The Practice (Shipping Creative Work)

For any artist, entrepreneur, or visionary who feels stuck, Seth Godin has a simple answer: commit to the practice.

Your work is your art. The successful scientist, entrepreneur, marketer, painter or non-profit leader is an artist. An artist who does something magical, something generous and something important. This is art. But when it comes to making art, there is no guaranteed formula. Only a pattern all creatives follow, and the consistent practice of its pursuit. And while engaging in the practice doesn't guarantee fame, fortune, or a spot on the wall at the MoMA (in fact, the lack of a guarantee is part of the deal) ignoring it means that you're doomed to frustration, heartache, and never being heard. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

There are a lot of surprises in this extraordinary little book, surprises that will dramatically shift the way you engage with your work and your career. The Practice will help you dance with your fear, take the risks worth taking and embrace the empathy required to make work that connects with others. This breakthrough book will show you a path forward, encourage intent in every facet of your work, and help you seek out constraints.

One idea at a time, Seth Godin will turn your assumptions about the creative process upside down and help you to look at the world from a different angle. You will recognize your art for what it is: an act of generosity, an assertion, a way to make change--as well as what it can never be--something that will make everyone happy, never meet criticism and never feel scary. In our rush to be safe, we sow the seeds of our own disappointment. You'll walk away with practical strategies for overpowering the naysayers, radically trusting your own voice, and finally doing the work you were put on this earth to do.