You’ve chosen an uncertain path. You’ve adopted an inconvenient lifestyle. You’ve embarked upon an unconventional journey. You’ve felt the voice inside you growing more urgent. You’ve committed yourself enough so you can’t turn back.
IN SHORT: You’ve decided to play for keeps.
This is the critical crossroads – the emotional turning point – in the life of every young artist.
I’ve been there myself. I’m still there myself. I even wrote a book on it. But for now, here’s what I’ve learned lately: 

1. Bring life to what might be. We can curate, opinionate, calculate, commentate, evaluate and instigate until we’re blue in the face. But only when we round the work out, only when we actually create, physically bring life to something new, from scratch, from our hearts and for the entire world to see, can we have the greatest possible impact. Hugh MacLeod is a hero of mine. He said that if all our songs are about writing songs, we shouldn’t expect anyone to listen to them. He said the problem with writing about creativity is that it’s usually more lucrative than actually being creative. Guilty. As someone who’s written and spoken extensively on artistic topics like brain candy, playing for keeps and writing is basis of all wealth, Hugh’s message is a timely reminder to keep the ratio down with my own work. I remember that my primary responsibility as an artist is to actually make good, interesting stuff. Is your creation subordinate to anything? 

2. Pick your punctuation wisely. The problem with everybody having a voice is, nobody remembers how to be a good audience anymore. When we walk into a room, enter into a conversation, tune into a program, sit down with a book or log in to an online community, most of us are looking to validate our views, not welcome something new. This posture hurts us. It suffocates our curiosity, limits our learning and lowers our receptivity to new ideas that might be better than the ones we’ve already convinced ourselves are the truth. Personally, I want to be disturbed. I want to be provoked. I want to be called on my shit. I want to be confronted by something so contrary to my train of thought, so far outside of my comfort zone, that I have no choice but to be changed forever. After all, that’s why we deploy our voice the first place: To move people. Seems to me, if we plan on taking the stage, taking the page or taking the airwaves, then being a good audience member is the other half of the job description. Otherwise we’re just a world of exclamation points. What punctuation are you? 

3. Bad isn’t good, bad breeds good. My parents always said that I was an unplanned pregnancy. That used to bother me, until I learned that many of the world’s most important inventions were accidents. Chocolate cookies, rubber tires, hot tea, pacemakers, waffle cones, paper towels, maple syrup, penicillin, soap bars, stainless steel, all accidents. Purpose, schmurpose. Besides, who are we to judge if an idea is good? That’s not our job. As artists, our job is to notice. As artists, our job is to render our unique experience. As artists, our job is to treat everything we discover with deep democracy. Only time will tell if it’s any good. Millions of people thought Christianity was a bad idea – but they still wrote it down. Later, over the course of hundreds and thousands of years, that idea went on to change the world forever. How many bad ideas did you have last week? 

4. Geographic displacement fuels creativity. Sometimes size really does matter. About a year ago, we began a conversation about relocating. It was a massive shock, but to my delight, the mere idea of moving to a big city gave me permission to think bigger. Even before we physically relocated, my creativity had already left town. Ever since then, I’ve been chasing down ideas that the old version of my brain never would have given the time of day to. Tackling unfamiliar genres, writing with different voices, embracing new technologies, taking more performance risks, adopting opposite routines, even resurrecting adolescent whimsies that my adult brain had long since forgotten, all of these things were made possible by thinking big. Kind of makes me wish I’d started sooner. Do you need to get out of town? 

5. Firing blanks is healthy. It happens to all of us. We hit the wall. We reach the end of our creative rope. We realize that running on fumes can no longer get us anywhere. And we start firing blanks. Discharging wildly into the darkness, scaring inspiration into hiding and soaring past point of diminishing returns. It’s a seductive release. It might even feel productive. But we all know the logical solution is to stop the work entirely. Because staring harder isn’t going to help. So we walk away. We go see a movie, hit the gym or rock out to some live music until our ears are ringing. We go perpendicular. And we completely empty our minds of anything work related. That’s the path for coming back fresh. It’s how we return to the work with renewed strength and a sense of perspective. Without it, there’s never a chance reload the creative chamber. Have you struck out lately? 

6. Easy does it. It’s hard not to be hard on ourselves. We get frustrated for only writing a bit, even though it’s not as much as we’d like. But we have to put it in perspective: A bit is better than a blank page. A bit is better than procrastinating. Or planning all day. Or talking our ideas into the ground instead of taking creative action. A bit is better than running away from the canvas, terrified of what we might learn about ourselves if we actually sat down and did the work. In fact, a bit might be the most we can bring right now. And we have to learn to be okay with that. Besides, a bit at a time leads to a bunch over time, which builds a body of work in time, which leaves a legacy when we eventually run out of time. Are you taking it easy? 

