Season 1 – MC24: Collaboration vs. Competition with Ross Barber

What this episode covers

In episode 24 of The Mindful Creator, I chat with Ross Barber – an artist, designer, musician and music enthusiast – about the often romanticized notion of DIY and creative independence, and why it’s critical for creative entrepreneurs to find and collaborate with like-minded people that can help us learn and grow. Ross is the owner of Electric Kiwi, a design and marketing company for the music industry, as well as the cohost of Bridge the Atlantic – a video podcast featuring insightful and humorous explorations of the creative industries from the inside out. In this episode, Ross and I dissect the role of collaboration in the creative process and how this marriage to the idea of “going it alone” isn’t really what independent creation is about. Link Love DIY / Do it yourself Charlotte Eriksson (The Glass Child) Marcio Novelli (Bridge the Atlantic’s cohost). In Music, Should DIY Really Mean Do It Yourself? – Ross Barber Building Music Communities: Collaboration vs Competition – Ross Barber   In this Episode * Ross shares his story of the early days as a singer/songwriter, how that evolved into Electric Kiwi, and the early process of building launching Bridge the Atlantic. * Ross talks about the collaboration process in the podcast and how they’ve met the challenge of living in different timezones. * The value of unique perspectives and overlapping values and experience in collaborating on a creative process. * Demystifying “do it yourself” and “independent creating.” * Why we’ve taken this literal definition of “do it yourself” and used it as a flag in the ground for independent creators to stake their territorial claim. * The distinction of being independent in the beginning so that you learn how to manage a creative business, BUT balancing this with a mind for bringing in support as needed. * The challenge of identifying the right time to collaborate. * The value of collaborating on a project basis and why this approach allows for flexibility and lean creating. * Examining the nature of competition. * Ross’s tweet re: the power of collaboration: “In the music business, there is more strength in collaboration than competition. Stop competing and focus on creating!” * The tendency for bands to posture and trade jabs in order to position themselves at the head of the pack vs. finding ways to work together. * Ross: “If more people were collaborating and helping each other out, there’s just so much more to be gained.” * The rampant mindset across multiple industries that perpetuates the myth of competition. * Why it’s far more productive and growth-minded to see competitors as potential partners and allies to potentially co-create with – or at the very least – learn from. * Brett: “Instead of counterproductively pissing in circles, why don’t we see competition for what is really is? Opportunity.” * Why a competitive mindset is a huge distraction (and not a healthy creative mindset). See also “the danger of entrenching in a solely independent mindset.” * Encouraging and supporting within your industry and how this impacts both the creative p...

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