We were lucky to catch up with Marcus Mims recently and have shared our conversation below.
Marcus, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
This is a great question. This can be an open answer that can have an entire book written but for me I am going to try my best to keep this as short as possible. The simplest answer to how a person can keep their creativity alive is by constantly tapping into your creativeness and using it. You have to constantly practice seeing new things so that it can turn into a second nature skill. If one does not use it, it will dwindle down until the creativeness leaves your mind. Whatever you don’t use, you will eventually lose it. There are many creative geniuses that tapped into their creativity that has made an impact on the world from people like Leonardo da Vinci, George Washington Carver, and Micheal Jackson. (Just to name a few)
For me, since I was little, I always knew that I was a creative person. I would tinker with things and turn it into somethings better. Back when I was in grade school I would always go with my dad to my mom’s job and sit in her office until she clocked out. One day while I was sitting in her office I decided to play around in her office and picked up an old paper towel role out of her recycling bin and decided to play around with it. I picked up a pair of her office scissors and started cutting it up until I saw the idea to turn this old paper towel roll into a paperclip holder. I cut the out some legs for it so it can stand up on its own and I attached some thumb tacks to it to hold the paper clips and before I knew it I had created a paper clip holder.
To be honest, not every idea that I came up with was a good one, but I was putting myself in the mindset to be able to see new things and new concepts. About half of my ideas came from being in an atmosphere that allowed me the chance to explore new creative ideas like writing a short story or coming up with a new invention that I hope would change the world and the other half of my ideas came from being open to solutions for other people’s problems.
So in closing, the best way that others can keep their creativity alive is by using it constantly and to make sure they put themselves in an environment that can help push out your creativity. If you have these two, you may be the one that creates something that can set this world on fire.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Marcus Mims Jr and I am an aspiring inventor who wants to create new ideas that can make everyone’s lives better. I recently graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering to be able to learn what to look for when designing new products for design, function, and safety. I would like to be able to use my learned skills to be able to be of service to others. I would like to open several brands of businesses to help bring all of the creative ideas that God gives me to the nations. Also, I do have goals of starting a mentorship program to help people advance in academics and their career.
As far as new projects, I recently launched a business that creates custom made travel bags that allows anyone the chance to pack the things they pack in a suitcase in the comfort of a backpack. With the focus of detail on the style of the bag, the bag has unique features to allow you the chance to make sure that happens. The goal is to change the way people travel without compromising comfort. Soon I have the goal of either hitting the shelves in stores or creating my own stores to help other small businesses get their products on shelves too.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three qualities that were the most impactful in my journey was not being afraid to discover the unknown, embrace the struggle, and to always have the right people in your corner.
1) It is perfectly ok to be nervous about the unknown when walking in your purpose but do not let that stop you from going on your journey even if you have no idea of where the path will take you. The old cliche of stepping out of your comfort zone is so powerful in going on the journey towards your dreams. So don’t be afraid of discovering the unknown.
2) People are made stronger when they go through things. You learn more about who you are and who you are not and you can use that to build yourself to the person that you want to be. Struggling is never seen as a good thing, but struggle is a part of the process to help build who you are.
3) Having the right people in your corner can also make the difference in how far you can go. It really takes a village to raise people. They are the ones who can push you to the next level even when you are tired. They are the ones that can sometimes see further than what you see and can help launch you to your next in life. Make sure they are the right people because just like how the right people can push you, the bad people can hold you back. So always have the right people in your corner.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful things my parents did for me was push me and my siblings to go for greatness. They made sure that I knew my purpose in life at a young age and they helped me get to where I am now. They made sure they sacrificed their time and energy in teaching us so that we can be successful in life. Although I am not where I would like to be in life yet but the tools and discipline, they instilled in me will allow me to reach my dream and I am very blessed to have that in my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thegeniiistore.com
- Instagram: Geniii_Brands
- Facebook: Marcus Mims
