Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. – Pablo Picasso
Guy: “I can’t decide what I want to be: a millionaire or an artist.” Girl: “Can’t you just compromise? Become a millionaire artist or something.” – Hugh MacLeod
In the last few days, I’ve been spending a lot of time surrounding myself with art. Not High Art. Just art. Creative work, masterfully done. And all of it commercially successful. From the simply amazing Pixar film Wall-E
to listening to Frank Sinatra in his prime
or re-reading J.K. Rowling’s outstanding Harry Potter series,
I was struck by both their beauty and appeal and by the question, “How can I make my work more like this? How can I make it more creative? Can I make it more successful, too?”
Cartoonist, blogger and marketing wiz Hugh MacLeod – @gapingvoid on Twitter, GapingVoid.com on the web – gives one possible answer to these questions in his new book Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity.
In 40 terse chapters – some little more than a single cartoon – Hugh gives his views on the essence of creativity, its driving forces, its ineffable appeal, its continuing pull. Funny, profane and insightful, Hugh builds on his earlier work – “How to Be Creative” – to provide less of a roadmap and more of a travelogue, cataloging his learnings along the creative road. And like my post advising you to do what you love, Hugh doesn’t guarantee fame or fortune. But, wouldn’t you prefer to enjoy what you’re working on regardless of the outcome. And, just as Pixar, Rowling and Sinatra have shown, sometimes those outcomes succeed beyond your wildest imagination.
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Hugh MacLeod wondered on Twitter today whether technology renders cities obsolete. Tara Hunt, a city-dweller, worries about the fit of expensive clothes and wants to buy locally. What’s interesting is that Tara and Hugh represent alternative views to how the evolving local, social web works. Hugh lives in the middle of nowhere, while Tara lives in downtown San Francisco. Hugh knows that the web allows him to experience everything that Tara can while enjoying the slower pace of country life. Tara knows that technology has its limits and wants to make the most of city life by experiencing products before purchasing.
Sure, they use the web in different ways. Hugh shops and buys online (generally) because he has fewer options in his more rural locale. Tara uses the web, (Twitter in this case) to get recommendations for the best place to shop/buy her products. Your customers may be city dwellers using the web to find your local store before stopping in. They may be country folks using the web to buy from you because they lack local alternatives.
Or vice versa.
Place is only relevant to your customer when it meets their needs. What matters more is whether Tara or Hugh can find you, whether they can browse you, and whether they can buy from you, online or offline. What are you doing to make sure you can meet both Tara’s needs and Hugh’s?
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I follow Hugh MacLeod (aka gapingvoid) religiously. I read Hugh’s blog. I follow him on Twitter. I plan to buy business cards from him.
Why? Why so much emphasis on one guy?
Because he’s the most original thinker in the community. Period.
Case in point: microsoft and chess pieces.
You can choose to be a King. You can choose to be a Queen. Many choose to be Pawns. Hell, you can even choose to be a Blue Monster (though most prefer to run in fear from them instead – whether real or the dreams in your head).
You can love Microsoft (or Google or GE or Wal-mart or the guy down the street who seems to eat your lunch every day). You can loathe them. You can fear them (though what a waste of time). Each is a choice. Make one. Fish, cut bait, be a monster. But choose something. And move on.
That’s what Hugh reminded me today.
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