The (Shameless) Outlier Voice Notes

Sometimes things happen, and you have no clue.You’re scrambling to finish that examination. You know you’re going to run over time, but all of a sudden, an invigilator comes and says:“Hey, doesn’t matter. You’ve got five extra minutes. By the time I collect all the answer papers, finish up whatever you’re doing.”Good Samaritans exist. It is the same in life.You’re running late to catch a bus. You are somehow hoping that there is some delay. You reach the bus stop just in time to find out that the bus is delayed by five minutes.You get an extra five minutes.To catch your breath.To get onto the bus.What would you do with these extra five minutes?When you had no hope of it.When you had not prepared for it.When you had not planned for it.What do we do with bonus time?What do we do with bonus money?What do we do with the bonus love that we receive?Situations outside my control…like the bus getting delayedor the invigilator suddenly giving me five minutes.These are uncontrollables.But this is where it shifts.What do I do with what I receive?This additional love that I receive…Can I forward it?Can I pay it forward?Can I share it?Can I spread it?Extra five minutes.Extra five rupees.Five friends who show upWhen I am feeling a bit lonely.What am I going to do with the extra five that I get?The universe has a way of conspiring. To ensure I get what I need.When things are in my control…Do I give? Do I share?Do I spread?Let’s start spreadingan extra five minutes of love.To our inner circle.To our outer circle.To those around us.And if that love takes the shape of creation…Let us create.Let us share.For the five who are waiting for it.Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:An empty chair!You cannot buy FEELFocus on meAn enemy is a blessingPlant the StoryWhen momentum slowsThe “I also do that” virusCRUSH the creative committeeIs it good enough?You DO NOT need permission for a REFORMStumble in the StreakThe Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesThanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

An empty chairYou run into a restaurant, it’s an impromptu thing. There’s a mile-long queue, and your heart automatically falls. What do you do?I was so looking forward to this lunch, this signature dish at this particular restaurant everyone seems to be talking about. And because everyone is talking about it, there’s a mile-long queue I’ll have to wait in. Now, what do I do? Is there a possibility? Do I have to spend my entire lunch hour waiting? Am I going to go back famished? I don’t know. There’s one thing that I can do. Well, two things. I can either stand at the back of the line or… I can go up front and talk to the maître d, the manager of that particular restaurant.I chose the second option. I walked up to the manager and showed my forefinger. The number one to indicate that it’s just me. It’s just “I, me, myself” out here for lunch. He looked back at me, smiled, pointed to one empty chair at a crowded table, and nodded. I nodded back, and I moved towards it. That mile-long queue, all groups of threes, fours, fives, eights, 10s. There was just one solitary Lone Ranger out here who was happy to share one particular empty chair and table in a large, crowded room. Well, beggars can’t be choosers. What choice do I have? I’m here with a seat in that particular restaurant, all alone by myself at a crowded table that gives me a semblance of being a part of a group. The group was accommodating as well, allowing me to sit, order food, and partake along with them. Well, the choice is always ours.We could get disillusioned by longer queues and potential delays, but then what’s stopping us from going to the source and checking if there is a possibility?? It is a no if the manager says it is. If it is definitely no, if I don’t move, take any action, just go stand silently at the end of the line. There will always be an empty chair at crowded tables.Perhaps the message is philosophical, that when I put my foot forward, the universe will conspire.And there will always be one empty chair, one path, one car park that is empty, one movie ticket that’s available. Perhaps the one shot at success I’ve been striving for is the ticket I will get.There will always be an empty chair at a crowded table when I set my mind to it.Always.All I need to do is walk up and ask.Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:You cannot buy FEELFocus on meAn enemy is a blessingPlant the StoryWhen momentum slowsThe “I also do that” virusCRUSH the creative committeeIs it good enough?You DO NOT need permission for a REFORMStumble in the StreakThe 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesThanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

You cannot buy feelThere’s all this talk about AI eating my breakfast, lunch, and dinner?It’s going to eat me up. I’m going to be out on the streets. I don’t know what I’m going to do. How am I going to work? What am I going to do for survival? How am I going to take care of my family? Well, this kind of panic comes and keeps coming and will keep coming in various other formats.The TV was supposed to kill the radio, and the Internet was supposed to kill the TV. OTT was supposed to kill the movie theatres. Nothing like that has ever happened. A lot of them are adjusting a little bit here and there and subsisting. There’s a serial that I saw,The terminal list, and there was one sentence that is appropriate to what I’m speaking about now, and the sentence goes thus: “YOU CAN’T BUY FEEL!” You can do whatever you want. Set the processes, put the technology, and get the right people. But can you buy feel, the feeling, the instinct. When we look at things and know there’s something off or this is it for me, what is this feel? All about? The feel is the human, human part of it that comes through that is wholly me, honed subconscious that has been sharpened through a sum of all experiences, good and bad that I have had.You can’t buy feel. You can’t buy my feel, because my aesthetics, my experiences, are different from yours. At some point, we may have a commonality, but great, but it is like two cars meeting on a particular road, but one may go straight, the other may turn left. For that small duration, we are there together. Well, we could be friends, we could be enemies, we could be fighting up, but my feel is different from your feel. So all this worry about the newness that is going to come ahead and eat the old bunkum. It may eat a bit of it, it may nudge a little bit of it, but the old is also going to come back and see how can I coexist with the new to form the new normal.As the cliche goes, it is the same with all the new fangled things that are thrown at us, what remains of the fad? What remains of fashion? What remains as a style across generations is something that we will need to see. But at the end of the day, you can’t buy feel.My feel is different from yours. And when we look at something creative, it is my feel, my expression, my emotions that come out in the various formats, be it writing, a speech, a picture, an image, a movie, art. Whatever it is, it is my feel, and it resonates with those who have the same kind of feeling. That is how relationships start and form. Perhaps you and I are yet to get a feel of what this AI is all about. Nobody can buy feel, but we can feel around until we figure out this is exactly what I want. This is my feel. This is my touch, and this is how things will go, because what comes out of me is also an embodiment, a small piece of me left behind for those with a similar feel to find, and we form a community across centuries, across generations, across cultures.THROUGH FEEL.Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:Focus on meAn enemy is a blessingPlant the StoryWhen momentum slowsThe “I also do that” virusCRUSH the creative committeeIs it good enough?You DO NOT need permission for a REFORMStumble in the StreakThe 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesThanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

