Likeminded and 4% David
Mostly fake statistics. I like to make stuff up.
The other day, while running a report for Craft & Vision, something caught my eye so I took a break from the macro-mania spreadsheety silliness and decided to filter our customer list by first name; I felt a Malcolm Gladwell moment coming on.
I was mildly entertained by the discovery that there are 1,108 unique names in our customer list, but I was shocked to find that there is one name that is more common than all the others: David. The frequency of that name caught my eye – I knew something wildly useless was hiding in all that data. For awhile now I’ve noticed it — especially when it comes to support emails, comments on PixelatedImage or when meeting photographers — I’ve often thought “Man, there’s a lot of David’s in the photography world.” Well, it turns out that in our little world of ebooks 4% of all Craft & Vision customers are David’s. Strange bit of information isn’t it?
There is no point to this silly (and mostly fake) pie chart other than to have a little fun. The reason, however, for this post is to pay homage to a few people in my life that I value deeply as likeminded, creative souls – and yes, they all share the same name (a little Kids in the Hall seems appropriate at this juncture – These are the Dave’s I Know):
David duChemin. This guy is one serious collaborator. He’s also an awesome S.O.B and he’s not afraid to spread the awesomeness. Through my friendship with him I’ve come to discover the true meaning of collaboration: give away your ideas and heap on the encouragement. In so many ways I am living the dream because of him. He has contributed greatly to the development of my business even before I stuck it to the man in 2006; the thinking and drinking sessions had something to do with that for sure. His support has been instrumental to me being able to pursue my creative and entrepreneurial passions. Early on he helped me in practical ways, like with design or photography for new client projects, but really it came down to him being in my corner and us being likeminded – we’re very different people but we enjoy each other’s company and equally get a kick out of helping each other succeed. Now, I work for him and we’re having the time of our lives! Oh – in case you’re interested… I’ll be traveling with him in his Landrover Defender from San Francisco to Albuquerque at the end of the month. You really should read his blog – it’s stupidly popular.
David (Dave) Delnea. You guessed it, another photographer. I’ve only known Dave for a couple years but holy crap is he artsy-fartsty (in the best of ways of course). He’s one of those producer-types who can contribute to so many aspects of a project that you just want to stand back and watch. What I appreciate the most about him is that the creative process is always #1. He leds by example, showing that artistic integrity is paramount. He enjoys the pursuit of creativity as much as the result and I totally need to be reminded that a marketable deliverable isn’t always the goal. Last year I contributed to one of his coolio visual projects called OnGray – you’ll want to checkout the HD video, the stills, and the BTS stuff. One pint with this guy and you’re flying with ideas – props to him on the brainstorming action. He’s a great friend – you should be jealous. His time lapse stuff is super cool BTW.
David Aiken. And now for something completely different! This guy isn’t a photographer. Strange I know. AKA The Checkerboard Guy, this guy is comedic daredevil and juggler who brings a fireball of energy every time we get together; I can’t get enough of his wackiness! He’s crazy, in a good way, and I find myself jacked up and ready to take on the world after we connect (he’s a client as well as a dear friend). He’s a creative dude who knows how be successful without sacrificing his art. He cares about experiences and memories more than results – I really value that attitude in him. But don’t be fooled, he’s the guy that should write a book about laughing all the way to the bank! I love being around successful people – I’m pretty sure it rubs off. To bad I still suck at juggling. Random bit of trivia: he was the first speaker at the inaugural CREATIVEMIX – I trust this guy, big time. His new website will launch in a month or two but for now – go here.
David (Dave) Seeram. Last, but not least (but at least he’s a photographer… phew). Seeram is a new friend and though our collaborative efforts are still in the development stage I can say this: he is a bit like a twin (I am hoping he’ll let me be the evil twin – I’ve always wanted to be the bad guy… pretty please?). We have complimentary skills and passions but what’s really interesting is that we have a lot of similarities – more than normal I think. I usually pursue collaborators that fit the yin-yang thang, but with Dave I’m very inspired by our likeness. I am confident that our joint effort will thrive because we’re unified in countless ways. BTW – he’s the guy behind PhotographyBB – if you’re an emerging photographer you might want to check out his forum and free monthly magazine.
So, in the end… be on the look-out for likeminded peeps and pursue creativity together. Seriously, do it. When we collaborate we’re creating in the context of community and that’s the best kind of creativity. Oh, and if you don’t know where to start… call David.
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I’m changing my name to “David”.