Reframe ambition for success and find your own path.
Create content that helps people, makes money, and connects you to your tribe.
Market yourself and your work authentically without compromising your values.
Deep dives
The Power of the Internet
The internet provides countless opportunities to connect with others, share ideas, build businesses, and explore creativity. The guest, Visa Virasami, highlights the benefits of the internet, emphasizing the importance of making the most of these opportunities. He discusses reframing ambition for success, creating content that helps others and makes money, and marketing oneself without selling out. Visa also shares his experience growing up in Singapore and the influence of creative scenes like the Golden Age in ancient Greece and the Renaissance in Italy.
Navigating Identity and Multiple Worlds
Visa Virasami reflects on his experience growing up as a child between worlds in Singapore, where he felt like a minority within a minority. He discusses the importance of questioning assumptions and embracing multiple perspectives due to his exposure to various cultures and backgrounds. Visa shares how this upbringing, combined with his love for libraries and the internet, shapes his understanding of the world and fuels his ambition to be a prolific creator, engage with others, and have meaningful conversations.
Embracing ADHD as a Unique Superpower
Visa Virasami discusses his journey with ADHD and the significance of reframing it as a superpower rather than a deficit. While he never received a formal diagnosis, he has been recognized by ADHD specialists as an obvious example of the condition. Visa shares his insights on managing ADHD on a practical level, including taking extensive notes, understanding personal strengths and weaknesses, and finding environments that value and utilize individual configurations. He encourages individuals to believe in their capacity for growth and emphasizes the importance of managing psychology and project management skills in achieving goals.
The Role of Creative Scenes in Ambition
Visa Virasami acknowledges the importance of creative scenes in fueling ambition and achieving audacious goals. He highlights the impact of online forums and platforms like Twitter, where he initially developed his writing skills and connected with like-minded individuals. Visa discusses the need for fresh perspectives and the challenge of balancing visibility while avoiding the wrong kind of attention. He emphasizes the value of being part of a creative tradition that remixes and builds upon the work of previous creators, recognizing the influence of ancient wisdom while adapting it to contemporary language and context.
Focusing on the Impact of Art and Creating Lasting Connections
The podcast episode explores how art can deeply move people and create lasting connections. The speaker shares examples of how art, such as tattoos symbolizing a father and son relationship, can emotionally touch individuals, leading them to call their fathers after years of not speaking. The episode emphasizes the importance of creating art that leaves a lasting impact rather than simply pursuing maximum financial success. It highlights the beauty of creating art that builds communities, sparks kinship, and creates a lasting legacy.
The Balance Between Self-Promotion and Authenticity
The episode delves into the relationship between self-promotion and authenticity in creative work. It examines the balance between engaging with the public and avoiding being seen as performative or seeking excessive status. The speaker suggests focusing on the work itself and finding ways to have genuine conversations with specific individuals or communities. By keeping the core values and curiosity alive, conversations become meaningful, connections deepen, and it becomes easier to navigate self-promotion without compromising authenticity. The episode also emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself, maintaining good form, and avoiding superficial or meaningless promotion tactics.
Visakan ‘Visa’ Veerasamy is a creator, marketer and the author of two books, Friendly Ambitious Nerd and Introspect. In this episode we discuss:
- How to reframe your ambition so you can succeed your way- How to create content that helps people, makes money and connects you to your tribe- How to market yourself and your work without selling out
We also discuss Visa’s experience growing up as a child of multiple worlds, turning ADHD into a superpower, and the importance of creative scenes like the Golden Age in Ancient Greece and the Renaissance in Italy.
Visa is one of the most interesting and unique thinkers I’ve come across and this episode will give you a lot of valuable insight into creating, marketing and more.
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