Every time I get lost within myself, a bit overwhelmed, or generally listless, I go off for long walks.What works for you?A recent movie that I saw had a beautiful dialogue that jumped out:“Just focus on you”.You can spend your whole life worrying about other people, but your time is right now.This means that if I, as a person, am not at peace with myself for various reasons, I (may) end up playing the victim card.We have our ups and downs. It’s a sign we’ve all gone through.But my time is right now.As they say on the plane, “First put on your oxygen mask and then help the person next to you.”So there are times when we will need to forcibly sit down. Recalibrate.Think about where I am. Where do I need to go? What’s happening? And how do I press a hard reset or a reboot?I mean that from a positive perspective. Focus on you. There’s a whole lot of time available for us to think about “What will other people think?” What will they do?”“But how can I help myself?” is a question that we seldom ask.Looking in the mirror, there’s only one image that jumps out. That image is solitary in the whole wide world.Yes, there are friends, there’s family, there’s always a support system. But most and foremost, am I standing for myself? If not, this is the time to focus on “I, me, myself”.There is nothing selfish about it. None.If I am not for myself, who else is for me?I will go ahead and paraphrase something I learned from a Buddhist monk.Be wisely selfish.Because when I am still, my mind is calm.That is when I can reach out and help a whole lot of people.But right now, the time to focus is on me.Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:An enemy is a blessingPlant the StoryWhen momentum slowsThe “I also do that” virusCRUSH the creative committeeIs it good enough?You DO NOT need permission for a REFORMStumble in the StreakThe 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesThanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

An enemy is a blessingSome cliches are meant to be broken.One such thing is, “Tell me who your friends are. I’ll tell you who you are.” Fine. You are attributing the behaviour of my cohort to an impression of me. Go ahead. At this point, I would like to digress and focus more on a dialogue I heard in a movie called Rush: that having an enemy is a blessing when it comes to friends. Well, there’s another cliche: keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.Having an enemy is a blessing.A wise man gets more from his enemies than a fool from his friends. So if you’re really wise and ambitious, it is up to us to also have equal rivals. Maybe even better rivals, as role models, as competing benchmarks for us to work with.So tell me who your rivals are and what your level of competition is, and I will tell you how wise you are. When you are doing something good, there will always be a whole majority that will criticize, comment, and try to pull you down. There will be a small population who will say, “Oh, you’re coming close to me. I have to work harder.” I have to think smarter. I will have to do a whole lot better.You don’t need to go find enemies. When you’re doing well, your enemies will find you.Perhaps we need not give the word ‘enemy’ a negative connotation. They are not out there to kill you, nor are you to do that. But what if the purpose of the enemy is only to keep us on our toes, not allowing us to be complacent and go out there and polish and hone our skills that much more.Because come the race day, come the test day, come the competition, it is between my main rival and me. And how well I do.And without knowing, we are egging each other to push ourselves to do a whole lot more, to perform that much better.With this construct, don’t you think having an enemy is a blessing?I personally perform more when I have a challenger.Yes, I’m a self-driven person. I’d like to push myself, but just when there is another person out there.As simple as you’re driving patiently on the road, and suddenly somebody tries to overtake you.Ah, doesn’t your blood boil immediately, your blood pressure shoot up. How can that driver even attempt something like this? And then you start doing some antics that you are not supposed to.In the world of self-improvement, self-development, and business leadership, having an enemy is a blessing.Tell me who your rival is and I will tell you how driven you are.Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:Plant the StoryWhen momentum slowsThe “I also do that” virusCRUSH the creative committeeIs it good enough?You DO NOT need permission for a REFORMStumble in the StreakThe 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesThanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

