I’m sitting in Haft Auditorium on W. 27th street in NYC, listening to Seth Godin talk about his new book. He’s great today. One of the best presentations I’ve seen him do. He’s very focused, driven, so eager to convey his message to us. Which is that it’s OK to go forth and make art, not work. Again, make ART, not work. Making art means being a LINCHPIN who creates change, makes things happen, makes a difference, is generous – and does all this WITHOUT PERMISSION from the boss. You don’t need permission to work in this new way. It’s OK to silence your (fearful) lizard brain and draw your own map.
Really?! This is great news for those of us who aren’t good at following the rules. Those of us who have, in fact, been fired because we didn’t fit in. Count me in that group. I’ve been fired at least twice – a source of shame for years. Well guess what: I’m now declaring BEING FIRED as a badge of honor. If you’ve been fired (David Meerman Scott cheerfully admits to it) then you belong in this new tribe, as Seth calls it. Thanks Seth for reminding us that it’s OK to think different – as long as you make good things happen. It’s ironic that you’ve given us *permission* to feel good about working in this new way. Because key to being a linchpin is that you don’t ask for permission. Sigh: my lizard brain is still winning most of the time. But with Seth’s prodding I feel braver. OK he just finished. “Are you a genius?” he asks us. Everyone stands up. 500 peeps applaud.