This Might Not Work: A Conversation with Seth Godin about Art
It’s not every day you get to interview one of your heroes. In this conversation with the inimitable Seth Godin, I got to do just that. For 34 minutes, we talk about art, fear, and making a ruckus. It’s a lot of fun.
The one and only Seth Godin
Listen to the interview
Download: Seth%20Godin%20Art.mp3
Click here download the MP3.
Icarus, art, and the lies we believe
The excuse for the interview was Seth’s new book, The Icarus Deception, which is about how we’ve been deceived into settling for less than we should. It’s a call to resist the model of the factory and create connections that matter.
In our talk, he mentions case studies like Amanda Palmer, who raised over a million dollars on Kickstarter, and Shepard Fairey, whose once-free graffiti art now goes for tens of thousands of dollars. Each is an example of generosity, creativity, and how the world rewards art.
I also took this opportunity to ask Seth everything I’ve ever wanted to (even taking a few questions from the audience). I hope you enjoy our conversation.
Interview highlights
In this interview, we talk about:
Why Seth launched his most recent project via Kickstarter
What he’s afraid of (yes, he actually has fears)
Why generosity wins (and where it comes from)
The book he’d recommend to his younger self
Whether or not artists should get paid for their work (and exactly how that works)
What makes Seth Godin go, “Sheesh!” (it might surprise you)
The name of his upcoming boy band (honest)
Tweetable quotes
“We can’t have an art factory.”
“We don’t reward people who are wandering generalities.”
“Knowing where things are is worth more than the things themselves.”
“The only thing we want to connect to is art.”
“We have been brainwashed into flying too low.”
“I’m better off shipping than I am making it perfect.”
“The reason we read our reviews on Amazon is to beat ourselves up and to hide.”
“If I’m not saying to myself, ‘This might not work’ … then I haven’t pushed myself hard enough.”
Seth’s new books
Seth actually has three new books out (one is a manifesto, another a companion piece, and the third a collection of blog posts). They are:
The Icarus Deception
V Is for Vulnerable
Whatcha Gonna Do with That Duck?
Seth’s new books
I bought each of these and love them. I encourage you to do the same. However, because I love the work that Seth does so much, I also want to give one away. Here’s how it’ll work:
Leave a comment on this post, answering the question below.
Share this post via Twitter or Facebook.
Check your email in 24 hours. I’ll contact you if you win and give you the choice of a book. And then I’ll buy it for you.
What’s something you’ve created that you weren’t sure would work? Share in the comments.
Random fun fact: Years ago, Seth reached out to me to ask if I would when his book Linchpin came out. I honestly don’t know what compelled him to do that, other than I had been emailing him for a few years at that point.
