What's The Big Idea?

Well, let me be the first to say, for someone with a name like ‘What’s E Saying', I haven't really said a whole lot. Not in this medium anyway.

The idea to start a blog on my website came to me several times throughout my career, but I never truly committed to it. In fact, this is the first one I'm actually sitting down and making, and the push didn't arrive in some dramatic, cinematic way. No divine intervention. It was just a thought. The kind that can come and go unless you act on it.

And that's exactly what this first post is about.

On my journey in the creative industry so far, hundreds of ideas have been presented to me, and I've had hundreds, probably even thousands of my own. Some have been great and some not so much. But in both cases, what separates the ideas that became something real from the ones that faded away comes down to a handful of things. Here are five of them.

1. Honesty Makes It Easy

What makes creating easy is playing to your strengths. Amplify the things you're good at. It really can be that simple.

When you force things you're not naturally comfortable with, especially at the very beginning, that's where procrastination can creep in and prevent you from progressing. It becomes harder to start, harder to finish, and harder to show up consistently. Learning new skills is important. It’s essential actually, but if your goal is to get something out into the world, put the probabilities in your favour. Give yourself the best possible chance of success by starting with what you already know as a base, and then push it further.

There's another dimension to honesty in your work that doesn't get talked about enough: leaving room for imperfection. We live in an age where AI can polish everything to within an inch of its life, and while that level of refinement has its place, what people are genuinely hungry for right now is authenticity.

I've been practising this myself. For one of my clients who hosts several events, I'll shoot testimonial videos on my phone even when I have a cinema camera right there with me. A phone-first approach can feel more conversational. It disarms people. The subject relaxes, speaks more naturally, and that ease translates directly to the screen in a way that no amount of high-end equipment can manufacture. The viewer feels it, even if they can't explain why. There's a realness to it that a polished production setup sometimes works against.

This thinking can trickle right down to the edit too. Leaving in that pause, that nervous smile, that mid-sentence correction is sometimes exactly the right call. It makes the person on screen feel human, and humans connect with humans. If you want to do this, the key to making it work is maintaining a good pace throughout the edit. Keep things moving and those imperfect moments become charming rather than distracting. Sometimes I cut them out completely, but it's a great tool to have when you know how to use it. Don't rule it out.

2. Act Quickly. Fail Fast and Learn

So many ideas die simply because they weren't acted on fast enough. The reasons vary from not knowing what to do next, worrying about what people think, convincing yourself it costs too much or that you don't have the skills yet. But whatever the reason, the answer is always the same: don't be afraid to fail.

Nobody has ever got everything perfectly right from the start. That's genuinely not how the creative world works. And the fear of what others think will hold you back in every area of your life if you let it. The truth is, people have so much going on in their own world that they're far less focused on yours than you can imagine.

Get perfection out of your head entirely.

We've all done it, told ourselves we'll start something on a specific date, or even a specific time. "When it hits 12pm exactly, I'll begin." Think about it honestly: can you recall something you've stuck to consistently that started on a specific time of your choosing? And even if you can, is that date or time still relevant to your day to day life? The answer to both is no.

So start with what you have. Start with the time you have. Start in the moment inspiration strikes and stop making excuses. There's no special trick, no secret formula. Start messy and refine as you go. The only thing truly standing between you and the idea is you.

3. Collaboration Is Essential

There are 8 billion people on this planet. The connections available to you, the ones that could help you bring your idea to life, are virtually limitless. Don't let ego or pride be the reason you go it alone when you don't have to.

Think about YE (Kanye). Whatever your opinion of him is as a person, his body of work as a creative is undeniable and a significant part of what makes it amazing is his willingness to collaborate. He has consistently brought together producers, artists, designers and directors across disciplines and cultures, pulling the best out of everyone around him to create work that none of them could have made alone. His ego is very loud, but underneath it, there's a creative who understands that greatness is rarely a solo endeavour.

I live by this too. I frequently collaborate with other creatives to complete projects, and one of the most valued collaborations in my work is with one of the best editors I've ever had the pleasure of working with, Marta. I first saw her at work on set at Tion Wayne's Body Remix music video, and I when I saw how everything was put together, I knew she was the G.O.A.T. Since then, we've collaborated on several music videos together, and I can honestly say my work looks so much better when she's involved.

I also want to give a shoutout to 8syn, formerly known as One Acen. We collaborated on several of his music videos during his come-up in the music industry, and here's a fun fact… My knowledge of editing music videos started with him. He taught me so much, and we genuinely pushed each other to get better with every video we shot and edited together. That kind of creative relationship is something I'll always be grateful for.

The lesson overall here is simple: check the ego at the door. Reach out. Say yes to the right people. The idea you're sitting on might just need one conversation to become something real.

4. Invest in Yourself

This one comes up everywhere and for good reason.

I've had the privilege of attending wealth creation masterclasses, mindset sessions, and self-improvement courses, largely thanks to the incredible clients I've had the opportunity to work with over the years. And across all of those rooms, across all of those conversations, one behaviour comes up again and again as a common thread among the people who are building something meaningful: they invest in themselves.

That investment looks different for everyone. It might be a course that teaches you a skill you've been putting off learning. It might be a mentor, a coach, a workshop, a book, or simply the decision to spend your time more intentionally. But the principle is the same; the return on investing in your own growth is unlike any other investment you can make.

The people who wait for the perfect moment to invest in themselves are often the same people still waiting years later. Don't outsource your development to circumstance. Make it a deliberate, consistent choice. Your future work, your future clients, and your future self will all reflect the investments you make today.

5. Research Is Key

Ideas without knowledge behind them only go so far. Research is what turns a spark into something sustainable and the way you approach it makes all the difference.

Here's a tip: when you're learning something new, don't try to consume it all at once. Break it into sections and go deep on each one before moving to the next.

Take graphic design as an example. Rather than trying to learn everything all at once, start with just typography, how text works, the relationship between fonts, kerning, negative space, weight, and hierarchy. Master that layer before you move on. Then tackle colour theory. Then composition. Each section builds on the last, and before you know, you have a foundation that feels solid rather than scattered. The same approach works for filmmaking, editing, marketing, business… pretty much any discipline worth learning.

Research also means staying curious beyond the tutorials. Watch how the best in your field operate. Study the work you admire and ask yourself why it works. Read outside of your industry, because the most interesting creative thinking often comes from unexpected places. Put the time in. Do the work. And then go make the thing.

Every blog, every video, every project, every business all started with an idea that someone chose to act on. This post and future posts are me acting on mine.

Whatever your idea is, I hope something in here inspires you to do the same. And when you're ready to bring it to life through video, then let's get to work!