Defining Art

Confession: I am a terrible artist.  All the colours blend together, lines are never straight and everything looks "modern" and "free-style"... to put it nicely.  : )  I don't even know if my Mom could name a piece of art that I did of which she may have been proud (beyond the "my child is perfect in every way" sort of proud).

But in Linchpin, Seth Godin has redefined art for me, in a way that makes me see myself as an artist.

Art, says Godin, is a unique expression of each person; something one individual can do that can not be replicated by anyone else.

There are traditional arts, yes - sculpting, painting, acting, dancing.

But there are other kinds of art as well.  The art of caring, of giving, of interacting.  The art of writing a letter, serving coffee, talking with a customer.  Interviewing an employee, meeting someone for the first time, working with a team - each of us performs art, in our own way, each day.

Art involves labour, and it equals change - change in the person who is creating it as much as the change in the environment or what is being created.

No matter what our art is, we will almost certainly be happiest, most fulfilled, when we are using it often - including at work, home and wherever else we spend time.

The process of figuring out what you are uniquely talented to do is a life-long one, but it's worth searching out and putting in to practice.

What's your art?

~Bethany

PS: This is part of a series of blogs about Seth Godin's Linchpin that I'm doing in conjunction with a Twitter-friend, Chett.  Check our her blog for more insights!

Back to blogging... and fear

This week, a friend commented that I haven't blogged in a little while.  He's right, of course... it's been a few weeks.  The reason for this that I've been telling myself is that I'm busy - which is true.  There have been many days in the last few weeks that have been stacked end-to-end with work, volunteering, friends, family and too many good things to list; many nights where I've come home just in time to answer a few emails and fall in to bed.

However, I also know that I've been wrestling a little bit with the purpose of this blog, and also with the idea of putting my ideas "out there".  What if people disagree?  What if you, the few people who visit this space, think I'm scattered or disorganized?  What if I put ideas down here, in the never-forgetting internet, and then in a few years even I disagree with them?  By blogging, I began to fear that I am making statements about myself, my beliefs and my ideas that I would be held to forever and ever... and that was a terrifying thought!

And then, as often happens, I came upon something that spoke exactly to that situation.

You may know that I've been reading Linchpin by Seth Godin, and blogging about various parts and passages (along with Chett, a twitter-friend who's been doing the same and had a great post this week about goals).  There's a section in Chapter 4 in which Godin asks "Where do you put the fear?".  The idea here is that each of us is fearful about something, but that those who are successful are able to move beyond their fear and act anyway.

I have lots of fears, of course, as we all do.  One of my beliefs about fear is that it's healthy, and that it signals something - fear tells us that what we are scared of (losing a friend, making a call, choosing a path) has meaning and importance.  The fact that I'm scared of blogging about some topics means that I care about the opinions that I'm sharing.  If you're scared to choose, that means the decisions matter, and that you care about the consequences and results.

Of course, fear can also be paralyzing.  It can lead us to hide or run from that which scares us.  It can lead us to lash out in anger, or with reactions that don't fit the situation.  If we let it, fear will defeat us by telling us we can't, we shouldn't, we won't be able to.

But, if everyone feels fear about something, then the question becomes: how do those who are successful deal with it?  Or, as Godin says, where do you put the fear?  Where does a lawyer put the fear that they will lose the case?  Where does a hockey star put his fear of not making the perfect shot?  Where does a public speaker put the fear that they will be judged as boring?

Ultimately, does your fear motivate you or chase you away?  Does it inspire you or cause you to cower?

Everyone has fear... lots of fears, in fact.  So where do you put it?

My commitment to myself is to feel the fear - all of it.  To feel it, accept it, and act anyway.  To decide which fears are meant to be moved in to, and which ones aren't (obviously, a fear of running in to traffic is one that should be listened to).  To realize that it's normal, healthy even, to feel fear.

My commitment to myself is to blog, and to know that I will get it wrong sometimes, and to do it anyway.  To speak in front of groups of people, to share what matters, despite fear of judgement.  To step in to the fear of what will come, and let it motivate me to be a better version of the person I can be.

What about you?  Where will you put your fear?

Thanks, Bob, for the reminder to get back to blogging : )

Not just a job

As you may know, I've been reading Seth Godin's latest book Linchpin (have blogged about chapters one and two and three previously).  Currently, I'm in the midst of the intense fourth chapter (which is remarkably long), but ran across a section in the middle of this chapter the other day that deserves it's own post.

