The fine line between what’s selfish and what’s sellable

October 13, 2016 3:19 PM

Art is a public record of my own becoming.

Writing a book or recording and album or producing a movie are all ways of completing a certain cycle of my own learning and development, and then passing my findings onto others.

Each creative project is a vehicle for cracking myself open and feeling emotions I have never let myself feel, and then sharing those feelings with the world.

Therefore, the work is not skewed by the demands of the marketplace. It’s completely selfish. I measure the value of everything I create by the richness of the process, not by the final product.

That’s the whole point of making things. It’s the person you become along the journey.

As my mentor used to say, first you write the book, then the book writes you.

The challenge is walking the fine line between what’s selfish and what’s sellable. Because we still have to pay the bills. We still have to earn enough money to underwrite our addictions and bankroll future creations.

And unfortunately, there are no guarantees in art. We can’t assume that anyone else will give a shit about what we’ve made.

And so, we have faith that this thing we work tirelessly to bring into existence will evoke an active resonance, not a dull thud. We trust that when people get into their hands, it will be worth it.

Worth noticing, worth crossing the street for, worth standing in line for, worth taking a picture of, worth paying extra for, worth showing off, worth socializing around, worth sharing with others, worth coming back for and worth saving forever.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Is your work both selfish and sellable?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “99 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Even If You Aren’t One,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

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Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

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

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com