It doesn't have to be a nametag, it just has to stick

October 01, 2014 1:16 PM

One random
night in college, I decided to put on a nametag. Just for fun. Just to see what
would happen. And out of that seemingly innocuous little detail, I built a
brand, a business and an entire career.

That was
fifteen years ago. And the spooky part is, I’m now conditioned to notice those
innocuous details everywhere. To me, everything is a nametag. Everywhere I
look, I see a sticker in a trashcan that could change everything.

Because you
never know. Inspiration comes unannounced.

When my wife and I moved
across the country, we specifically chose a neighborhood within walking distance of a major
park. Trees were just too important to us. If we were going to live in a major
metropolitan city, proximity to nature was a necessity.

One
afternoon, after getting settled in our new apartment, we went for a walk in
that park. And at the entrance to the great lawn, we approached something
miraculous. An architectural marvel.

I’ll never
forget the first time I strolled through the tunnel under the historic
Meadowport Arch. The aesthetics were inspiring, the architecture was stunning
and most importantly, the acoustics were shattering.

See, I have
this obsession with naturally ambient spaces. As a musician, I feel a
responsibility to never let good acoustics go to waste.

And so, I
remember saying to my wife as we walked through the tunnel, I am coming back here with my guitar.

So I did. And
within five seconds of strumming and singing, something magical happened.
Something that changed me forever.

I remember
thinking to myself, as I was performing, this
is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. As I watched people walk
by, smiling and listening and singing and dancing along to the music, I knew
that I had stumbled upon a priceless opportunity.

I had found
another nametag.

But this
time, I wasn’t about to wait fifteen years to turn it into something.

So I started
coming back to the tunnel every weekend. Playing full concerts under the arch
for whoever walked through. I became a fixture in the local community. And
because that experience of sharing my music in this new way was so
transformative, I decided to make a documentary about it.

We have a responsibility to notice
creative opportunities. Because once we apply force and propel them into
interesting directions, there’s no telling what might be waiting on the other
side.

It doesn’t have to be a
nametag, it just has to stick.

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.

[email protected]