The Joy of Stuckness

For a long time, I insulated myself from stuckness.

I executed, day in and day out, without the slightest hint
of resistance, without the mere possibility of shooting blanks. I was on a
never ending creative tear, rarely coming up for air, rarely questioning whether
the volume of work was dangerously high.

And it paid off. I impressed people, made good money and
built an artistic identity predicated on unmanageable productivity.

But eventually, I hit a point of diminishing returns. Even though
I was pumping out piles of work, much of which was great stuff, I was still skimming
off the top instead of mining from the bottom. It was execution without elevation.

I was terminally productive. Borderline inhuman. The work was
too easy and the art came too quickly, because I wasn’t operating close enough
to my edge. And the art wasn’t as strong as it could have been.

Until this past year, when I began experiencing more moments
of stuckness, more battles with resistance, than ever before. Almost on a
weekly basis, I found myself facing a blank page with nothing to say, and no
desire to say it. I found myself not wanting to get out of bed to go face the
world. And since my identity was so wrapped up in that never happening to me, the
stuckness shredded me to ribbons.

Anxiety attacks, rampant cynicism, thoughts about quitting,
even full on waves of depression, I hated it and I hated myself.

And it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Turns out, getting stuck is a beautiful, healthy and
necessary part of the creative process.

First, it’s an
indication of accuracy. It means we’re on the right track. Resistance,
after all, is most ferocious when we’re doing work that’s most vital to our
soul’s evolution. If we never feel it, something’s wrong.

Second, it’s an
indication of progress. When we treat our stuckness as a gateway to deeper,
bloodier layers of creative expression, the ones we never could have reached
when everything was gravy, our work becomes truer and better than ever before.

Third, it’s an
indication of humanity. We can only scrub our lives clean of heartbreak for
so long. Eventually, we’ve got to do some time. Every princess gets locked in a
tower for a little while. And when it happens, gratitude is the only response.

Now that I know these things, I can’t wait to get stuck
again. It means I’m finally making progress.

And those moments of total numbness, when I seem to have
lost my excitement for the world, I remember that the heaviest burden is having
nothing to carry.

And I give thanks.

It’s about time nothing happened.

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Are you afraid to get stuck?

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

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“After investing in your mentoring program, I’ve become centered on
who I am and what I have to offer. Now, I am attracting clients I want
to work with. Life is great and I just wanted to thank you from the
bottom of my heart.” —-Melanie Jatsek, Diet Busters

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The Nametag Manifesto — Chapter 13: The End of Neglect

[ View the infographic! ]

“Everyone should wear nametags, all the time, everywhere, forever.”

That’s my thesis, philosophy, dangerous idea and theory of the universe.

My name is Scott, and I’ve been wearing a nametag for past four thousand days.

And
after traveling to hundreds of cities, a dozen countries, four
continents, meeting tens of thousands of people, constant
experimentation and observation, building a enterprise and writing a
dozen books in the process, I believe, with all my heart, that the
societal implications of wearing nametags could change everything.

This is my manifesto:

13. The End of Neglect

If everybody wears
nametags, we practice deeper mindfulness.

We stay focused on the present moment. We find our center of
gravity quicker and easier. The bell of awareness always rings, and the nametag
helps us hear it. Instead of trudging along in a diminished state of awareness,
we keep our eyes open to the magic of life.

We have to. People are using our names everywhere. Nobody
can look at their phone for more than a few minutes before being joyfully
greeted by a friend nearby.

The nametag is an alarm clock without a snooze button. While
wearing it, we’re more likely to pay attention to our surroundings, which
prevents us from making minor errors that have major consequences. Instead of
frail, empty interactions when we’re hungry, hurried and frustrated, now we’re
more conscious of our behavior around others.

If everybody wears
nametags, no more absentmindedness, anticipation or scatter-braining.

You can read The Nametag Manifesto, in full, for free, right now, here.

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What’s your manifesto?

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?

Meet Scott’s client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

The Artist’s Dilemma

Yeah, but shouldn’t I be out there generating business?

