The power of mimetic desire & what I'm doing about it [Issue 029]
Years had gone by and it was still bugging me that I did have a phrase for this one idea that kept popping in my head.
I had a hunch that our desires were driven by forces around us like our design heroes, our peers and the media we consume. I would ask people in a long, round about way what they thought was driving their current desires, but I got a lot of blank looks. It was frustrating that I couldn't communicate my idea very well.
Thankfully, my friend, Fred, told me that French philosopher René Girard gave this idea a name and called it Mimetic Desire.
Mimetic desire is when you want something because someone or something else caused you want it.
That someone or something is called a model of desire. A model could be a person, like a friend or a celebrity, or even a toy or a video game.
The model shows you what they have or do and causes you think you want it too. This is important because models help us decide what we want in our lives. They help us figure out what we like and what we don't like, and guide us towards making choices that will make us happy.
The downside is that we can get sucked into wanting things that others have modeled for us, even though it pulls us away from things that truly give us life's greatest fulfillments.
All of this leads me to the main point I want to get across...
I want to be a responsible model of desire for you by showing you what's possible as a freelance motion designer.
By aiming for, hitting and talking about making $200k, I know that this has the potential to model this desire in you.\
This could be a wonderful gift... or it could be a detrimental distraction.
Here's how I want to wield this thing responsibly... I want to clarify a few things.
I talk about money because it makes it easier for me to make it (it's less scary and it's more of a priority)
I used to have way big money problems (I have fewer money problems now that I make more... but I still have plenty of money problems)
I want to inspire a healthy dose hope for you (You don't need to make $200k to be happy, but I believe that you have the ability to generate more income without burning out... and if that would make a meaningful difference in your life, then go for it... but if you're good where you're at and making more money is a distraction from your more innate desires, then stop listening to me. Seriously. I don't want to foster an unhealthy desire in you. This is why I want to be clear about what I'm trying to do. I will likely keep talking about money for a long time, so I want you to know what you're getting in to by listening to me.)
Basically, I want to help you get more of what you want and less of what you don't want in your career.
I believe I'm positioned to help you make more money as a freelance motion designer, so I'm going to lean into that.
Would you like to make more money with freelance motion design? Here’s how I can help.
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