Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsYour efforts don't count if you don't share it
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2023
We live in a society of creators. People are turning out content on social media self-publishing books, and are more comfortable sharing their thoughts with others. Yet, as Seth Godin tells us in "The Practice: Shipping Creative Work," no special talent is involved. You need to get started and make it part of your routine or practice.
He writes, "We can adopt a practice. Here are the surprising truths hidden by our desire for those perfect outcomes, the ones industrial recipes promise but never quite deliver: Skill is not the same as talent. A good process can lead to good outcomes, but it doesn't guarantee them. Perfectionism has nothing to do with being perfect. Reassurance is futile. Hubris is the opposite of trust. Attitudes are skills. There's no such thing as writer's block. Professionals produce with intent. Creativity is an act of leadership. Leaders are imposters. All criticism is not the same. We become creative when we ship the work. Good taste is a skill."
There's lots of wisdom in this book, including three ways to move our work forward:
1. 'Shipping - your efforts don't count if you don't share it.'
2. Keep creating to make your product better. 'Creativity is a choice.'
3. Work - isn't a hobby. It's a practice that requires commitment.
So practice doesn't make something perfect but will make you better.
Other key ideas from the book:
"When you choose to produce creative work, you're solving a problem. Not just for you, but for those who will encounter what you've made."
"If you do something creative each day, you're now a creative person. Not a blocked person, not a striving person, not an untalented person. A creative person. Because creative people create. Do the work, become the artist. Instead of planning, simply become."
"Consider the Locksmith You're locked out of your home. You call a locksmith for help. He comes over and begins to try master keys on your lock. Each key is tried, one by one. There's a process. The stakes for the locksmith are low. He knows he has a finite number of keys. He knows that it's likely that one will fit. If one doesn't fit, he knows he can go back to the office and get another set. As each key is tried, there's no emotion involved. He's not viewing this as a referendum on his abilities as a locksmith."
