Alexander Lyadov
There’s a big difference between finding something and creating it.
Take this: it’s easier for me to write an article on a topic from scratch than to dig through archives or search the internet. There are thousands of articles published over there. Skimming them would waste hours.
Instead, I wrestle with the void for fifteen minutes—and boom!—“You’ve got mail.” Sure, the tone, the phrases, the words shift. But the text captures “me-in-the-moment” better, because both of us—me and the context—have inevitably changed.
Here’s a theory: this is how entrepreneurs, composers, designers, engineers, and all creators think and act. They don’t hunt for perfection. They reshape reality to bring it closer to the ideal.
A man experiences ecstasy when he encounters the embodied ideal. The harmony of nature, the beauty of art, or the purity of a soul’s impulse—they’re flawless. Nothing to add, nothing to take away. He can only stand in awe.
But those moments are fleeting and unpredictable. Chasing them risks wasting energy. Waiting for them squanders time. No thanks—creators are too restless for that.
So, he looks around and grabs what’s at hand. Then he starts shaping, forging, blending—giving raw material the form he wants. In a master’s hands, that form nears the ideal.
Even a novice creator wins. Neuroscientists say dopamine, the hormone of satisfaction and joy, flows from steady progress toward a goal, not from reaching it.
Want more joy in life? Stop searching and waiting. Take what’s there and make it better with your own hands.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
P.S. I drew the illustration for this article myself using PowerPoint.
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.