Make it Exist
Creative Block → 043
Creative Block is a newsletter that gives you a glimpse into my life, creativity, design, and music. It's like a little pick-me-up that you get delivered straight to your inbox.
I stumbled across a note on Threads recently and shared it here on Substack. To my surprise, it resonated with so many of you.
It hit home for me because, as a designer who’s worked with the Oscars, Apple, Peloton and many others, I’ve always felt the weight of perfection. There’s a certain bar of excellence and standard that comes with my work—a kind of brand presence I’ve built over time. While I deeply value excellence, it’s also been my biggest crutch.
This year, I became a dad. My son was born this past May, and one of the most profound things he’s taught me is how to have fun again—to explore art and ideas with the curiosity of a child. Kids don’t overthink. When they have an idea, they just do it. They don’t sit around cross-examining every detail or waiting for the “perfect time.” That mindset has been such a revelation for me because I tend to overthink and, honestly, make excuses that keep my ideas locked away.
Here’s an example:
The most popular jacket in my shop right now? It almost never existed. I nearly scrapped it because my perfectionist nature convinced me it wasn’t ready or “good enough.” But I decided to just let it exist—and I’m so glad I did.
A couple reached out and told me how much this jacket meant to them. I recently reached out to them to describe their feeling and ask if I could share it on this newsletter. Here’s what they said.
“My Fiance and I were looking for the perfect Jacket for our elopement. In lieu of wedding rings, we wanted something that we could wear every day and feel embraced by love. When we saw Temi's jackets, we were both immediately enamored. The color, messaging and the creation story captured our hearts and we knew we had to have them at our wedding! The Jackets weren't going to be ready before our wedding date but after reaching out to Temi and sharing with him our story, he rush ordered two just for us. They arrived the night before our wedding which made us even more convicted that it was all meant to be. This Jacket is not only a symbol of our love, but of the power of Art & Community." - J
I’m sharing this because I know how easy it is to keep your ideas hostage, waiting for the “perfect moment” that rarely comes. Instead of releasing them into the world, we make moodboards, tweak endlessly, or let self-doubt win. But moodboards mean nothing if they’re just a vault where ideas go to die.
So here’s my advice: Let. It. Exist.
Over 175 people (And counting) now have this jacket. It’s the most popular jacket in my shop. I’m currently doing another pre-order so if you’re interested hit the button below to place your order. Right now I’m offering $50 off the jackets upon checkout.
It also comes with a certificate of authenticity.
You can also watch the LAUNCH VIDEO below.
Release your ideas, refine them later. Don’t be afraid to let people see you trying. Give your work a chance to live outside your mind because you never know who it might resonate with.
This approach has been transformative for me. By letting my ideas exist, I finally hit a major sales milestone for my shop this year.
So, I’ll leave you with this: What ideas are you holding hostage? How can we help each other bring them to life?
Let’s stop waiting. Let’s start creating.
‘Till Death Do Us, ART.
P.S. if you’re curious where the name came “Till Death Do Us, Art” came from, check out these previous newsletters I wrote.
Thanks for the extra context from your post it note message. I have a perfectionism problem and it has held me back for so many years. It is vulnerable to throw it out there anyway but the alternative is death.
Release your ideas, refine them later. Very much bars. Very much a timely call to action. And perhaps very much inspiration for my next tattoo.