Plant the Story.We are all farmers.Why create at all if you are not going to put it out there?You may want to try a new recipe for yourself. Then you invite some friends over to go ahead and try it out.You write a lovely piece, but you send it across to a select few.BUT…That sending across does not happen in most cases.We have our self-limiting beliefs, our self-doubt, a whole lot of voices talking inside our heads, and then we bury our creation.There was a line I heard in a movie the Civil War:“It is not a story if it never gets filed.”Obviously, this is from a news reporting angle. That a story is a story only if it gets filed, and then it goes ahead to get published.Our work is never our work if we don’t put it out there for the people, who are we doing this work for?Agreed, your inner voice is telling why should I put it out?Why can’t I do it just for my satisfaction?Absolutely, you can.But if your work is going to be helpful to someone else, don’t you think it’s our duty to put it out there for the unknown few who would come across our work like breadcrumbs, like milestones.Like some assistance for a person who’s lost and is suddenly given your creation.Your book, your recipe, your work, and they go,“Aha, this is exactly what I was waiting for.”It is our duty,BecauseThe power above has given us the power to create and come up with something.If it is a story or a story writing ability, it’s our job to write that story and get it filed. To put it out there, to get it published, to be spread.When that spreading will happen, we do not know!Another lovely line I remember from the Tamil movie Devar Magan:The father is telling the son.“I go ahead and plant a mango seed. Now, do you think I am going to be alive for the seed to grow into a sapling, to grow into a tree, and start bearing the fruit? No. I plant the seed today. Perhaps tomorrow, your son and daughter can enjoy it several years later, and so can all the progeny.”The work, the story, the creation.What we have is a seed, and it’s our duty to take it out there and plant it.Those who need to find it will find it.What are you waiting for?Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:When momentum slowsThe “I also do that” virusCRUSH the creative committeeIs it good enough?You DO NOT need permission for a REFORMStumble in the StreakThe 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesThanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

The Wall, The Guilt, The CrawlThe lull after the initial enthusiasm, that’s exactly where some people find themselves. There is a Josh, there is a war cry, and everybody wants to jump in and be a part of it. And the first 2, 3, 4 weeks, wow, I’m working towards it. There’s a whole lot moving, but suddenly there’s a slowness in the speed, and we begin to think, “Oh, what am I doing? Why am I doing this? Oh, it’s such a big mountain that I have to face. Oh, I have to cross this ocean. What did I sign up for?” In a marathon, this is called hitting the wall. And in writing or any creative exercises, there are several such mini walls, hurdles and stumbles that we lay in our own path.And before you know it, guilt comes into play. Oh boy. I told this big group, “This is what I’m going to do”. I told my friend’s circle that I’m going to be focusing on some of these things. I sent it across the first couple of weeks, three weeks, and they got a lot of appreciation. Fourth week, I couldn’t, and they understood. Fifth, I couldn’t; they didn’t respond. Sixth, I don’t even want to talk to them, because there’s this inner guilt that I have that I have not done anything. I have not focused on what I promised, what I committed, what I told the world I’m going to do. The deadline is nearing. What do I do? The options in front of me: break the wall, jump over the wall, but keep going to focus on two things, rigour and discipline. Rigour and discipline. Rigour and discipline. Discipline is to live up to the promise that we signed up for, that come The day I will launch my book. This is what I’m going to do.This art piece is going to come out. My music album is going to get released. That is the discipline required, that I will go ahead and take that one step, the next step, the third step, fourth and fifth, continuing on. And the rigour comes across where I say, “Come What May this is something I committed and I will do, excuses be damned.” Because when I want to do something, the path is clear. When I don’t want to do something, 1000 excuses just pop up miraculously. Where does that come from? Why do they come Have you thought about it? Look into the mirror, because we are now in the trough of an activity that we signed up for. Yet we have our own shame, our own guilt preventing us from doing anything to move forward, ahead and my request to each one of you, when we find ourselves in this trough, the only way out is to crawl out and reach your hand out for others who are ready to pull you up, provided you take the first step there. And once we are out of this trough, you will realise that there is so much we have accomplished.There is a whole lot more that we can do with whatever we have already done. How do I shape it? How do I bring out the next version? How do I get ready to go and launch it into the rest of the world. So my dear fellow travellers, my purpose in life is to inspire creators, and the only way we do that is by creating something that will inspire a whole lot more people. We do not know who these people are. We don’t know where they are going to come from. You would have wondered at some point when you are stuck somewhere, miraculously, some help comes in the guise of a person, a quote, a video that comes or even a dialogue from a movie was that written for you specifically for this particular instance. Created for the general universe and the population, but when you are ready in the guise of whichever form you’re looking at, it appears, and today, you are at the cusp as a creator to let your creation out into the universe, provided you finish it and you let it out to help a whole lot more people be it in leadership, in Creativity, in solving issues, in storytelling, in learning from my journey, so that you don’t end up repeating the mistakes that I did go ahead and make newer ones.So here’s my appeal to you. It’s a voice note to whomsoever it may concern. When you are on a creative journey, it is best done when it is shipped out.Imperfect is great. A comma missed, a section lost. Everything can be salvaged in the next edition, provided we put the first edition out.And here I am appealing to you to awaken that creator in you which is going to guide you through to the next step. If you are in the trough. If you feel you are lost, speak out, reach out, step towards and there will be several people, myself included, who are ready with ropes to pull you out of this trough and to give you a kit so that you go ahead come at that particular deadline when you committed your creation is out there appealing to the universe.To take it right up there, because the powers that be that are right above in whichever name you call it, whichever religion you call it, that is a power that is beyond us, which has given us the capability to go ahead and create.We are messengers.We are messengers for that particular spark, and it is our job to spread these sparks across because we don’t know when the fire will be lit. We may not even get credit for it, but no, we are doing this because we have the innate ability, the creativity and the gumption to go ahead and finish what we committed and let it loose into the whole wide world. So friends take this as a call from one Creator to another.Create. Ship it.Create. Ship it.The universe will conspire and it will find your readers, your followers, your lovers, wherever they may be.Our job is to plant seeds. Let’s go ahead and do that.Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:The “I also do that” virusCRUSH the creative committeeIs it good enough?You DO NOT need permission for a REFORMStumble in the StreakThe 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesThanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