7. Execution is the measure of man. If we never ship anything, it doesn’t matter how talented we are. We may as well be winking in the dark. As creators, our primary task is to create. But a close second is to circulate. To share as much as we can, with as many people as we can, as often as we can. That’s why we got ourselves into this whole mess in the first place – to be heard. Steve Wozniak, someone who was constitutionally disinclined to share, still had a mandate to circulate. He knew he had to ship or risk fading into obscurity. Fortunately, his pal Steve Jobs came along to nudge the sharing process. And they shipped one of our world’s most important innovations. We can never let the fear of failure trump our desire to express. What are you afraid to ship?

REMEMBER: When you’re ready to play for keeps, your work will never be the same.

Make the decision today.

Show the world that your art isn’t just another expensive hobby.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Have you committed with both feet yet?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “52 Random Insights to Grow Your Business,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting scott@hellomynameisscott.com
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!

Instead of wallowing in the pride of our finished work, let’s whirl in the production of our next one.
Instead of worrying that people will leave, let’s do something to remind them how much we love them.
Instead of trying to resolve our tension, let’s learn to respect it as a regular part of the life experience.
Instead of telling customers that their call is important to us, let’s answer the phone sooner.
Instead of answering every question, let’s learn to live inside the questions until the answers come out of hiding.
Instead of preaching a sermon, let’s live our lives in a way that demonstrates what we believe.
Instead of expecting people to read our minds, let’s be disarmingly clear with our intentions.
Instead of yelling at people with a voice that’s annoying, let’s earn the right to whisper to them with a voice that’s anticipated.
Instead of worrying about what people think about our idea, let’s worry if our idea is as great as it could be.
Instead of wondering what the hell is the matter with us, let’s ask what we might be learning in the process.
Instead of trying to change people’s minds, let’s offer tools to help them change their minds on their own.
Instead of making people look stupid, let’s show them how they make themselves look stupid.
Instead of outrunning our truth, let’s sit closer to the things we’re trying to move away from.
Instead of occasional expressions of good intentions, let’s practice consistent exertions of good actions.
Instead of focusing on how little we know about something, let’s turn inward and focus on how important it is to do that something.

LET ME ASK YA THIS… What have you declined this week?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “6 Ways to Out Position Your Competitors,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting scott@hellomynameisscott.com
Do you need an expert who tells you what to do, or a mentor who lets you tell yourself what to do?

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

The greatest advantage is to not give a shit.
To reach a point where you let go of attachment to goals, zero out any expectations and drop the need for approval and permission.
In his later years, George Carlin touted the importance of not giving a shit. He attributed much of his success as a writer and performer to this very concept, saying that when we act from that posture, good things start to come to us.
I call it selective indifference. The willingness to have no stake in any set outcome creates a unique brand of freedom unavailable anywhere else. When we expect nothing, failure is impossible.
The secret is, selective indifference isn’t about being too cool to care.
It’s about being discerning enough not to dwell.
Refusing to push out our creativity to make room for all the backwards, soul killing mental traps that keep us from bringing new life to what might be.
And this is especially relevant in the sales world. Because the easiest sale to make is the one you don’t need. When you walk into a room with no attachment to outcomes, you’re ten times more buyable.
Now that’s something worth giving a shit about.

LET ME ASK YA THIS… How could you practice selective indifference?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “123 Questions Every Marketer Must Ask” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting scott@hellomynameisscott.com
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!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Who do you belong to?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Success doesn’t have a line.
No matter how good we are, how long we wait, or how hard we hustle while we wait, everyone’s career operates on a different clock. Much to our frustration, there’s no democracy, no rational system of advancement and no standard set of rules that determines when it’s our time to shine.
The people who blow up aren’t necessarily better or more deserving than us. It’s just that they were right person, in the right place, at the right time, with the right product, in front of the right audience, with the right leverage.
Hootie and the Blowfish was a group of unassuming, unpretentious everymen. But they delivered emotionally charged, likeable, comforting pop songs in a music scene that was dominated by cynical, anguished alternative rock anthems. And as a result, their debut record became the fifteenth best selling album in history.
Timing isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.
And we can bang our heads against the wall, resenting other people’s success, wondering why them and not us, all day long. But a smarter investment of our time would be to get over it, get back to work, get ourselves out there and get ready to hop on the board when our wave comes.
Because it might be a long time before what we do catches on.
LET ME ASK YA THIS… Will you still be around when the world is ready for you?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “157 Pieces of Contrarian Wisdom” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

