While we understand the need to protect your work, we also believe there’s more than just one idea, one solution or one win. In fact, it can be rather strange to think that in this culture of over-sharing we seem to be living in, people – now more than ever – seem fearful of letting their ideas be seen, or even heard.
There is, of course, a time and a place to protect your work. But, when we look at the incredible community and orchards of innovation created by the open source platform used by WordPress, we see what happens when your hard work isn’t just buried in the backyard.
Our business, FreshySites, exists because of WordPress’s awesome open source design. Our developers and designers have the ability to be creative every day because they’re not forced to think inside of a box.
Quite to the contrary, WordPress encourages and invites innovation because when one person wins in the community, everyone wins.
This is, for many people, a complete 180 when it comes to a creative or design mindset. But, having worked closely with WordPress for years, we’ve seen up close just how beneficial it is to foster a community that is built on the idea of collaboration.
And we’re not alone.
There’s a whole slew of designers and freelancers that are seeing the positive impact open sourcing has on their work. According to Michael Arestad, a Denver-based WordPress designer, working within an open source platform will help you “grow your skills, career, network, and happiness.”
Why exactly?
Well, from our experience, working on a project that you know will directly improve an experience for someone else really does make you feel good. It infuses your work with more meaning, helping you to stay inspired while also encouraging creativity.
This type of collaborative work also forces you to be in touch with other people in the niche and, rather than seeing them as competition, you learn from them and develop a sort of mutual respect that can be hard to come by, especially in the business world.
We’ve also noticed how WordPress’s open source design has helped to keep it ahead of the curve.
Much like no one believed a mile run could be completed in under six minutes until someone ran it (and then loads of other runners started doing it too simply because the bar had been raised), “impossible problems” consistently get solved – and then shared – encouraging others to keep elevating their own game. This is precisely one of the reasons why technology in general has evolved so fast – everyone can see the gains being made.
But, when you add open source to the equation, not only do you get to see the evolution taking place, you actually get to be a part of it, which is enough motivation for most people to get out of bed in the morning.
Being a part of something bigger through open source design provides a level of fulfillment and purpose that few other projects can compete with. The network that you grow with puts you in touch with people from all over the world – and not just via social media feeds.
When you work on an open source platform, you actually get to talk, brainstorm and collaborate with real people and from every corner of the world.
Open source design is the best parts of globalization in action.
At FreshySites, we’ve seen the benefits of open sourcing and we’ve also learned what it takes to make open source projects work.
Yes, there is a bit of a mindset shift, but when you look at the success WordPress has had with the strategy, you’ll be encouraged to become a part of the movement.
Below are some tips for getting ready to embrace open source, whether as a business strategy or just an interactive way of life…
Be Present.
When you set out to work, it’s important to do so with an open mind. Keeping your mind open is the best way to discover new ways of thinking and to innovate new ideas. If you see an exciting project you’d like to be a part of, or if you’d like to solve a problem, showing up is always the best place to start.
Be Attentive.
Part of being present is staying alert to the needs of the situation. Being attentive means to do your investigatory work. What really needs to happen in order to solve a problem? What skills can you offer that would be beneficial to the needs at hand? Sometimes this part looks a lot like observing, which is exactly what it is. Before you think you know what needs to be done, be sure you understand the situation inside and out.
Be Engaged.
Once you’ve gotten a lay of the land, start to offer your ideas. And, remember, sometimes the best ideas start in the form of questions. Participate wherever you can and keep an open mind that’s ready to absorb information from the people and environment around you.
Be Active.
Take responsibility for the momentum of the project. The more energy and ideas you can put out, the more you’ll keep things moving forward. Be encouraging to others, but also discerning.
Be Persistent.
This step is basically the commitment to moving through the four steps above again and again – and again. Push yourself and the people around you. Constantly raise the bar. When you do, there’s no telling what you’ll be able to accomplish.
Our team at FreshySites thrives on collaboration and an open source mindset. We believe that there is more than enough to go around and we love meeting people in the business world that understand importance of developing a thriving community.
Want to see what this team of pros can do with WordPress’s open source platform for your business’s website? We do too!