The “I ALSO DO THAT” VirusFunny, isn’t it? We cannot resist the temptation to add a whole lot more.Vanilla ice cream is just not enough. We need to have the chocolate sauce. We need to have a cherry on top and maybe some crumbles.“I also do that.”Let me narrate an example of something that happened that triggered this particular post. I reached out with a job advertisement of a simple WhatsApp post asking for Instagram growth hackers to reach out to me. And I had all and sundry and random people call. And there was one gentleman who called me in response to this particular post on an Instagram growth hacker, and started off saying he’s running an LED business. He also does software development, and he also does content generation.He’s also into AI, and there is a whole lot more that he’s working on.And then when I asked him about Instagram, he said, “Oh, we also do that.”So when I politely told this particular person that my requirement is this and only this and nothing but this, and his response is, “oh, but we also do that. We also do this, and we also do a whole lot more.”Isn’t this what we have become. Never happy with just one and going in depth into that.Paraphrasing Bruce Lee’s quote that he doesn’t fear somebody who knows 10,000 moves. He’s afraid of the person who knows one move and has practised that 10,000 plus times.I’ve come across speakers who want to transcend into the world of professional speaking.And when I ask about the topic, it’s the same. “I speak on this, I also speak on that, I also speak on this, but I can also speak on any topic that you want me to.”When you claim to do everything for everybody, you end up doing nothing for nobody, including yourself.This “I also do this” virus. Why are we talking about it?Yes, as an individual, you have multiple exposures. I am projecting myself only as an unconventional outlier marketer. I do have various other facets. I’m a trekker, I’m a swimmer, I’m a randonneur cyclist, I’m a photographer, but each of these avatars is for a particular target group. I come and tell you about my entire history and geography in my resume or an introduction, I can guarantee nothing will ever be in your mind. You will not be focusing on anything specific.So my request here is, “I also do this.” Let’s tend to stop it.One final example of the same thing that happens in sales, the same thing that happens when we introduce ourselves, is when we say a lot, they will assume that we have a lot.But in reality, they won’t remember anything. Either it will go into the boast section, or into the superfluous-shelf section, where we are left confused about what to pick and come from the shop without buying anything.Let’s get rid of this “I also do this.”And let’s focus on “Hey, I do this. I do this really well. I do this for this particular person. I know who I am. Who am I for?What is the transformation I bring about for this specific target segment, andthis is how I do it.”AND this is the only thing that I do.Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:CRUSH the creative committeeIs it good enough?You DO NOT need permission for a REFORMStumble in the StreakThe 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesThanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

When a Lion meets a tiger!Or the other way around!Water and oil aren’t supposed to mix,but they create a beautywhich shines with a bit of light.Can Tigers mate with Lions?Or Lions with Tigers?Is that even feasible?Yet, it has happened.Natural or contrived.Giving birth to Tigons (Tiger male, lion female)Or Ligers (Lion male, Tiger female).Like anything born from collisionSome admire, some question, some reject it outright.A unique blend of two different flavours,As with anything:Some like itSome question the basic premise!Some hate it outright!Why play with nature?Mix two coloursBlend two hobbiesMerge two circles of connectionand let the magic happen.Let friction create flavour.Clashing ideas spark something new.Everything is an experiment.There is no comfort zone.When we pre-decide to enjoy the result,We open the door to joy.Crazy combinationsIsn’t that how the world evolved?Which is also the recommended wayFor shameless creatorsLike you and me!(Image clicked at The Louvre)The Psychology of Shameless Creativity* Hybrid Spark Principle: Creative collisions between unlike elements often birth the most original ideas.* Cognitive Discomfort Bias: The brain resists unnatural combinations, until they produce beauty. Shameless creativity requires moving past initial discomfort.* Joyful Uncertainty: When the goal is not perfection but playful mixing, outcomes surprise you, and delight others.MIX AND MATCH.YOUR THOUGHTS, AND ACTIONS!Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:CRUSH the creative committeeIs it good enough?You DO NOT need permission for a REFORMStumble in the StreakThe 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesBUSY BLURCreative NarcissismLife is a treasure huntThe one flutter of a ButterflyMediocre, and proudI don’t know what to createJust say NO. Reclaim yourself.The smile and the VEINStaring at Failure!SPRINT and RESTCREATIVE BIRIYANII am brilliant! Why can’t you see it?Permission to ExploreWaiting for the MUSESteal from YourselfTrust is an OUTCOMEInsane. Idiotic. ImpossibleALLODOXAPHOBIA: That fear of…Flow FamineCreative Side EffectsThe 7-Second rule of creativityConstipation, Diahorrea, and Creative CholesterolFridge Magnet CreativityThe 2AM IDEA THIEFCreative Shame vs Creative EGOINK before IDEAPost Creative GuiltPointless CreationThere’s no pleasing everyone!The WHEN DiagramThe past doesn’t write the future!Don’t be scared of original thought.Thanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