That’s the artist’s dilemma. That it order to monetize our creativity, sustain
our career and support our lifestyle, we have to put down the pen, put on the
commerce hat and start pounding the pavement, spending most of our days trying
to get noticed, get liked, get retweeted, get interviewed, get booked, get
hired, get reviewed, get paid and get rich.

Which wouldn’t be such a problem, except for the fact that
most artists don’t care about the business of art. We just want to
express ourselves and share our work with the world.

Charles Schultz, the greatest cartoonist who ever lived, has
been my hero since I was a kid. In a number of different interviews over the
years, his self-proclaimed secret to business success – not cartooning success,
but business success – was simply drawing one good comic strip, everyday.

Everything else flowed from there. The movies, the
merchandising and the money were all direct dividends from that baseline
commitment to showing up at the desk and doing real work, every single day.
Getting his units up, executing more actual product and shipping more lasting
value, in the unique way that only Schultz could deliver.

We can’t ignore our enterprise, hiding behind a desk,
hoping our art will magically monetize. We still have to get paid. Artists who
don’t sell, suffer.

But if we’re concerned that we should be out there
generating business, always remember that doing the work is generating
business.

When in doubt, create.

That way, every cent starts as a sentence.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What have you created today?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Do you need an expert who tells you what to do, or a mentor who lets you tell yourself what to do?

Rent Scott’s Brain today for 2 hours, 30 days or 3 months!

The Freedom Trap

Entrepreneurs relish the romantic notion of having no boundaries,
no obligations, no expectations, no responsibilities, no schedule to keep, no
time constraints, no place to be, no one to answer to and no one breathing down
their neck.

That’s why we hired ourselves in the first place. So we could
do whatever we want.

The flip side is, too much freedom is a dangerous thing.

First, it means too many choices, so indecision paralyzes us. And we end up producing less because we’re pulled in too many directions.

Second, it means too much flexibility, so it’s easier to
procrastinate and harder to motivate. And we get bored because work expands to
fill the time given to complete it.

Third, it means too much time, so we feel unfulfilled. And depression
kicks in because having nothing to constantly work on destroys our mood.

Fourth, it means too much reflection, so we default to
negative thinking. And the tendency to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves
is hard to ignore.

Fifth,
it means too much space, so we lack direction and purpose in our work. And we
end upsitting in a coffee shop in the middle of the day
wondering what we should do next.

Sixth, it means too much complacency, so we don’t stay
hungry. And our work ethic declines because there’s nobody to notice if we
don’t execute.

Seventh, it means too much time in our own heads, so we lose
perspective. And we end up standing on a whale, fishing for minnows, because
we’re too close to ourselves.

Alan Fletcher once said the first move in any creative
process is to introduce constraints.

Maybe we don’t need as much freedom as we thought.

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How can you get more done in more time?

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Scott has written and published over 1,000,000 words.

But did you know that you could commission Scott to write custom content for your publication, newsletter or blog?

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Responding to Mediocrity with Maturity

Too often, mediocrity rises to the top.

I watch marginally talented people get fame they didn’t
deserve, land gigs they didn’t earn, make money they didn’t work for and achieve
success they didn’t sweat for.

Meanwhile, I’m hustling my ass off, doing legitimately great
work, work that actually improves humanity’s future, and the marketplace yawns at
my efforts while greatness passes the world by like a fart in the wind.

Why, why, why does this happen?

I asked Sarah Robinson to weigh in. She had a few ideas.

One, because mediocrity is safe. It preserves the status quo. And it prevents people from
taking risks that scare them. Two, because mediocrity is relatable. It’s something people see their reflection in. And it
makes it easier to justify their sub par performance. Three, because mediocrity
is a boost. It’s something to elevate
the ego. And it makes people feel better about themselves instead of
confronting their own inadequacies.

Can we blame the top for loving it?

Lately, I’ve been (trying) to respond to mediocrity with
maturity.

