The power of one

There’s nothing like a stark reminder of what prompted you to venture headlong into a new creative project. The initial flood of inspiration makes way for excitement. You’ve wheeled the Goliath idea out of your head and out into the world on a dusty, clunking cart of nothing but dreams. The hard work begins… and gets harder. Validation is still an eternity away ― or is it?

I’m confident you don’t have to wait at all.

You can know straight away you’re on your true path (and stay on it) by stealing an idea from copywriting.

Learning from other trades

Immersive isn’t new, but the technology we use to deliver modern day experiences is ever-emerging. If this were a Russian doll, we’d be removing doll after doll after doll after doll to reveal a new layer of exploration beneath those we’ve already seen.

Creators and technologists are exploring and revealing new ideas for immersive experiences all the time, but when I sit down to plan my own immersive exhibition experience, I always come back to the one person it was originally intended for, and that’s a good thing.

Early on as a copywriter, I learnt about the power of one.

It’s that age old sense of ‘if you try to please everyone, you please no-one’, so you keep your writing tight with only one reader in mind. Naturally, there’ll be more than that one person from the billions of people in the world who’ll take something from the words you write, but it’ll tactfully exclude the people who simply aren’t a match for your objective.

Exclusion here isn’t a bad thing.

It saves everyone’s time.

What you want when someone locks eyes on your copy or content is the deepest feeling of connection. The exquisite feeling of knowing “this was meant for me!” 🥰 It’s a better reaction than “this kinda fits” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ or, worse: “Meh”.

The surprise is multiple people can react in more or less the same way ― that’s the beauty of the power of one. It’s a laser-focused intention that mushrooms when you release it.

Every time someone tells me as a copywriter they recognise themselves in the words I’ve written, it’s proof the power of one is working. Applying this concept to my immersive passion project ― a different beast altogether, has been a reminder of why I’m doing it and, unexpectedly, I got validation early.

My approach to creating an explosion of hope and light and resilience is unique to me and driven by a will to help that one person stay afloat. It turns out, I already did, and knowing that sets my heart on fire. It breathes fresh life into my ideas and seals a commitment to see this thing through ― but there was more.

What I realised not long after had an equally powerful impact.

The someone I’ve most been needing to help… is me.

And it’s amazing how many projects and ventures start out that way.

Living full circle

Bravissimo springs immediately to mind (maybe because we’re talking about finding a good fit): A G-cup woman unable to find a bra that suits her figure creates a catalogue to help other women in the same boat, and now every big-busted woman can celebrate her curvy shape in comfort 🍑

🧠 A company called Cognassist, training educators and employers to support people who aren’t neurotypical, has a founder who ― guess what? ― had no acknowledgement or support for his dyslexia growing up, so went on to develop teachable strategies that help people with “hidden needs” thrive.

Moon Pig? That was the name the founder of this famous greetings cards company, Nick Jenkins, was called at school, which he went on to turn into a $1.6 billion business in a kind of ‘screw you’ retaliation for the unkindness.

And then there’s Blush. Have you seen this Apple TV short? What looks from the trailer like ten minutes of the cutest pink alien falling madly in love is actually more a swift stab to the heart. Producer Joe Mateo takes a terrifying moment from his own life and turns it around to help the person struggling with grief to overcome it, and in such an extraordinarily succinct and beautiful way, it could heal anyone 💗

Stick to your most heartfelt, urgent, meaningful idea and you can’t go far wrong. It could even go earth-shatteringly right.

Main image created using Midjourney