This bit, on page 57, is entitled "Your Job is a Platform".  In this, Godin describes that a job is not the end - it is just an opportunity to create, to be generous, to express and create art.  This holds true for any job, I would argue - lawyer, accountant, waitress, soccer coach, each can find a way to give generously, express themselves and create unique art in their role.

In fact, this could be carried in to overall life - each of our lives is a platform, every day an opportunity to create opportunity and situations that no one else can.

Whatever you do, where ever you are, you can find opportunities to contribute in to the lives of others and grow your own strengths.  Every day, every interaction with someone else, is a chance to change the world just a little.

What does the future hold?

In the future, work will look very different from today.  No longer will it be enough to just show up at a job and be told what to do.  The people who are successful in this environment - who not only earn the most money, but also are important and an integral part of the organizations they work for - will be those who share their gifts, who make connections and who are truly remarkable.  These people - Seth Godin calls them "linchpins" - are the ones who will be critical to this new world of work.

This first chapter of Linchpin, Seth Godin's latest book about which Chett & I have been blogging (see my first post about it here and Chett's first here), did not disappoint.

In it, Godin introduces us to the idea that our current way of work - which he describes as being primarily factory-based (whether those factories are doctors offices, car makers or restaurants) - has existed in this form for only the past 400 years or so.  And now, he says, we are transitioning to this new way of work - a world where each person has access to their own factory (either through the internet, accessible to most anyone, or through each individuals own mind and abilities), a world in which each individual will produce something unique, something which no one else could.  This uniqueness is what will make them indispensable.

In fact, Godin describes a world in which the jobs that require someone to just show up, the jobs almost anyone could do, will become fewer and fewer, and the businesses that employ them less popular.  Customers are becoming more willing to do business with those who are remarkable and extraordinary.

And when I think about this, I see it happening often.  For instance, two recent grocery shopping experiences fairly well illustrate this.

At one large, well known department store chain known for low prices, I fell - after somewhat dramatically slipping on a banana peel (a real banana peel - it actually does happen).  My feet went one way, my basket of groceries went the other and, before I knew it, I was looking up at fellow shoppers trying their best to help me up.  No major injury - I got up, dusted myself off and walked away minus only a little pride.  One of the things that struck me, though, was that there were 2 staff working in this produce section - and while they both saw my little incident, neither of them came to ask if I was okay or offer any assistance.  Of course, I was fine and didn't need any help; but still - they didn't offer.

I've recently had an opportunity to visit a different, much smaller and more local grocery store on a couple of occasions.  This store is certainly known to be higher-end and higher priced, but it was a pleasure to shop at. Every little department and section of the store had large trays of samples out for customers.  The staff were all full of smiles and helpful.  I didn't have occasion to slip on a banana peel in this store (perhaps the fact that no banana peels were lying on the ground is an indicator in itself) but I have no doubt that if I had, there would have been a number of staff who jumped to my aid.

Between the two sets of staff, I wonder what the difference is.  Is it wages - more incentive to do a good job?  Is it better training?  Or does the second store simply hire staff who are friendlier, more willing to take initiative and help customers?  Either way, I know which type of staff would be more indispensable and remarkable if I was doing the hiring!

For those who have worked and adapted to the old system of work, it may be challenging and even terrifying to consider adjusting to this new way of working and thinking - which is why Chapter 2 reads much like a pep talk for why we all can (and really, must) adapt and change in an effort to become a linchpin.

I think there are a number of challenges and obstacles that someone could face when attempting to become indispensable: the fear of change, of more responsibility; the discomfort of being vulnerable and doing things that they don't really know or understand; and a simple uncertainty or unawareness of how to make this change.

The good news is that each of these challenges can be overcome if each of us chooses to be.

A final note: the thing that most struck me in this chapter was the encouragement to consider what qualities an ideal candidate for the job you have (or want to have) would possess - and then work to build those skills and develop those competencies.

So - if it's not clear - I am very much enjoying this book.  It's confirming some things that I strongly believe while challenging some other thoughts and assumptions - great combination!  I can't wait to share more with you.

What qualities do you think a linchpin (or indispensable person) possesses?  Are these qualities different at work and in real life?