In the world of freelancing, entrepreneurship and artistry, fear comes with territory. And there are certain fears that are unique to our profession.
Financially, we fear the empty calendar. It’s a visual reminder of inactivity and, often times, an indication of financial instability. But we alone control the amount of work we do. We alone determine how busy we are. And if the fear of the work drying up becomes very real and urgent, we have to change the pattern. We have to stir the pot, leverage downtime, cut our own path and find work for ourselves. Whatever it takes to position ourselves as someone worth paying attention to.
Creatively, we fear the blocked brain. Compositional paralysis has ended more careers than rotator cuff surgery. And when our work hinges on the ability to sit down and whip something out of thin air, day after day, we have to become masters of our disinclination. When the brain goes blank, we have to explore places where we’re complete strangers. Throw ourselves into unfamiliar situations that demand a response. This type of displacement provides colorful new dimensions to our work, refilling the creative palette.
Physically, we fear the depleted constitution. That we’re going to burn out and get used up before our time, blowing our chances at a lifelong career. But ambition doesn’t have to carry us away to an abyss of chaos. Not if we pace ourselves. Not if we reserve a portion of our stamina to recover rapidly from disappointment. And even we if we do experience the occasional bout of exhaustion, it’s better to burn out than have no fire in the fist place.
Economically, we fear the unwanted offering. There’s nothing more frightening than the prospect of irrelevancy. That we’ll bare our soul, only to have the marketplace yawn at our efforts. That’s why we ought to take a few minutes each morning to remind ourselves why we rock. That the work we create is necessary, relevant and valuable to the marketplace. Armed with that attitude, fear will eventually howl in protest and find somebody else to annoy.
Individually, we fear the jailed expression. None of us would have joined this freelance circus if we weren’t ferociously independent. That’s why we hired ourselves in the first place, for the freedom. For the ability to turn our desks into cockpits. But minute we start asking permission, our lives are no longer our own. The minute we start merchandising our souls to the highest bigger, we’re toast. All we can hope is to stay surrounded by people who don’t ask us to edit ourselves.
Egoically, we fear the rejected deliverable. Because we’re true professionals, the product people ask us to deliver only exists because we’ve invested the time, money and energy to develop our capacity to create it. So if the client doesn’t like it, if their face screams not impressed, it feels like a spike to the heart. But if we’re smart, we build expectational clarity early in the process. We telegraph our reliability by delivering a series of small promises consistently, sowing a seed bed of future understanding and delight.
The thing about fear is, it’s not meant to be ignored – it’s meant to be invested.
There’s nothing wrong with being scared.
LET ME ASK YA THIS… What do you fear?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting scott@hellomynameisscott.com
Do you need an expert who tells you what to do, or a mentor who lets you tell yourself what to do?

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

Last week, I released eight new books, all for free.
The goal was to flip the digital bird to the mainstream publishing industry, send a global message about the state of modern art and offer a thank you in perpetuity to the audience that’s supported, shaped and stuck with me over the past decade.
From a philosophical standpoint, I was ecstatic. The outpouring of support and encouragement from my friends, fans, readers and colleagues was tear worthy.
From a mechanical standpoint, I was frustrated. The downloading problems, pricing issues and conflicting messaging confused a lot of people and made me feel like a hypocrite.
But thanks to the generosity of my colleagues, especially Daniel from The Ink Studio, most of the digital kinks were worked out. And since my best way to cope is through creation, I spent some time reflecting on the lessons learned during this process.
Leading edge, bleeding edge. When you’re the first in the industry to try something, sloppy execution is inevitable. But it’s also forgivable. When people know that you represent something important, they’re willing to overlook imperfection. If your work creates spectacle, starts a movement, inspires a revolution, changes popular culture, defines the norm and raises global consciousness, over time, your mistakes will become a distant memory.
Failure isn’t fatal. If you can’t fail, it doesn’t count. And if you never break anything, you’re probably not moving fast enough. Fortunately, failure is forgivable when you’ve already built a solid foundation of goodwill with an audience who loves you. Odds are, when the shit hits the fan, the people who matter most will respond from place of curiosity, not judgment. Instead of complaining, they’ll reach out to make sure everything is okay and find out how they can help.
Opening big is overrated. Consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness. In the grand scheme of things, one isolated week that nobody remembers counts for absolutely zilch when compared to the lifetime impact of a work of art. Especially now, with the infinite shelf space, unlimited airtime and endless viewership of the web. Nothing lives once anymore. It’s not about being a blockbuster, it’s about busting through the blocks of resistance to make something worth making.
Feedback is the best fuel. Every complaint is a chance to engage with your marketplace. It’s an opportunity not to leave them hanging in a moment that counts. And it’s a tool to make the business smarter. Especially when a barrage of criticism comes crashing in. Try treating every new complaint as a piece of content. Literally keep a tab. Then, embed those thoughts into your evolving apology to preempt future dissatisfaction. This keeps a finger on the pulse of the problem and builds greater empathy in your interactions.
When in doubt, create a placeholder. Anything that’s a barrier to getting your work in people’s hands is a problem. If the evil forces of technology decide to screw up your launch, find a way to offer a standby version until the problem is resolved. Give people something to nosh on while you’re scrambling in the kitchen. Then, once you restore the issue, they can keep both. By intentionally creating this service event, you deliver bonus value and come out stronger than if nothing happened.
Compete with yourself. Years ago, a colleague of mine advised against writing too many books. He said they would cannibalize each other. But in my experience, I found the opposite. Turns out, the best way to beat the odds is with massive output. The best way to beat the competition is by owning every team in the league. By releasing eight books on one day, I put myself in a position where losing was a mathematical impossibility. I’m not trying to get on the bestseller list, I’m trying to share what’s important to me.
Anyway, that’s what I learned.
It’s not about the books, but the person you become by writing them.

