Is today starting to look a lot like yesterday, and the day before? That’s a sure sign you are living safely within your box. Have you tried something new or taken a chance lately? If no, there’s that box again. Is your life primarily focused on security, sure-bets, and hanging on to what you have? Yep, that’s a very comfortable box indeed. But at what cost? During the last week I’ve been asking myself these sorts of questions as I’ve read Seth Godin’s new book, The Practice – Shipping Creative Work. And make no mistake, while he does insist that we all have the ability to be creative, it is not limited to painting, writing or the typical actions we usually tie to creativity. His version of creative boils down to generously providing solutions for whatever matters to you in your world that could not be solved or supplied without your unique contribution. And the practice? It is the journey of sharing your creativity with those you serve.
I’m guessing that many of us have at least heard of Seth Godin before. He writes a blog post every single day and has done so for over seven years. He has published 20 books, does a podcast, is a public speaker and offers business and creative workshops online and around the world. And if you think he is primarily business or marketing oriented, you may be right—until it comes to a book like, The Practice. This book is a manifesto on trusting yourself enough to courageously live on the edge of your box and then share your skills generously with the people in your circle.
Godin does put a twist on words in a way that many might not be familiar with—but isn’t that part of living on the edge? He describes art as a form of “leadership, a creative contribution—something that not just anyone can produce, something that might not work but that might be worth pursuing.” He is also adamant that, “Art is what we call it when we’re able to create something new that changes someone. No change, no art.” Of course, equally essential is that you have to “ship” your art by whole-heartedly putting it out in the world.
Besides redefining art and creativity, Godin offers dozens of insights into how we can best learn to bestow these unique gifts we have to offer. First and foremost is the idea that we have to trust ourselves. In fact, he originally wanted to title the book, “Trust yourself.” He says, “You were born ready to make art. But you’ve been brainwashed into believing you can’t trust yourself enough to do so.” How? Most of us believe society’s message that we lack the talent, the education, or the circumstances to be creative. We also have been brainwashed into believing that if we can’t figure out a way to make money or be considered successful at what we want to do, we don’t even start. At the core he believes that we are so externally focused on outcomes (money, success, reviews, certainty) that we never trust ourselves enough to take chances and “merely do the work.”
That’s primarily where the idea of “practice” comes in. I wasn’t at all surprised to learn that Godin is a fan of The Artist Way’s morning pages. Like many others, Godin believes that the morning pages are an excellent practice to encourage people who want to write or create in certain ways. Writing those pages taught me, when I started them 25 years ago, that I could write no matter what was happening in my life—I didn’t have to be inspired, I didn’t have to feel good, I didn’t even have to be good—I just needed to write. They taught me that I might not be the best, but the more I did it, the better I would become. Godin tells of the famed writer Isaac Asimov (who published over 500 books) who accomplished his practice by writing consistently every single day for six hours. How many people say they want to be a writer, yet never take the time to write?
Consistently creating in whatever fashion you choose is a big part of the practice. That commitment is a pledge to ourselves about what we often say matters deeply to us, but don’t always do. Again, our hesitation points out a lack of trust in ourself. He says that perfectionism and writer’s block are also symptoms of that lack of trust. Any time we refuse to do anything because we can’t do it perfectly, that is a signal of our own self-doubt and that other people’s opinions matter more to us than just doing what we feel inspired to do. He says the practice is “Starting, not finishing. Improving, not being perfect. No one learns to ride a bike from a manual.” We learn and become better first by beginning, and then by doing it consistently.
And writer’s block? Godin is convinced that like perfectionism, writer’s block is a choice we make in order to avoid standing out or being judged negatively for our “creations.” He says, “…you don’t need a permit to speak up, to solve and interesting problem, or to lead. You don’t need a degree to write a lyric, lead a cohort, or take responsibility either.” We just need to start and keep doing it—in other words, “ship” our work.
Another of Godin’s insights is that we need to stop asking each other, “What would you do if you knew you would not fail?” Instead he believes is far better to ask ourselves, “What would we do even if we knew we would likely fail?” In other words, by taking the emphasis off of the outcome, we grant ourselves permission to try whatever we feel needs to happen through us. Again, it doesn’t have to be traditional art. It can be as simple as speaking up with a novel idea at a business meeting, cooking something you’ve always wanted to create, or helping a neighbor when needed. As Godin says, “…art: the act of doing something that might not work, simply because it’s a generous thing to do. The combination of talent, skill, craft, and point of view that brings new light to old problems.”
Feel like an imposter? Great! That means you are trying something that you’ve never done before and are living on the edge of your box. Struggle with constraints and boundaries? Again those are good because they give you a framework concerning what matters to you—just don’t hide out in the center of your box trying to escape uncertainty. Live on the edges where you extend your scaffolding and stay fresh and creative. Or what about creating “bad” work? According to Godin there has to be bad work before any of us ever get to the really good stuff. And what about creating something for everyone! Definitely give that one up too! No one, no matter how successful is accepted or loved by everyone. Instead, do what you do uniquely for your own audience—the people who understand, appreciate and get what you hope to share—and you will inspire the change you seek to make.
I could go on and on because there is so much in this book that really inspired me. But one of his points was to not include too much information—advice I surely need! Overall it reminds me to commit to the practice of whatever it is that is mine (ours) to create—and to keep doing it on the edge of my/our box. And then once we get comfortable on that new edge, let go of excuses and push forward without the need for certainty or external validation. The SMART choice is to remember that our practice is our journey.
Note: After finishing this book I realized that I could benefit from forming a small mastermind group of others who want to push their creative boundaries based on these ideas. And I’m not just talking about writers. If you might be interested, please send me an email and let’s talk.
