Lately I been in my bag and just been going really hard with how I want to be remembered when I’m no longer on this Earth. So, in typical donYe Level 2 fashion I started to think about how I remember people who are no longer here and noticed that I remember them based on their philosophies, perspectives and how they thought. So that’s what I’m on. Let’s go.
Introduction
I always believed in a certain level of creativity that exists in this world that can not be measured because of how it makes you feels when you interact with it. If you believe this too, then you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about. It’s the piece of technology you can not imagine living your life without (iPhone). It’s the piece of content you engage with that makes you look at the world different. It’s that business you see that’s so genius, you ask yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?” (Topicals) It’s the song you hear for the first time and believe that it was made specifically for you (Louphoria). Although different, all of these things have one thing in common : They were made by creative people who think at a higher level.
From an early age, I knew that my brain and my creativity played at this level, I just didn’t have a name for it, until now.
What Is Level 2? 🕹️
A concept and theory by DonYe Taylor based on the belief that in order for a creative to shift the paradigm and create new trends, perspectives, and thought, one’s mind must operate at a certain level.
An adjective to describe something that is hard, aka cool.
A lifestyle that is directly correlated to your way of thinking.
A level that everyone is capable of unlocking.
What Level 2 is NOT
A creative hierarchy system. It doesn’t put any one above or beneath someone else.
Unlocked with Pride. Ego. or Fear. Level 2 can only be unlocked through Self-Awareness, Passion, Freedom, and Intentional Expression.
A prerequisite to reach another level higher. There is no level 3. Level 2 is limitless, boundless, and infinite. Kind of like how there is nothing past Greatness.
How to Unlock It 🔓
Creatives are never not in the creative process. Ever. We are always in at least one step, and sometimes we may be in two different steps at the same time depending on what it is that we are working on. In order to unlock Level 2 within your creativity, you need to do so at every step of the creative process. I define the creative process in 5 steps:
Step 1 : Passionate Inspiration ❤️
PASSION is a key word here, and it’s something that I live my life by. When you’re inspired with passion, beautiful things happen. Let’s look at Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Essentially, the two are responsible for creating the same types of products. However what set them apart ultimately was their passions. Bill loved technology and computers, Steve did not. He loved music, design, and the idea of making everything simpler. His passion wasn’t technology. And you can see their passions in the products that they created (and the revenue generated)
When you’re inspired without passion, you may get “stuck” in the rest of the steps, and you’re more likely to copy and get consumed in what you’re inspired by instead of just getting inspired.
Homework : Write down 3 things that you are passionate about and then come up with 3 things that you can integrate your passions into, similar to how Steve Jobs infused simplicity into technology.
Step 2 : Research 🔍
This is one of the most important phases in my opinion and comes right after you find inspiration because you need to know WHY you’re inspired. Researching what it is that inspires you helps you to extract things in a way that prevents you from copying. (I actually have a workbook on how to do this inside of my ebook. Use code Level2 to get it for 50% off) Researching for aesthetics is Level 1, AKA mood boarding. I don’t think mood boarding should be done in any early stage of the creative process, because it’s so easy to get consumed by other people’s art. In order to research at Level 2, focus on knowledge, history, raw information, and patterns. Do not focus on aesthetics / visuals.
Step 3 : Illumination💡
This is the phase where the lightbulb goes off. I try to always be at this step, which is why I like to think of a new idea a day. It helps me look at ideas as something that’s abundant, and it keeps me in a constant place of being inspired. Getting that lightbulb moment is key in the creative process because it sets the momentum for the rest of the process. By the time you are in this step and you have already done research and all that good stuff , the wheels should have started to turn. Level 2 thinking is knowing that the lightbulb moment isn’t just a moment, it’s a period of time that can last as long as it needs to. As long as it takes for you to get the “thing” that sets your soul on fire. For example, I had a 1 month illumination period after I came back from Africa, and is really when i started to lean into this idea of thinking on level 2. BUT i had already been doing the work for steps one and 2. I believe that you should ALWAYS be in those 2 steps.
Step 4 : Cultivation 🌱
By definition, cultivation is the agricultural preparation of soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. The same way farmers do this with plants, you need to do this with your ideas. Think about what type of soil is the best for you to plant your idea in. How do you water it, what type of environment does it need to be in in order to grow and thrive? What are you doing to prepare for this big idea that you are about to share with the world.
Because the cultivation period takes the most work with the least amount of results that you can see, creatives tend to get stuck here. There’s almost no external validation in this process. All of the other steps you can physically see something done. Such as an idea written down on a notepad. But cultivation is a lot of the behind the scenes work that will ensure that the next steps goes the smoothest.It may be hiring a team, making sure that all of the things are set into place. What i’s need to be dotted, and what T’s need to be crossed?
Step 5 : Execution 🏁
Since we’ve been using Steve Jobs as an example this entire time, let’s chat about the apple event that he started. And is a model that so many people use to this day in order to showcase something to the world. The apple event is a combination of all of the steps before this one. And you can tell. Apple isn’t just saying “hey look at this new product”. They are walking you through their creative process and telling you a story to show you WHY you need this product.
When you arrive at this step ask yourself :
How can I launch this thing to the world in a way that makes people who comes in contact with it feel like they NEED to have it?
How can I educate through exposure? (nobody likes to be taught anyything. But people love learning)
How have people in this industry launched similar things before, and how can I make it my own?
How am I measuring success? What does success look like for ME?
Conclusion 🧠
Passions are fun. Sometimes it's ok to not have them all mix with your work. You can love cooking and not be a chef. You can be passionate about fitness and not make it your career.
Don’t confuse passion with purpose. Remember, passions equals fun and purpose equals impact. You want to strike a balance with both in order to play at a Level 2.
Research the people and things that are Level 2 to you. Find patterns.
I hope you enjoyed reading this. I will be hosting a virtual Level 2 bootcamp next month to a limited number of creatives next month, so if you want to get on the waitlist, sign up here. Talk to you all soon! In the meantime, follow me on all social platforms :)
- DonYe Taylor
The amount of value you *continue* to provide blows my mind every time.
What stuck out to me with the point on cultivation. A lot of times the idea is there, the research is down-packed! but you're just not in the right environment, you haven't met the right people, you haven't seen what's possible. Cultivation and patience are sisters.
Thanks again for exposing us to your ideas DonYe!
Another great read! I’ve been stuck on my new business idea for a while. I’m going to take a couple steps back to remember my passions