Tag Archives: Seth Godin

Following the Call

Day One, watercolor by Mary Gow
Day One, watercolor by Mary Gow
In the morning yesterday I read Seth Godin’s blog entry about accumulating 1,000 posts on your blog and how by around then things start to change and people start gaining momentum because they’ve put in the daily work of writing on their blogs.

For years, I’ve been explaining to people that daily blogging is an extraordinarily useful habit. Even if no one reads your blog, the act of writing it is clarifying, motivating and (eventually) fun.

A collection of daily bloggers I follow have passed 1,000 posts (it only takes three years or so…). Fortunately, there are thousands of generous folks who have been posting their non-commercial blogs regularly, and it’s a habit that produces magic. – Seth Godin

You can read the whole post at: https://seths.blog/2018/10/the-first-1000-are-the-most-difficult/

I’m on my way to 1,000.

Hope you enjoy it!

What motivates you to put your work out there?

Posted in Inspiration, Writing | Tagged | Comments Off on Following the Call

The Enemy of Creativity

Glass Tile at Alcatraz photographed by Mary Gow
Glass Tile at Alcatraz photographed by Mary Gow
Purple Cow, The Dip and Linchpin: Are You Indispensible? – these are three of my favorite books written by Seth Godin. Each hits a significant tendency I have.

Purple Cow reminded me I won’t be memorable unless I can distinguish myself from others the way a purple cow stands out from the crowd. (Though it also reminded me of how I was teased in grade school about my last name that rhymes with “cow”).

The Dip goes through the creative cycle and gives tips on which ideas may be worth ditching
and which ones may be worth enduring the dip before the uptick.

Linchpin challenged me to think through what being an artist means in the deepest sense. And whenever I do something with the intention of giving it my absolute best it has a touch of being a true artist.

Recently Godin said something I want to share to remind me (and you) to move beyond lizard brain thoughts.

    The enemy of creativity…

    is fear.

    We’re all born creative, it takes a little while to become afraid.

    A surprising insight: an enemy of fear is creativity. Acting in a creative way generates action, and action persuades the fear to lighten up.

    -Seth Godin

Check out more wisdom at sethgodin.com.

Posted in Creativity, Inspiration | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Enemy of Creativity

What Defines a “Real Artist”?

True artistry is not about paint brushes and canvas says author and business blogger Seth Godin in his best-selling book, Linchpin. “You can be an artist who works with oil paints or marble, sure. But there are artists who work with numbers, business models, and customer conversations. Art is about intent and communication, not substances.”

Godin continues “An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo. And an artist takes it personally.”

In Linchpin, Godin explains one of his key concepts about a true artist’s consciousness: “Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient.”

A cook is not an artist. A chef who creates a new type of dish is an artist.

In what ways are you an artist?

Posted in Books, Creativity | Tagged , | 1 Comment