I began reading Seth Godin‘s blog and books when I worked at National Geographic for his insights into digital marketing, but soon found that his content is seldom just about marketing. It’s about life. Life today. Life in the digital world. His daily blog is a fountain of astute observations and inspiration for how to navigate, behave in, and make a difference in today’s society. I find Godin’s books to be highly motivating in that they provide enough insight and encouragement to make you really want to take on the world. His latest, The Practice: Shipping Creative Work, is no exception.
The Practice’s Key Message
The Practice, is basically Godin imploring his readers to, “get off your butt and go create”. He asks us to get clear on who we’re creating for and why. Then, ship work on a regular cadence, predictably, and see what happens. If it’s not working, we may not be creating the right work for the right people. If that’s the case, talk to the people you want to create for, pivot, and keep shipping work on a professional, regular schedule.
Why We Need To Do This Now
That message couldn’t come at a better time. We’re coming off of a year of isolation and many of us are getting restless, bored, and indifferent. The cure for that boredom is doing work you truly care about. Work that you, uniquely, are suited to do. Most of us have an inkling of what that might be; a side hustle we’ve been dreaming about. The Practice is a wake-up call to start doing that work and to do it consistently.
A Few Other Words of Wisdom From The Practice
It is better to follow your own path however imperfectly, than to follow someone else’s perfectly.
Bhagavad-Gita
There were a few short ideas that really resonated with me in this book.
- It’s about starting, not finishing. He says, “Before you are a bestselling author, you’re an author, and authors write. Simply begin.”
- Focusing on outcomes at the expense of process is a shortcut that will destroy your work.
- Find a cohort.
- Leverage genre to grow your art.
Those last two are worth diving into a bit.
Find a Cohort
It’s difficult to keep yourself motivated. It’s also difficult to grow your own work without feedback and others pushing you to get better. Find a group of like-minded people who will support you throughout the process. People that don’t understand may end up convincing you to quit before you hit your sweet spot.
Leverage Genre To Grow Your Art
Sometimes building something completely new fails because no one can place it. It’s too far in left field. The market isn’t ready for it. Start with something known (e.g. eyeglasses) — a genre, and change it enough to be truly useful (e.g. Warby Parker’s methodology of selling eyeglasses online). If you’re having trouble building your following, it might be because you are out too far ahead of the crowd! You may be stepping outside of a known genre.
Final Thought
The Practice was a short, easy read. If you need a boost of inspiration for a side project you’re starting or business you want to grow, you just might find it in Seth Godin’s The Practice.