The practice is choice plus skill plus attitude.
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Notes
Off the hook: believing that creativity relies on genius, the mysterious muse, Dylan’s “ghost.”
On the hook: believing that creativity relies on the self: getting out of one’s own way, choice, responsibility, self-trust.
The practice = choice + skill + attitude (“we can learn it and we can do it again” )
We don’t ship the work because we’re creative. We’re creative because we ship the work.
Thoughts
Just yesterday I listened to Rick Ruben interviewing The Edge, and at one point the conversation turned (as it often does with Ruben) toward the spiritual aspect of writing music. They talked about the notion of “god” as the creative force of the universe, something outside that impels creativity. It was an interesting—and somewhat awkward, I thought—moment, as Ruben’s “all roads lead to the same place” doesn’t quite mesh with The Edge’s (Christian) faith.
To his credit, The Edge rejected the notion of inspiration, suggesting, instead, that the creative force impels creativity. That’s a different take than I’m used to; usually, as Seth quotes Dylan, there’s something that takes over and leaves. You just have to “get out of the way” and let the ghost/muse/god do the work.
A quick memory: back in my college youth group days, I knew a young woman who claimed that, when she was singing, it was actually God singing through her. I remember thinking, uncharitably but correctly, that if that were true, she’d sing a lot better than she did….
Anyway, like Seth, I don’t buy the inspiration/muse/god-through-me understanding of creativity. I’ve not put it together with the “on the hook” concept, though; inserting responsibility into the discussion turns my “I don’t buy it” from mere skepticism (or even cynicism) into a call to action.
Choice (which must be made and committed to) plus skill (which must be learned and developed) plus attitude (trust, vulnerability, and a growth mindset) equals the practice.
I wonder if I’ve been thinking incorrectly about the practice? Well, I mean, I know I have: I’ve been looking for a set of actions that would add up to my practice. Seth would probably say that I’ve been seeking a recipe. Certainly there are actions within each of these components (choice, skill, attitude). But it’s probably better to say that actions come out of these components.
I’m still not sure what that adds up to, but I think I’m beginning to see an outline of something.
This series is meant to capture my thoughts as I work through Seth Godin’s The Practice. It’s a book with over 200 (very short) chapters, which I hope to work through and, I further hope, to implement over time.
If you’re interested in more of Godin’s ideas, or my thoughts about them, you can check out this collection of posts. Note that if you’re more interested in the former, you should probably get Godin’s book and read it yourself; my notes will be both incomplete and idiosyncratic, and my thoughts will relate to my own experience.
But if my thoughts resonate with you, or if you think I’m just silly, I welcome your comments.