Instead of lowering myself to playing a smaller game, I work harder. Instead of
settling for the cash grab, I keep purpose at the forefront. Instead of
resenting my own excellence, I take pride in getting better. Instead of allowing frustration to derail productivity and focus, I use
mediocrity as a glowing source of inspiration. And instead of
getting angry every time I see someone on television who wouldn’t know love if
it sat on their face, I fuel that frustration into my work and keep creating.

My hope is, trusting that process will pay off.

Eventually.

Even though the twelve year old inside me secretly wants to scream.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What’s your response to mediocrity?

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Yes, I do more than just wear a nametag all day.

My enterprise is actually quite robust. I add value to my clients in several cool ways.

Explore the myriad ways you, your people and your organization can leverage my talents.

The Cost of Encouragement

In baseball, just over a hundred players hit a homerun on their first at bat.

Makes
sense. That’s a lot of pressure without a lot of experience.

Most players are lucky enough to eek
out single, barely get on first, maybe steal a base or two; then, with smart
running, a solid lineup and little luck – score – then hustle back to the
dugout in the hopes of having another at bat later in the game.

Artists and
entrepreneurs work the same. We publish our first book, put on our first show,
launch our first website, and we don’t expect fireworks. We’re just grateful
for the chance to play. And we’re hopeful that we might score enough to get into
the game and prove to the world (and to ourselves) that we’re capable.

That way, we
can start building a history that keeps our average up.

Still, every
once in a while, a player comes along that doesn’t just knock one out of the
park – he knocks the cover off the ball.

Like Robert
Redford in The Natural, he takes a swing and takes the world by
surprise.

And we’re
never the same again.

When this
happens, when we’re privileged enough to witness somebody’s homerun, it’s our
responsibility to show them the replay. It’s our responsibility to grab them by
the lapel and reveal what they can’t see for themselves. And it’s our responsibility to tell them what they’ve done,
why it matters, and why they need to keep swinging, every day, forever, until
it’s all over.

We need to
be a stand for these people’s greatness.

Because without
that brand of encouragement (which costs nothing, by the way) some people may never realize how bloody brilliant they
really are.

Going. Going. Gone.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What have you declined this week?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?

Meet Scott’s client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

Are You Diversifying Your Creative Approach?

Creativity isn’t hard.

It’s simply a matter
finding the best path for us.

We can ingest substances that lower our inhibitions, enhance
our creative flair and broaden our minds.

We can surround ourselves with creative, why-not-people
whose artistic energies echo into our world.

We can expose ourselves to inspiring materials that disturb
us to the point that we have no choice but to start creating something of our
own.

We can displace ourselves physically to break traditional
patterns and heighten our awareness to our surroundings.

We can build a stimulating environment that activates, taps
into and heightens our sensory experience.

We can inhale everything we encounter as mental omnivores, building
a bottomless reservoir of diverse ideas to fuel our artistic endeavors.

We can practice the art of solitude, isolating ourselves
from the distractions of the world to better hear the voice of our hearts.

We can play the numbers, commit to laying a certain amount
of creative track each day and build value through volume.

The point is, every path works. But the most successful artists,
innovators and entrepreneurs are the ones who diversify their creative
approaches, the ones who work from a combination of as many paths as possible.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Which creative paths will you choose?

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

How boring is your company’s online training?

For
dozens of free video learning modules on sales, frontline service,
entrepreneurship and marketing, spend a few minutes or a few hours
growing your brain and growing your wallet.

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Why Do I Resent Your Success?

Every time I read an article about
someone in my field doing something amazing, my heart always ends up in
conflict with itself.

The fundamentally affirmative part of
me encourages people’s success to inspire my own productivity:

Good for you. Right on, man. I am
genuinely delighted for your success, thrilled by your accomplishments and
fueled by your energy. In fact, I’m going to use your life as a glowing source
of inspiration for my own. Because if you can do it, I can do it too. This is
awesome. Where’s my notebook?