COMMITTEE= CREATIVITY KILLERSPiss off the people pleasers!When you want to get something doneYou assemble a team of doersWhen you want to kill somethingas early as possibleYou form a committeeThere will be always be some folksbelligerent to any changesteadfast in their vision to be seenSeen as doing thingsrather than actual doingSome of us fall preyto this people-pleasing paralysisAnd get stuck in the web of conformityForce fitting a grand ideainto old notions and boundariesWhen you really want to createWhen you come out with something newFeathers will be ruffledEnemies will be madeSome will come out of the woodworkTo trouble, torment and torpedo your workAs creativity for the conformistIs a mongoose for a snakeYou can win the fight withinbut the entrapment of the committeeThat’s a maze you will struggle to get out ofYet isn’t that where the beauty liesIf everything were so easyWouldn’t everyone do itYetYou and I have been given a blessingThe capability to think, and actTo create whatever we canBecause we canInspite of the committeeThe syndicate, the approval clubThe only person to pleaseIs yourselfAnd your cheer-circle egging you onBe clear about itCreate and unleashRepeatedlyThe committee has nothing better to doWhile we…Have the power of creation within!Create shamelessly.Not for consensus.But for impact! (Strong solo girl statue in fron of Rotterdam station)The Psychology of Shameless Creativity* People-pleasing paralysis: The desire to be liked outweighs the desire to create truthfully.* Groupthink bias: Committees nudge bold ideas toward safe, bland consensus.* Conformity pressure: Your brain wants social approval, but creativity often requires temporary rebellion.WHEN YOU WANT TO DO,JUST DO.DON’T TALK!THINK LIKE A STRATEGISTA new book recommendationBuy this book from Cruzina Ramesh.* Read and review where you are with your financial planning.* If you have teenage kids or those starting out in their career, please gift them a copy.* A book I would have loved to have when I was starting my work life.Here’s my review of the book:A structured take on personal financial planning.Cruzina approaches money through systems and review rather than quick tips or market noise. The focus is on clarity, discipline, and long-term thinking.Less about products. More about planning.Grounded and practical.Pick up a copy here.Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:Is it good enough?You DO NOT need permission for a REFORMStumble in the StreakThe 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesBUSY BLURCreative NarcissismLife is a treasure huntThe one flutter of a ButterflyMediocre, and proudI don’t know what to createJust say NO. Reclaim yourself.The smile and the VEINStaring at Failure!SPRINT and RESTCREATIVE BIRIYANII am brilliant! Why can’t you see it?Permission to ExploreWaiting for the MUSESteal from YourselfTrust is an OUTCOMEInsane. Idiotic. ImpossibleALLODOXAPHOBIA: That fear of…Flow FamineCreative Side EffectsThe 7-Second rule of creativityConstipation, Diahorrea, and Creative CholesterolFridge Magnet CreativityThe 2AM IDEA THIEFCreative Shame vs Creative EGOINK before IDEAPost Creative GuiltPointless CreationThere’s no pleasing everyone!The WHEN DiagramThe past doesn’t write the future!Don’t be scared of original thought.Thanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

The right mix of salt and spiceYet the taste seems off, not quite thereYou’ve written a pieceBut feel something is missing, something more to be addedThat speech you have to give,You are delaying just to make it that bit more perfectShould we wait to have all possible information, combinations, detailsBefore we make a decision on anything?Or are we ok to use the information we haveMake necessary assumptionsDecide,and DOGood enough is enough in most cases.We don’t really have to chase that perfection star,despite that having been dinned into us from childhood!Perhaps the parents and teachers want us to succeed on this questThat they failed themselvesThough I digressWhen I know I have enough to communicate,I write, talk, and shipPut it out thereNeed not be accurateOr absolutely first class.Is the data accurate enough for me to make a decision?Is the stuff I created good enough to ship out to the rest of MY world?If so, decide away, publish and move on.Enough is never really enoughIn a quest for that eternal perfection.Good enough is good enoughAnd that is good enough for you and me, now!(There’s a beauty in blurry images as well ! IFYKYK)The Psychology of Shameless Creativity* Doing is a positive loop that feeds itself. DO. SHIP. TWEAK. REDO.NEW BOOK BY MY FRIEND: THE RESILIENCE BLUEPRINTHow Leaders Build Unshakable Teams And CulturesCheck out the new book by Sudhir Pathak. Here’s my Amazon review of the book:Is there an ROI on resilience? I loved the action movie Sisu and did not realize it is a Finnish lifestyle lesson dinned into every kid. Something that we need to emulate in the biz world as well, especially given the turbulent times we are in (or going to be in soon, with all the AI churn). A timely book which leads from a personal journey to a corporate one, with resilience being the spine.Link to the Kindle edition here.Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:You DO NOT need permission for a REFORMStumble in the StreakThe 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesBUSY BLURCreative NarcissismLife is a treasure huntThe one flutter of a ButterflyMediocre, and proudI don’t know what to createJust say NO. Reclaim yourself.The smile and the VEINStaring at Failure!SPRINT and RESTCREATIVE BIRIYANII am brilliant! Why can’t you see it?Permission to ExploreWaiting for the MUSESteal from YourselfTrust is an OUTCOMEInsane. Idiotic. ImpossibleALLODOXAPHOBIA: That fear of…Flow FamineCreative Side EffectsThe 7-Second rule of creativityConstipation, Diahorrea, and Creative CholesterolFridge Magnet CreativityThe 2AM IDEA THIEFCreative Shame vs Creative EGOINK before IDEAPost Creative GuiltPointless CreationThere’s no pleasing everyone!The WHEN DiagramThe past doesn’t write the future!Don’t be scared of original thought.Thanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