You can still get them for free right here.
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting scott@hellomynameisscott.com

You don’t need more time, you need a better routine.
Here are a few I’ve adopted over the years:
Set a reverse curfew. Make a daily bargain with yourself that you will be out of the house by a certain time. Say, at the coffee shop by ten. That way, you put yourself on a deadline. Otherwise your morning will slip away.
Use rituals to carve a pathway. Set a daily appointment with yourself to honor your work intention. Say, five minutes of meditation. That way, your instrument is tuned for the world to move through me. Otherwise your motivation will never hit the ground running.
Book blank time. Create silent intervals for your personal reflection needs. Say, having coffee on the terrace. That way, you can be alone with your own heart. Otherwise your thoughts never get a chance to breathe.
Practice forced vomiting. Create a private container of safety for emotional release. Say, writing morning pages. That way, you can honor your inner reality. Otherwise you never dig deep enough to the find the truth.
Install a micro accountability. Have a daily obligation that meets your meaning quota. Say, publishing one blog post. That way, you’re never condemned to a meaningless existence. Otherwise the anxiety of inconsequentiality comes crashing in.

Seek mental decompression. Move the body so the mind can disengage and renew. Say, going for a run. That way, the rhythmic, repetitive action transfers the locus of your brain energy. Otherwise you never experience a shift in headspace.
Take time to inhale. Expand your reservoir of human experience by. Say, by eavesdropping on stranger conversations on public transportation. Otherwise your perspective will continue to bounce off a thin wall.
Instead of trying to make more time, consider which routines you might adopt.
LET ME ASK YA THIS… What have you declined this week?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting scott@hellomynameisscott.com
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!

You’re an artist. You’ve chosen an uncertain path. You’ve adopted an inconvenient lifestyle. And you’ve decided to go your own way.
But if you want to arrive in one piece – and one peace – you have to delete the amateurism out of your life.
This is the critical crossroads – the emotional turning point – in the life of a young artist.
I’ve been there myself. I’m still there myself.
And it turns out, when you’re ready to play for keeps; your work will never be the same.
It’s time to show the world that your art isn’t just another expensive hobby.
Dabbling is done.
Please welcome to the family:

Playing For Keeps:
A Young Artist’s Guide to Going Pro Without Going Broke

If you don’t have a Kindle, here’s a downloadable version for free.

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Easy buttons are lies.
It might take guts to stick yourself out there.
But it takes gusto to keep yourself out there.
Fortunately, stick-to-itiveness can be learned.
Aka, “Stick to it.” Aka, “Stick with it.”
Aka, “Stick in there.”
The secret is, commitment changes everything.
Whether you’re starting a new relationship, moving to a new city, going full time with your business or devoting your life to a charitable cause, it’s amazing how many positive results occur when you cross that threshold.
But commitment is not a light switch. It’s not something you turn on when the room goes dark. Commitment is a daily demonstration. Commitment is a constitutional core value. Commitment is a posture that makes you more approachable.
Please welcome to the family:

Stick-to-itiveness
How Commitment Changes Everything

If you don’t have a Kindle, here’s a downloadable version for free.

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting scott@hellomynameisscott.com