Hello,
I’ve been a bit rundown this week so I’ve spent a lot of time in bed unable to work, on my day job as well as PREST. Something I have done though, is watch Netflix and mindlessly scroll. While I was scrolling, I came across a collaboration between Steven Bartlett and Adobe Express. A challenge to create a manifesto for the chance to win £10,000. I couldn’t pass up that opportunity. You can check the challenge out here.
The challenge came with a few starting prompts to help:
What’s your unique approach that sets you apart?
What behaviour will edge you closer to your goals?
What attitude will bring you success, even on tough days?
What attitude will help you better connect with others?
How are you going to win the long game?
I had a go at distilling down my beliefs into productive behaviours, keeping them broad enough to apply to PREST and our community of makers. See what you think.
Craft & graft
It’s easy to think about grand plans, but what good are they if they stay as thoughts in your head. Making is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. Roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and sweat it out. Great things don’t just happen; they’re made, with effort, and more cups of coffee than I care to count.
Never stop learning
The second you think you know it all, you’re toast. Skills get rusty. Tools change. And the world won’t wait for you to catch up. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it makes a maker unstoppable. Keep learning, growing and developing your skills.
Embrace imperfection (sometimes)
Not everything needs to be perfect. Perfection is overrated, and frankly, impossible. Embrace the little flaws—those quirks are what make things interesting. But don’t cut corners. A lopsided chair is charming until someone sits on it and crashes to the floor.
Work in public
Share your process, not just the polished results. Show people the messy side. Show your half-baked ideas, your fails, your “what was I even thinking?” moments. It’s more human, more relatable, and someone might even offer a genius solution you hadn’t thought of.
Do one thing well
This one’s so good I had to steal it from Hiut Denim. Saying no is hard, but you can’t be a master at everything. Focus takes discipline. Find your thing, and get damn good at it. Be the person people turn to for that specific, brilliant thing. And then teach others how to do it.
Make it useful and beautiful
Useless things gather dust, and ugly things get hidden away. Aim for a balance where form meets function. And beauty doesn’t have to be based on appearances. Maybe something is beautiful for the way it looks, or maybe it’s beautiful because it’s crafted from recycled materials and kind to the planet.
Now it’s your turn. Distil your beliefs into a list of productive behaviours, and maybe it’ll win you that £10,000. In the coming weeks, I’ll be going deeper on topics like this one. Things like brand strategy, market positioning and finding your purpose. If you’re interested in that sort of thing, subscribe below.
Until next time,
Callum