“This is how I’ve always done things.Things must be exactly just that.”I cannot do or try new things because I am a person of process.I am a stickler for routine.I call it discipline.I call it process.Change happens.Either it happens to us, and we have no control.Or we happen to it, with all variables, almost, in control.What would you rather have as a choice?* Reform: a way to change things within and without, for the better.People are sent to prison for reform.I am imploring you to get out of the one you have built for yourself.A jail of conformity.Of the staid and the boring and the plain.When you can use all the colours of the world, yet you desist, sticking to the true and tested.* Shamelessness: brings a rebel outlook to whatever one wants to do.* Creativity: doing what flows through us and sending it out there.* Action: The act of doing itself is a reform. So is shaking things up and doing something new.There’s always time for a reform.For a change.Who knows what will fall down when you shake that tree.You are worried about snakes falling.What if a fruit falls?Or a fresh wind caresses your face.Shake it baby!Shake that tree well.And do that every once in a while,Just to bring out that smile in you!The Psychology of Shameless Creativity* Conformity Comfort Bias: The brain clings to what’s worked before, even when it’s outdated.* Controlled Shake Theory: Micro disruptions in routine unlock hidden potential, especially in creative stagnation.* Self-Jailing Effect: We often imprison our creative instincts under the illusion of discipline. CHIP AWAY. One step at a time.PERFORMANCE STORYTELLING: A New book by Meher Anmol GehiDon’t speak. Be HEARD. You have about 7 seconds to earn someoneʼs attention.In a world where words are easy to generate and hard to remember, being heard has become a real challenge.If you have strong ideas but still feel unseen or ignored, this book is for you. ‘Performance Storytelling - Donʼt Speak, Be HEARDʼ shows you how to turn everyday moments into stories that people listen to, remember and act on.If you like it, you can pick up Meher’s book at https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0GNGV6HLS Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:Stumble in the StreakThe 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesBUSY BLURCreative NarcissismLife is a treasure huntThe one flutter of a ButterflyMediocre, and proudI don’t know what to createJust say NO. Reclaim yourself.The smile and the VEINStaring at Failure!SPRINT and RESTCREATIVE BIRIYANII am brilliant! Why can’t you see it?Permission to ExploreWaiting for the MUSESteal from YourselfTrust is an OUTCOMEInsane. Idiotic. ImpossibleALLODOXAPHOBIA: That fear of…Flow FamineCreative Side EffectsThe 7-Second rule of creativityConstipation, Diahorrea, and Creative CholesterolFridge Magnet CreativityThe 2AM IDEA THIEFCreative Shame vs Creative EGOINK before IDEAPost Creative GuiltPointless CreationThere’s no pleasing everyone!The WHEN DiagramThe past doesn’t write the future!Don’t be scared of original thought.Thanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

It all starts with great intentionsEnthusiasm that will make everyone around energisedFull force in the steps, moving aheadWith the wind behind my backThere I go, all set to conquer the worldWith my creativity, and workI am in flow, the flow is in meThe tap is open and the water is gushing outI show up every single dayAll I need to do is sit downAnd the thoughts and ideas stream forthWith me struggling to capture it all, and act on itUntil.Until.Until.A small breakThat wee bit of procrastinationUnexpected work, travel, lazinessAnd there’s a small blipWhen I’ve had a small accident,A stumble on the road while walkingShoving that puts me on the back footAll aspects are then taken on gingerlyAttempts remain, to get that train back on trackIt seems like I am swimming against a currentEvery step forward seems to push me back two moreWhere’s that flow when I need it mostHurdles are common, and meant to be a barrierMost of it internal, that voice within that whispers“It’s ok, do it tomorrow”, or“Your current work is not a patch on the old ones”.Back to baby stepsTrying to open that tap againEven if just a drop comes out-Drip by dripThat bucket will be filledA word at a timeOr a thought documented, and acted onThe tap is always openSometimes it is water,Other times it is gas. Even noise!After a stumble, I will take anything that comesTo erase the fog of un-flow.Stumbles are commonMeant to rattle streaksWe chip awayOne stroke at a time.The Psychology of Shameless Creativity* Flow fragility: Momentum feels permanent — until it breaks. One skipped session can feel like a mountain of resistance.* Inner resistance: After a stumble, the brain whispers: “You’ve lost it.” It hasn’t. But the self-doubt speaks louder in silence.* Action restarts identity: Even a trickle — one word, one note, one sketch — reminds the brain: you still do this.Drip by drip. The streak will return.A NEW HOMAGE BOOK: THE READER LEADERLeadership is not a role.It is a responsibility.This book brings together the writings of late Col Shyam Vijay Simha.Written over time, often in response to questions of leadership, responsibility, and choice.He wrote as someone who believed that leadership is first an inner discipline.That thought must precede action.That clarity, restraint, and moral responsibility matter more than authority or position.The Reader Leader is not a tribute in words, but in work.These essays reflect a life shaped by reading and reflection,and Col Shyam’s insistence that we come from a culture that demands depth, courage, and accountability from those who lead.This book is shared in his memory.And in the hope that his thinking continues to travel.With you.And with us.Download The Reader LeaderAdditional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:The 3rd Draft LieGet bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesBUSY BLURCreative NarcissismLife is a treasure huntThe one flutter of a ButterflyMediocre, and proudI don’t know what to createJust say NO. Reclaim yourself.The smile and the VEINStaring at Failure!SPRINT and RESTCREATIVE BIRIYANII am brilliant! Why can’t you see it?Permission to ExploreWaiting for the MUSESteal from YourselfTrust is an OUTCOMEInsane. Idiotic. ImpossibleALLODOXAPHOBIA: That fear of…Flow FamineCreative Side EffectsThe 7-Second rule of creativityConstipation, Diahorrea, and Creative CholesterolFridge Magnet CreativityThe 2AM IDEA THIEFCreative Shame vs Creative EGOINK before IDEAPost Creative GuiltPointless CreationThere’s no pleasing everyone!The WHEN DiagramThe past doesn’t write the future!Don’t be scared of original thought.Thanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