It took me a bit to get into this post, but I am glad I kept it on an open tab. I just was contemplating what my creative outlet might be in 2021, and the idea of writing (a book) came up in my mind again. Now the question is what’s the topic!
Hi Pat! I know there are a lot of things happening (in spite of COVID!) with the holidays descending. I’m glad you found it helpful though. I sure did! And if it inspires a new book that is wonderful. I look forward to seeing it when it comes out. ~Kathy
I must read this book. I feel stuck and need to change my thinking. Thanks for the review.
Hi Linda! I was feeling the same way and this book helped to stir things up. Let me know if you read it. ~Kathy
Have now read the book and it has given me lots to think about
Tried to send you an email about the master group. My email came back as undeliverable.
Hi Kathy. I love this post. It’s filled with advice that I truly need. I write and paint (and cook and garden and problem-solve) but often feel quite anxious about putting it out in the world. Perfectionism, fear of failure, and all that stuff… Julia Cameron’s books had a very freeing effect for me. I’ll have to order Godin’s book. I’m glad that you’re about to start working on another book!
Jude
Hi Jude! Thank you. Glad to see you didn’t have any trouble leaving a comment…I know that happens some times. And thanks for letting me know that you appreciated this post. I didn’t get much feedback from it—I’m guessing it was a bit “too heavy” for a lot of people. You never know right? But yes, it did inspire me and I needed that this time of year! If you do get it and read it, let me know what you thought! ~Kathy
Most of us are safely contained in our boxes these days, awaiting a vaccine. But even at home we can get creative and start new projects, open new doors. You’ve got me thinking … and thanks for that!
Hi Tom! Thank you! You know getting people to think is a big intention of mine! I certainly don’t believe Godin’s input means we all have to “completely” disrupt our lives, but I’m feeling I have gotten a bit to comfortably numb during COVID and I am inspired to pull out a few activities that I’ve been procrastinating on and put some energy into them. For example, I’ve been wanting to put together another SMART Living book and just didn’t feel motivated. Now I am. We don’t know how long COVD will go on but we can still contribute to life in the meantime don’t you think? ~Kathy
Your book review was very well written. Maybe even better than the book itself. There are downsides to creativity. Envy is one of them.
Hi Ann! It seems like Godin said something about envy but I can’t quite recall it. He does spend quite a bit of time on the idea that we are “trained” in the ideas of scarcity as a way to control us and get us to fall in line with the needs of an industrial society. So I’m betting that envy would be a way to stop people from being creative and to “fall in line with the needs of an industrial society.” He strongly recommends that we come from a place of abundance with creativity–helping each other, freely offering our gifts know that they, like the idea of love, only multiply when we give it away. Thanks for bringing up that idea. ~Kathy
As I shared on our Zoom today, I feel as if I’ve been securely in my box lately… and that’s OK. Even the creative endeavors I’ve recently enjoyed haven’t been too challenging (but fun nonetheless). Given the current situation, I think I’m going to play it safe a little while longer but – hopefully in 2021 – watch out! 🙂
Hi Janis! I think you were incredibly creative on your blog when you decided to write and then share your short story. Definitely a “shipped” creation. Of course, we are the only one’s who get to decide what we will “create” and then share so it’s entirely up to you. But like I said to Mona, I’ve been feeling a little “taking up space” these days and a few things (besides this book) inspired me. While there are definite advantages to be older, I think it can also be a bit of a trap. Hmmmm…I’ll bet there is a blog post in THAT idea too 🙂 Aren’t we fortunate to have such an accessible way to “ship” our work? ~Kathy
A sage friend once asked if I thought I was creative. I replied “no” equating creativity with artistic ability. She then asked if I always followed the recipe? how did I know how to decorate my home? how did i decide how to plant a flower bed or garden? OK, I’m creative. I like the safety of my box most days but I also appreciate the saying – if you’re not living on the edge you’re taking up too much space.
Hi Mona! How are you? And I’d say your friend was pretty wise 🙂 Plus I’ll be you know I like your quote, “…if you’re not living on the edge you’re taking up too much space.” In case you couldn’t tell I’ve been feeling like I’m pretty much just taking up space these days and feel like it’s time to do something about it. Of course I might procrastinate until the first of the year—now that’s something Seth didn’t mention! ~Kathy
I love reading these because I’m at the beginning of my self actualization journey and there’s just so much content that is exciting and interesting to consume and certainly not enough hours in the day to read all the books on my nightstand. Thank you for giving me some of the insights from this book so I can put it on my “read later” list but still benefit from it now. I am slowly accepting the idea that this is a process to be enjoyed not a place to get to. Feeling more and more at ease with that every day. Thank you for helping me feel that truth more deeply.
Hi Mary! Thank you! For what I know of you, you are well on your way of discovering “you!” And I agree that there are SO-O-O many good books out there to read that it can be overwhelming to even think about reading them all. Plus, besides sharing my ideas from books, I also learned that like other writers, some of us don’t know what we are thinking until we write it down. A new quote I found is from a guy named Kevin Kelly who said, “…it’s a kind of thinking. I write primarily to find out what I’ve been thinking, and I don’t know until I write it.” ~Kathy
Some days I wonder what day it is.
Yesterday I fixed a blind–never before, but it was nice to think, plan and try something new. I am also refinishing a couple pieces of furniture.
Yes we can and must “ship” forward…
Hi Gary! Thank you for two great examples. And I also know personally that you try new recipes ALL the time and that is creative too. According to Godin he believes it is because of the “industrial mindset” we all grew up in that we were “trained to think only special people are creative.” That’s because much of society would like us to just be cogs in the “machine” rather than be disruptive. And I’m guessing from your examples that now you know you can do it, you’ll be much more likely to try new things in the future. ~Kathy