One way to understand creative work is to think about the time and effort required to do something the first time versus doing it again.
A novel might take five years to write. Retyping it takes a day.
A company could easily expend 10,000 hours of effort before launching a new logo. Drawing the logo takes four minutes. The same is true for business plans, strategies and the layout of the factory floor.
The first time, we’re not only wayfaring, we’re asking, arguing, compromising, re-working, re-starting and exploring.
The second time, we have a map and we’re ready to go.
Successful organizations work to diminish the gap between first time and next time, but it’s always harder the first time.
Creativity is a craft and a skill.