Will she accept me?Oh, it depends on how good my love letter is.So here I am, working on my 10th draftPerfect, it will be, more than enough for her to say Yes.I have shaped it, honed it, sharpened it, romanticised itYou must know that I have been working on it for ages.She surely will love this, and love meAnd we shall live happily ever after.Letter ready, I visit her.She seems happy to see meShe has something in her hand as well; an envelope!My heart is jumping out.I open her envelope quickly and I see her wedding invite.Couldn’t she have waited a few years….My love letter was now perfect.An arrow without a board.A rose without a recipient.This loss happens in business as wellThe infinite looping to get a pitch, perfectBy the time it reaches the recipient,Decisions have already been made.Perhaps, the project has already been completed by someone else!Refinement and our eternal quest for the perfect,Is nothing but procrastinationA lack of confidence in our capabilitiesA duped discipline called perfection dinned into usPerfect for whom?Repeat refinement follows a lawThat of diminishing returnsBeyond a point, improvement is marginal and mootWhy squeeze that creativity lemon so hard?The message matters more than the wrapper.Relative speed, more than infinite delay.Hence the title of this article.The 3rd draft is a lie.You write, then you sleep over it.You rewrite, and you ship.That’s itPut it out there.I love you.Will you marry me?Come, let’s walk the path of life together.Forever.Simplicity takes the cake, and the creamGo create, live your dream.(That’s called an “Inland” letter and under that is a “Post Card”.)The Psychology of Shameless Creativity* Perfection paralysis: Endless revision often hides fear of rejection, of being seen, of not being “enough.”* Diminishing returns: Past the third draft, most changes serve ego, not impact. The gains shrink. The cost grows.* Cognitive ease: Simplicity connects. Speed matters. The idea that ships is the idea that lives.Write. Sleep. Rewrite. Ship.INVITING BETA READERS FOR A NEW BOOK:“STOP TELLING STORIES!”A new book with demonstrated frameworks of storytelling. Check out the cover below and share your thoughts.Your initial reading and feedback is much appreciated. Please write to me for a word doc of the draft version. Thanks.Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:Get bored on purpose!An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesBUSY BLURCreative NarcissismLife is a treasure huntThe one flutter of a ButterflyMediocre, and proudI don’t know what to createJust say NO. Reclaim yourself.The smile and the VEINStaring at Failure!SPRINT and RESTCREATIVE BIRIYANII am brilliant! Why can’t you see it?Permission to ExploreWaiting for the MUSESteal from YourselfTrust is an OUTCOMEInsane. Idiotic. ImpossibleALLODOXAPHOBIA: That fear of…Flow FamineCreative Side EffectsThe 7-Second rule of creativityConstipation, Diahorrea, and Creative CholesterolFridge Magnet CreativityThe 2AM IDEA THIEFCreative Shame vs Creative EGOINK before IDEAPost Creative GuiltPointless CreationThere’s no pleasing everyone!The WHEN DiagramThe past doesn’t write the future!Don’t be scared of original thought.Thanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

