Hello and greetings from cold, snowy Minnesota.
I am Jeff — a husband, father, pediatric dentist, university professor, and a twenty percent creative.
I am excited to start a new creative journey - writing and sharing this email newsletter with you. Thanks for taking the time to read this issue as a way to learn more about A Twenty Percent Creative.
Warm regards, Jeff
10 QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Q1: What is “a twenty percent creative?”
I think of a twenty percent creative as someone who devotes time, effort, attention, focus, and resources each week to the following:
making creative works
studying diverse creative content to inform future creative works
building community through online and in-person interactions with people sharing similar creative interests.
Despite having a busy life with plenty of other responsibilities, a twenty percent creative carves out the time needed to take the creative journey seriously and improve through deliberate practice.
When you are asked to describe yourself in one sentence, do you include your creative pursuits (ie photographer, artist, writer, maker) as part of your identity?
If the answer is Yes, you just might be a twenty percent creative.
Q2: How did you come up with the name?
I am a firm believer that the time, effort, and attention we devote now to a new skill, a long term project, and a new network of people with similar interests can plant the seeds for a next career and/or a change in lifestyle in the future. I think this is especially true if we find joy, fulfillment, and growth in the process.
I see this approach to self improvement and life planning to align with Google’s 20% time and the 80/20 rule (aka the Pareto principle).
The name, A Twenty Percent Creative, is a compilation of these ideas.
Q3: Does this mean you aren’t creative the other 80% of the time?
No, I am always seeing and thinking creatively. My professional work as a training director and teacher calls for me to employ skills of design thinking, flexible project management, clear communication, and creative problem-solving. My wife and kids keep my creative juices flowing as well with home improvement projects, school assignments, impromptu cooking sessions, “how do I fix this” moments, and “1-step ahead” parenting.
Q4: Do you really spend twenty percent of your time on creative pursuits?
Yes, I do.
I spend my 168 hours each week in 4 broad categories: 1) sleep & fitness, 2) family life, 3) career, and 4) creative pursuits. Recently, my time is roughly spent like this:
Sleep & fitness = 49 hours (29%)
Family life = 34 hours (20%)
Career = 52 hours (31%)
Creative pursuits = 33 hours (20%)
I have found over the years that unscheduled time in my life has transitioned fully to creative pursuits.
I don’t play sports and rarely watch them. When the weather is nice, I really enjoy walking around Minneapolis, local parks, or the nearby lakes with my camera in hand. I rarely watch television outside of time with family. I do love listening to podcasts - most of them being focused on photography or other creative industries. My Youtube subscription list is full of creative channels. I watch or listen to their videos while post-processing my photographs or doing other creative projects.
I rely heavily on the structure of a daily schedule to find balance and a successful blend of the 4 parts of my life.
Q5: Are the things you make only 20% as creative as they could be?
I try to bring 100% of my creative energy and focus to every project that I do. Over time, I have gotten better at picking the right projects to spend my time on.
Q6: What will you discuss in this newsletter?
I look forward to sharing the events, activities, and projects that further my creative journey. I will share behind-the-scenes stories and photos from my current 365 day photography project.
I am excited to write about the following:
my creative process
tips, techniques, & workflows I use to be efficient in the other 80%
my perspectives as a creative working in healthcare and education
other topics that spark my creativity
I am also excited to direct your attention to the inspiring work of photographers, artists, illustrators, designers, podcasters, Youtubers, writers, etc. whose work fuels my creativity.
Q7: How often will you publish new issues of A Twenty Percent Creative?
A new issue of A Twenty Percent Creative will arrive in your email inbox every other Sunday.
Q8: How do I receive future issues of the newsletter in my email inbox?
If you are reading this post as your first introduction to A Twenty Percent Creative, thank you for your interest in my newsletter. I am really happy that you are here.
If my newsletter brings you value, please subscribe using the box below. Once you do so, a verification message will be sent to your email account. If you cannot find this message in your inbox, please check your promotions and spam folder.
Q9: What is the best way for me to share your newsletter with others?
If A Twenty Percent Creative brings you value, I hope you will consider sharing it with family, friends, colleagues, and others who will resonate with the newsletter. You can click the box below to access the sharing options available to you. A Twenty Percent Creative can be found at jeffreymkarp.substack.com.
Q10: Where can I go to see your photography and other creative work?
Website: jeffreymkarp.com
Instagram: @jeffreymkarp
Photography collective: stolenechoes.com
Congratulations Jeff - quite an achievement to get this off the ground. I look forward to seeing how it unfolds and where it takes you.