Meanwhile, the resentful part of me
downgrades people’s accomplishments to justify their level of success:

You son of a bitch. You’re not as
talented as I am. You don’t work as hard as I do. You haven’t been around as
long as I have. You don’t deserve it as much as I do. You can’t do it as well
as I can. You don’t even want it as badly as I do. What about me? When is it
going to be my time? This is bullshit. Where’s my gun?”

Ah, the joys of being human.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How do you respond to other people’s success?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “134 Questions Every Salesperson Should Ask,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.

Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?

Meet Scott’s client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

The Cost of Following Your Dreams

The hard part about hiring yourself is, every paycheck is
different.

Some are big, some are small, and in lean times, some are
not existent.

But we asked for this. It’s all part of the job description.
The minute we go out on our own, we forego financial stability. We trade in consistent
and predictable compensation for the freedom to follow our dreams without
looking over our shoulder.

And in return, we have to get good at coping with and thriving
in that environment.

First, by strategically building a support system of
colleagues who know what it’s like to not know where the money is coming from. These
people are especially helpful when you’re trying to change the world and pay
the mortgage at the same time. Eek.

Second, by constantly sweeping our radars for passive income
and savings opportunities. These diversification options are abundant and
practical, and with a little research, can be the difference between a real
career and an expensive hobby. Phew.

Third, by carefully monitoring and documenting our spending
habits. These rituals keep make us as moneysmart as possible, reminding us that
we all have to wear the accountant hat, no matter how creative we are. Dang it.

Fourth, by honestly appraising our professional history.
This reflection fuels our instinct for the future and enables us to make
smarter, faster and better decisions, and not make the same mistakes twice. Thank god.

Personally, this is my least favorite part of the job.

I’m not a manager. I’m not a businessperson. I’m an artist. I just want to make
stuff.

But I’m also a realist. And I know that if I want to
underwrite my addictions and support my lifestyle, I don’t have much of a
choice.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What is the cost of following your dreams?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “79 Questions Every Manager Needs to Ask,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Scott has written and published over 1,000,000 words.

But did you know that you could commission Scott to write custom content for your publication, newsletter or blog?

View a sample of Scott’s commissioned work with American Express.

What Happens Without Accountability

The hard part about working alone is the lack of
accountability.

With the exception of our clients, there’s nobody to say
when we’re toast. Nobody to hold our feet to the fire. Nobody to care if we
don’t execute. Nobody to yell if we stroll in to work at eleven.

Nobody to bust our
chops when sales decline. Nobody to give feedback on a poor performance. Nobody
to offer encouragement in a time of struggle.

Nobody. It’s just us.

This causes two problems. First, there’s the issue of
productivity. With nobody but us to answer to, it’s easy to get distracted, hard
to stay motivated, easier to procrastinate and tempting to rationalize our way
out of feeling guilty for poor work ethic.

But the deeper problem, the one we hate to confront, is that
working without accountability makes us feel like welack direction and purpose. Ittrains us to selfishlydo
whatever is most convenient to get what we want, without taking others into
consideration, without keeping our eye on the bigger picture.

Fortunately for us freelancers,
there’s no shortage of coworking spaces, peer networks, trade associations,
artist collectives, mastermind groups and online programs to mitigate
accountability issues.

Still, it’s hard.

Sometimes hiring yourself can
feel like winking in the dark.

And with nobody to hold our
feet to the fire, it’s not always easy to get warm.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What’s your biggest accountability struggle?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “38 Ways to Make Customers Gasp,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

What happens when you wear a nametag all day, every day, for 4000+ days?

Strangers make fun of you, mostly.

Check out Scott’s comic strip, Adventures in Nametagging!

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Tag: approachable

The Joy of Stuckness

The Nametag Manifesto — Chapter 13: The End of Neglect

The Artist’s Dilemma

The Freedom Trap

Responding to Mediocrity with Maturity

The Cost of Encouragement

Are You Diversifying Your Creative Approach?

Why Do I Resent Your Success?

The Cost of Following Your Dreams

What Happens Without Accountability