GET BORED ON PURPOSE’Boring’ new ideas and actions!The need to do somethingTo be seen as doing somethingImmersing into action, any typeJust to keep myself occupiedConstant hustlingIsn’t that a modern disease?Killing our muse…What if we go on a strikeWith ourselvesDecide to sitAnd let some time fly byAllow the mind to wanderWhile I sit and gazeWatch the breeze move people and birdsNo pressure no stressThe doing nothing phase,When the subconscious sparksAnd stores away some aha ideasBoredomThat compost bin where creative ideas sproutFor us to harvest laterFor now though, do nothingOh what a liberating feelingThat I can also be aliveFor a small time sliceJust being…Boredom isn’t a bug.It’s the recharger.(Couple of dudes, just standing, enjoying the sunset!)The Psychology of Shameless Creativity* Creative Incubation Effect: The subconscious mind solves problems when the conscious mind rests. Boredom is a trigger.* Busywork Bias: We mistake motion for progress. Stillness is wrongly equated with laziness.* Aha Latency: Breakthrough ideas rarely appear under direct focus. They emerge from stillness, silence, slowness.INVITING BETA READERS FOR A NEW BOOK:“KILLER STORYTELLING!”A new book with demonstrated frameworks of storytelling. Your initial reading and feedback is much appreciated. Please write to me for a word doc of the draft version. Working title and cover below. Thanks.Additional READS on “Shameless Creativity”:An Audience that DOESN’T EXIST!The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesBUSY BLURCreative NarcissismLife is a treasure huntThe one flutter of a ButterflyMediocre, and proudI don’t know what to createJust say NO. Reclaim yourself.The smile and the VEINStaring at Failure!SPRINT and RESTCREATIVE BIRIYANII am brilliant! Why can’t you see it?Permission to ExploreWaiting for the MUSESteal from YourselfTrust is an OUTCOMEInsane. Idiotic. ImpossibleALLODOXAPHOBIA: That fear of…Flow FamineCreative Side EffectsThe 7-Second rule of creativityConstipation, Diahorrea, and Creative CholesterolFridge Magnet CreativityThe 2AM IDEA THIEFCreative Shame vs Creative EGOINK before IDEAPost Creative GuiltPointless CreationThere’s no pleasing everyone!The WHEN DiagramThe past doesn’t write the future!Don’t be scared of original thought.Thanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

AN AUDIENCE THAT DOESN’T EXIST(YET)What if we turn things on its head?Haven’t we heard that a movie floppedBecause it was way ahead of its timeAchieving a cult status years after its releasePerhaps it was made for a future audience.We create for a specific target groupIn our minds, at leastWe want to be liked and loved by that segmentWhile the fears of ridicule and trolling sometimes stop us.What if we demolish some mythsThat of future haters and imaginary goalkeepersWhat if we create for an audienceThat is perhaps not even born.The universe is funny and ironic at timesConniving to get two hearts togetherLike a book landing up in sightJust the medicine I needed at that momentA stranger crossing our path,And becoming a bridge for greater things for you to achieve.Wander, dream and let your work out into the etherThose who need to find you, will.Our job then, is to work on what we do best.Create. SHIP!(Someone out there is waiting for your creativity!)The Psychology of Shameless Creativity* Future Resonance Bias: Creative work is often misaligned with current demand but finds its audience across time.* Ghost Audience Syndrome: We over-fear silent critics who may never exist, at the cost of real future believers.A GIG CREATOR HUNT:“JOIN AN OUTLIER TEAM”If you want to work on some creative micro projects, and take them from ideas to action, then reach out to me.Check out the poster below.Additional PRODS on “Shameless Creativity”:The Tidy Desk Delusion!Phantom pain of past crushesBUSY BLURCreative NarcissismLife is a treasure huntThe one flutter of a ButterflyMediocre, and proudI don’t know what to createJust say NO. Reclaim yourself.The smile and the VEINStaring at Failure!SPRINT and RESTCREATIVE BIRIYANII am brilliant! Why can’t you see it?Permission to ExploreWaiting for the MUSESteal from YourselfTrust is an OUTCOMEInsane. Idiotic. ImpossibleALLODOXAPHOBIA: That fear of…Flow FamineCreative Side EffectsThe 7-Second rule of creativityConstipation, Diahorrea, and Creative CholesterolFridge Magnet CreativityThe 2AM IDEA THIEFCreative Shame vs Creative EGOINK before IDEAPost Creative GuiltPointless CreationThere’s no pleasing everyone!The WHEN DiagramThe past doesn’t write the future!Don’t be scared of original thought.Thanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts andBe Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com

You can pick the voice version, or the written word!When you dip your feet in the river twiceNeither remains the sameNot the water, nor your feetThere are changes, observed and invisibleYou made something sometime agoAnd left it on the mantel, gathering dustThe cleanup wave happens and you realise“Wow, what a piece”Would you return it for displayOr let it loose into the world, once again?Work that we have done, can be added toWith newer knowledge acquired along the wayThe changing tastes of a newer audienceSo we tweak.Like a recipe that changes over timeNew flavours addedMixing cultures and traditionsReusing old scriptsThat punchline written much earlierThe speech delivered in a hurryAnd a post whose time to repost has come!You don’t need anyone’s permissionTo reuse your own workYour work is like the river waterFlowing, changing, adapting,LIVING.An environmental portrait clicked 15 years ago!The Psychology of Shameless Creativity:* Ownership Loop: Ideas don’t expire. They evolve with us, repurposing is a sign of growth.* Familiarity Amnesia: Our old work surprises us, not because we’ve changed, but because we finally see it with distance.PLUS: If you want a copy of my latest book : Click for Shameless Creativity——————————————————————————————————-Additional PRODS on “Shameless Creativity”:Trust is an OUTCOMEInsane. Idiotic. ImpossibleALLODOXAPHOBIA: That fear of…Flow FamineCreative Side EffectsThe 7-Second rule of creativityConstipation, Diahorrea, and Creative CholesterolFridge Magnet CreativityThe 2AM IDEA THIEFCreative Shame vs Creative EGOINK before IDEAPost Creative GuiltPointless CreationThere’s no pleasing everyone!The WHEN DiagramThe past doesn’t write the future!Don’t be scared of original thought.__________________________________________________________________Thanks for reading The Shameless Outlier!Subscribe to receive new posts and Be Shameless This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit pravinshekar.substack.com