I’ve been thinking for years about starting a blog. Not because I feel I have anything particularly original to say [I don’t], but because I listened to a podcast a few years back with Seth Godin saying everyone should post. Every day, even if no one reads. Writing is a way to put something out there, notice things, develop a take, get clear, be accountable, and move past your fear. And, of course, to make a ruckus. And, when Seth Godin makes a suggestion on how to navigate the world, I listen. He’s a super mensch.
So, I thought about it, collected notes and post ideas in my Commonplace Book (also from a podcast recommendation – this time from Ryan Holiday) and…nothing. I didn’t know where to start and, frankly, I didn’t feel as though I had a lot of creative space in my life. My work days are long and my spark files are short.
Then I did another thing recently. I got on an Austin Kleon kick. He of Steal Like an Artist, Show Your Work, Keep Going. All very creative and very inspirational. And here’s the thing he says – we are all artists (even those who think about biz process and stare at spreadsheets), we all have work to share/show/steal from. You just have to find – make – your space and create. Do it consistently. Think process, not product.
On that wave of inspo, I built a website to show my work. Not financial models or cash flow projections (although, maybe?). My internal, professional and personal development, trying to make myself wiser every day kind of work. And, as Seth says, “Committing to having a point of view and scheduling a time and place to say something is almost certainly going to improve your thinking, your attitude, and your trajectory.”
How do I let you talk me into these things, Seth?