I recently decided that I needed to make improvements to my iPad application, Aeir Talk. It has been out for eight months and I really wanted to enact some changes that have been gnawing at me and some of my users for a few months. One problem: Changes cost money, and I certainly didn't have the resources needed to make the changes I wanted to make.
Money is the number one barrier I hear people say keeps them from acting on ideas or dreams that they have. Its very sad, and admittedly, I have given up when looking at this huge, dark barrier before.
The one thing that made me overcome this fear of failure and massive feeling of inadequacy was my initial inspiration for Aeir Talk. I wanted my two boys who are on the Autism spectrum to be able to learn new words. I knew that with the tools available to them that would not necessarily be possible, and I knew that what I was doing had to be done. When I would go to people for funding they would say "No," or "We don't see a market big enough," I would simply take that response and plow right through it. My cause was important and bigger than their small minds. I had something that I did not have in previous "ideas:" I felt this was my purpose and I would not take "No" for an answer. Eventually my app was made, and now my two boys know how to say "I love you Daddy" because of it. Money was not big enough to keep me from that.
Now, with crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indie Gogo (I'm launching an Indie GoGo campaign on July 24 to make my app better and able to reach more people with its message), we as parents no long have to hear "No" about our ideas (especially ideas in the special education realm). I have had many parents of children on the Spectrum come to me and say "I have this idea to help our kids," but they don't want to do it because they are so busy or, you guessed it, don't have the money.
I once heard Chris Hardwick, host of my favorite podcast, "The Nerdist," say that if you want to do something in life, you have to just start doing it. Stop asking people how to make it happen. Just start doing the first thing your brain tells you to do.
If you want to help your child in education, or they need books or want to build something that will help kids around the world, grab an iPhone (they are everywhere!), record your idea and upload it. Don't know how to upload? Google it. Don't give yourself excuses to not do something amazing. When you ask for help, you will be surprised what comes your way. Now, stop telling yourself "no," stop listening to the people telling you "no" and go create something awesome to help others. You can and will do great things if you give yourself opportunity to do so.
Keep on Creating,
Joe Hill