Is Your Purpose Stronger than the Apocalypse?

By Donald R. Dodson

I had been living the apocalypse for the last three days or so. It’s not what you think, though! Although a look outside might make you think so.

On a Friday afternoon I was working on a costume build for a Post-Apocalyptic-themed photo shoot set for that Sunday morning. It was a period filled with long hours, frantic creation under a time crunch, half-formed ideas brought to reality sometimes by sheer force of will and stubbornness, literally creating items out of stuff laying on the floor and in parts bins. It should have been grueling and stressful. But it wasn’t!

I loved pretty much every moment of it! It was like creative free-for-all. In part it was the genre, and in part I had fewer constraints as it was going to be whatever I could manage to cobble together by Sunday. (PostApocalyptic genre is like the Mad Max movies or the game Fallout, you are pretty much scavenging, so it leads to a pretty broad selection of creative options).

It was creative problem-solving for a purpose. “Practical Arts” if you will. I got to repurpose items into new and not so new uses, fabricate new things and make them look old and beaten (like me, lol).

Then I had the added privilege of wearing my gear on the shoot and get lots of positive affirmation for my efforts the next day and in follow up posts from the photographers. For an artist it is immensely gratifying.

This isn’t about a new-found creative love affair with a genre. Nope. (Ok, maybe a little). Seriously though, what does this have to do with business? Well, one, the editor told me to run this article which is a bit longer than my original post which I wrote. And we do what the boss says. On a Friday afternoon I was working on a costume build for a Post-Apocalypticthemed photo shoot set for that Sunday morning! It should have been grueling and stressful. But it wasn’t!

In addition creating the leather gear from scratch, Dodson used lots of found materials to create his costume for the photo shoot uncluding licence plates, old straps, upcycled skating pads and military surplus, to “replicate” what one would wear in a post-apocalyptic world.

Photo credits: Chad Harnish Christian Levens. Badass energy blade weapon build Will Fernekees.

But more relevant to you, it has every damned thing to do about business. Read on….

It’s about doing the right thing for you, your business and your overall vision. In my case, it’s a reminder of my passion to create! This is what I am damned good at. THIS is what I was meant to do! And that, friends, is a damned good feeling. This goes beyond mere positive mindset. This is that feeling deep in your gut that screams “This is my purpose!!” Because when your purpose, business and vision are aligned then you can be unstoppable! Everything just makes more sense.

If you DON’T feel that way about your business, then you need to reassess what you are doing. Too often, people are in business for what seems like the right reasons, but realistically, in the long term they aren’t sustainable and likely to cause resentment. Maybe its too abstract, or its not “selfish” enough. I say selfish because it’s gotta be something YOU want or love to do. That “something” might be helping other businesses to be successful like Donnie does. It might be many other things but you gotta know, deep down that you love doing that.

So, get out there and find your purpose.

Note, I created my costume from old clothes repurposed, dyed and distressed as well as the gear I am wearing. The license plate is from my first car. The other models who are all creatives in their own right made much of their own stuff, too.

Donald Dodson, owner of Dodson Designs, has been involved in artistic pursuits for as long as he can remember. Starting at age 16 as a sign painter assistant, and after high school, he pursued a career in graphic arts, finding his home in graphic design and web design. After an eight-year stint as a teacher, Dodson, a combat veteran, longed to return to his passion for the arts and, at 49, started a full-time leather working business.

He crafts handmade, creative custom leather goods and accessories near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.