THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Making the impossible possible is what Ebeling and his growing band of volunteer hackers, designers, and dreamers have been doing since 2008, when they committed themselves to helping world-renowned graffiti artist Tony “Tempt1” Quan to draw again after ALS, a neuromuscular disease, had left him completely paralyzed. Their invention, the EyeWriter, has enabled Tempt1 to make art by controlling a laser with his eyes. The EyeWriter won several awards, including being named one of Time magazine’s “top 50 inventions of 2010.” Rather than profit from the device, Ebeling’s team published DIY instructions for free on the Internet so anyone could build their own EyeWriter for about $100 in parts.

“Anyone can be an innovator,” says Ebeling. “Whether it’s to improve your business, your career, or the lives of millions, you have everything you need right this minute to make a lasting, impactful difference.”

All you need to do is find the absurd situation that needs fixing, and follow the philosophy that continues to serve the good people at Not Impossible and the thousands of innovators who have joined their revolution.

Find The Absurdity And Revolt Against IT 

Before you can innovate, you first must identify what needs changing. Ebeling recommends looking for the absurdities around you. “An artist that can’t move? That has no canvas on which to express himself? That’s absurd,” says Ebeling. “A boy in war-torn Sudan gets his arms blown off and wishes he were dead so he won’t be a burden to his family? That’s not right. These things shouldn’t be.” This can apply to your work, too. Look for the absurd around you. Is that biweekly meeting with 17 director-level people really moving the needle? Whatever it is, you’ll know it, because you’ll feel the passion burn in your belly.

“If you can’t stop thinking about it, then you have the passion to do something about it,” says Ebeling. “Don’t ignore that feeling. Act.”

Commit, Then Figure It Out

People often wait for permission to act. They may feel that they’re not qualified, that they don’t have the necessary title, credentials, or training to step up. When Ebeling committed to helping Tempt1 to draw again, he was a television and video producer. “I knew nothing about ocular recognition technology. My plan was to write a check,” recalls Ebeling of the fundraiser where he first met the artist and his family. Instead, he found himself signing a promise to help Tempt1 communicate and make art again. “At the time, I had no idea how I was going to fulfill that promise.”

Ebeling is quick to remind people that if his ragtag group can do what it does, anyone can. “That’s the whole point of the impossible movement,” says Ebeling. “You don’t need to wait for government or your boss to make a difference. It doesn’t matter how many letters you have behind your name.”

Radical Collaboration

To succeed, you need to operate from a place that Ebeling describes as “egoless innovation” and surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. “You have to be OK with asking for help or being the dumbest guy in the room. After all, this isn’t about you. It’s about the cause,” says Ebeling. “People naturally want to align around projects where there is great purpose.”

There’s no big secret to rallying people to your cause. It’s about passion. “Passion is contagious,” says Ebeling. “Especially when you are out to right a wrong. When you operate from the heart, others of like mind can sense it. It’s visceral, and there’s no stronger power than when all these like minds and hearts come together to solve problems worth solving.”

It's Ok To Be Clueless; In Fact, It's Mandatory

According to Ebeling, a little ignorance and a lot of naïveté are mandatory. “When we started, we had no idea how hard this was going to be,” says Ebeling. “If we knew what we were up against, we may never have started.” That’s why purpose, passion, and committed action are so critical to success.

Every new project provides another opportunity to show you just how much you don’t know. In Don’s Voice, the film Ebeling produced about an ALS patient who hadn’t been able to speak in 15 years, Ebeling’s team figured they had this one. “Tempt also suffered from ALS, so we were confident we had the answer. We brought all this cool software and sophisticated equipment, and it was totally useless.” Don lost his ability to move in 1999, before the Internet brought technology to the masses. “He had never even touched a computer before.”