The Practice — Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin
Book Notes
I have already mentioned this book and Seth Godin a few times in this blog so I am overdue to write notes about the first book I read this year. There’s only a slim chance that I would be writing this blog if it were not for this book and even more so the Audible version.
Seth had one clear focus in The Practice that is repeated over and over worded differently. He argues that it is a generous act for each of us to ship creative work every day. He lays out numerous reasons why that is true, shoots down every excuse for why we might resist believing it, extols the wisdom of a daily practice of “shipping creative work”, and gives practical advice about how to better serve an audience in a professional rather than an authentic way.
The Practice has an unusual structure. It feels like a collection of blog posts, which is likely what it is knowing that Seth is a prolific blogger. It is divided into sections and the average chapter length is 1.1 pages. The book flies by. I found it repetitive at times but that was purposeful. The book is perfect for Audible and Seth is an engaging narrator. I play it for a few minutes at a time for an infusion of his logical arguments and vignettes that reinforce my resolve to keep writing.
The book seems to keep writers in mind but the lessons are applicable to any artistic or creative field, including those of entrepreneurs. I have benefitted from his admonishments while writing this blog and also in the start-up I am incubating. I highly recommend that people read or listen to it if you are interested in developing as a creator.
Originally published at https://patrickbosworth.blog on February 2, 2021.
