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Art Isn’t A Result. It’s A Journey. Lessons From Seth Godin’s The Icarus Deception

December 15, 2012 by Joanna Penn 78 Comments

OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn

We all need mentors. People who teach us what we need to know, or remind us of things we have buried deep.

Seth Godin Icarus Start NowBut mentors don't have to be physically present to teach us great truth and to help us change our lives. I have found amazing mentors in books and on blogs, as well as in real life, and one of my consistent mentors is Seth Godin.

His latest book, The Icarus Deception was created as the result of a Kickstarter campaign, which I (proudly) helped to fund as one of his Tribe. Here are some of the things I have learned in just 24 hours of its arriving on my doorstep.

The Icarus Deception: Make Great Art

Many of the corners of the book are turned over already and I have pages of notes in my Moleskine, but here are just a few of the insights I found useful. I'm not going to add my commentary, I'll leave it to you to interpret, but I'd love to hear your reactions in the comments.

  • “Artists are people who make art. Art is not a gene or a specific talent … Art is the unique work of a human being, work that touches another … Art is who we are and what we do and what we need. Art isn't a result; it's a journey. The challenge of our time is to find a journey worthy of your heart and your soul.“
  • “Creating art is a habit, one that we practice daily or hourly until we get good at it … Art isn't about the rush of victory that comes from being picked. Nor does it involve compliance. Art in the post-industrial age is a lifelong habit, a stepwise process that incrementally allows us to create more art.”
  • “Doing a good job for a fair price is no longer sufficient to guarantee success. Good work is easier to find than ever before. What matters now: Trust, Permission, Remarkability, Leadership, Stories that spread, Humanity: connection, compassion and humility.”

icarus deceptionPick yourself.

  • “Our cultural instinct is to wait to get picked. To seek out the permission, authority and safety that come from a publisher … who says, “I pick you.” Once you reject that impulse and realize that no one is going to select you … then you can actually get to work … No one is going to pick you. Pick yourself.“
  • “The joy of art is particularly sweet … because it carries with it the threat of rejection, of failure, and of missed connections. It's precisely the high-wire act of “this might not work” that makes original art worth doing.”

This book is useful for writers, but I would also urge parents to read it in order to understand the world your children are growing up in.

“The industrial age, the one that established our schooling, our workday, our economy, and our expectations, is dying. It's dying faster than most of us expected, and it's causing plenty of pain, indecision and fear as it goes.”

The industrial world is disappearing. The old world of standardized exams, tick-box education and guaranteed jobs won't be there for much longer, and people need to be creative to survive the future. But more than that, life's too short to spend it doing something that isn't rewarding. So aim to thrive and not just survive.

I spent 13 years as an IT consultant, a miserable cubicle worker, rewarding myself with sugar and alcohol in order to make it through each day. In September 2011, I finally broke out of that old life, and I couldn't be happier. Sure, I have less money now, fewer trappings of (so-called) worldly success, but I am making my art, and this feels like real life.

I know some of you are struggling around the same issues, so as you move into 2013, I would recommend reading The Icarus Deception for some inspiration.

Surprise and delight your fans. The joy of physical product.

Box of Icarus deception goodiesThe book in itself is fantastic, but as part of the Kickstarter funding level I joined, I got a whole bunch of print and physical goodies and I couldn't stop grinning as I unpacked the huge box (shown left).

It included an over-sized, gorgeous print book of the best of Seth's blog posts, amazingly formatted and a collector's item. 10 copies of Icarus Deception (you can win one by adding a comment below), 2 copies of ‘V is for Vulnerable', an awesomely illustrated adult picture book on art and taking risks, an artisan, ceramic mug, all kinds of little extra things and I even cut up the box for the poster to stick on my wall (top left).

I now read 99% on my Kindle and mobile apps, so I am a confirmed ebook junkie and hardly ever buy print anymore. Part of the reason is that I had to leave 2000 books behind when I moved from Australia and now I live in a shoebox flat in London!

seth godin mugBut I was surprised and delighted by all this print and physical product goodness. It's all serious quality and I am proud to be part of the Kickstarter campaign.

It also makes me far more interested in doing print at some point in the future, something I have sworn off for now as too time-consuming and potentially rights I want to sell.

