m constantly thinking of new and innovative ways in my own life that I could use to simplify my life. It brings relief to my heart to know that because my life is simplified, my heart and soul can focus on doing the things that really matter to them.
Simplicity in Your Life Also Saves You Moolah
This is, of course, an awesome side benefit of simplifying our lives. But when we are not rushing around going hither and thither, buying things left, right, and center, we can relax. We can use our time to rest in our own bodies and spirits.
I feel that I usually end up buying lots of useless things when I am tired, overworked, and not thinking straight. If I can relax, simplify my mind, and routine, I can focus on the present moment, and realize that I actually have more than enough stuff at home, and I really don’t need to bring more nonsense into the house to clutter things up.
Saving money this way means that I have more money to spend on living my ideal life, or spending more time on the things I really care about. If I don’t have to work as much to make money, because I am not spending all of my money on nonsense, then I can use that freed-up time to focus on my dreams.
I can focus my time on writing novels, and creating art, rather than worrying about working more, so I can buy more shit that I don’t need.
The vicious cycle is always there, in the background waiting to grab a hold of you. You have to realize that simplicity matters more to you and say no to unnecessary things.
Simplicity is that golden key you’ve been searching for. That hack. Take advantage of it.