But I am considering doing some limited edition, hand-made books, with pages of my own diaries in at some point. Artisanal book-binding interests me far more than mass-market paperbacks.

The book has re-fired my passion for creating art, and also brought up some dilemmas for me in terms of what I want to pursue in 2013. When I have something coherent to share, I'll let you know what I mean!

I highly recommend you read The Icarus Deception and start your 2013 with some inspiration and passion behind your art.

For now, I will leave you to be inspired!

Do you consider yourself an artist? What is stopping you from creating? 

If you leave a comment below, you will also be in the draw to receive a free copy of the book. Entries for that will close Thurs 20 Dec 2012, so be quick!

**Update 20 Dec – The Winner of The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin is Sophia Ryan **

Seth Godin Gives Up On Traditional Publishing

August 24, 2010 by Joanna Penn 38 Comments

OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn

The publishing world and the blogosphere is full of the reports that Seth Godin, 12 x NY bestselling author of marketing books, has given up on traditional publishing. Here is his blog post outlining his move to digital publishing as it allows rapid spreading of ideas direct to the customer. I previously posted about how he launched ‘Linchpin' with non-traditional media so this seems like a natural progression.

In this video, I explain what this means for you and I as authors, and also how it is impacting the opinions of the publishing industry. (Main points below if you want to read)

In the video I explain:

  • What Seth Godin announced on his blog. Basically that he is moving on from traditional publishing and focusing on publishing his ideas to his customers directly through more digital media including ebooks, videos, blog posts and more. But not print books. He knows his customers (438,000 followers of his blog!) so he can sell direct to them.
  • What it means to you: Indie (independent) publishing is becoming more acceptable to the mainstream. When big name authors go that way, then there is no longer a stigma attached. I have seen some bloggers talking about changing their minds already. Check out agent Rachelle Gardner's blog post on other publishing options.
  • Vocalization of issues by someone who publishers respect will benefit all of us e.g. time from idea to market needs to shrink. For fiction, stories are perennial so this doesn't matter so much, but it definitely makes a difference for non-fiction.
  • Seth has made this move because he can market direct to his customers and he has a global fan-base from his blog, his books and his ideas worldwide. He has been blogging every day for years. This makes it very clear that authors need to build their platform regardless of whether they want a publishing deal or to go indie. Either way, you need to market to customers. [Ideas on platform building here]

Here are 2 other articles on the matter from blogs I read religiously.

  • Publishing expert Mike Shatzkin talks about Seth's move plus JA Konrath and how the industry is changing
  • Here is a great, in-depth look at the issue from Tim Ferriss, author of ‘The 4 Hour Work Week'

What are your thoughts on this? Does it change your view of self-publishing/being an indie author?

    The book YOU write will change your life

    January 6, 2009 by Joanna Penn 2 Comments

    OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn

    Suzy Dafnis, on Her Business blog found this article featuring one of my heroes Seth Godin – it is about the books that change people's lives. His quote was:

    “Here’s the thing: the book that will most change your life is the book you write.
    Write it as a blog, write it as a book you publish or write it as a private diary.
    Doesn’t matter to me. The act of writing things down, of justifying your actions, of being cogent and clear and forthright – that’s how you change.”

    This is a brilliant statement and I absolutely agree with it. Today I did an interview with a newspaper and they asked me how my book “How to Enjoy Your Job” had changed my life.

    In the process of investigating why I didn't enjoy my own job, why I was stressed, depressed, overweight and unhappy – I discovered how to change my own life. I also rediscovered my passion for writing – and I discovered internet sales and marketing along the way. 18 months later I am enjoying my day job as a contractor and loving my “hobby” of writing books and blogging to help others self-publish. Today I send the first final draft of my nex book to my editor – so the journey continues!

    Will 2009 be the year you change your life by writing your book?

    Related Articles:

    10 reasons you should write your book now

    Publishing 2.0 – why the world is different now and you can write and publish your book!

    Become a more successful author

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    Most of the information on this site is free for you to read, watch or listen to, but The Creative Penn is also a business and my livelihood. So please expect hyperlinks to be affiliate links in many cases, when I receive a small percentage of sales if you wish to purchase. I only recommend tools, books and services that I either use or people I know personally. Integrity and authenticity continue to be of the highest importance to me. Read the privacy policy here. Read the Cookie policy here. I hope you find the site useful! Thanks - Joanna

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