This Is The Best Book I’ve Ever Read On Working In Public
There are a lot of good books about marketing, sales, and showcasing your “work”.
I’ve read quite a few. But the book — on working in public — that spoke to me most is: Show Your Work! By Austin Kleon
Here Are 5 Reasons This Is The Best Book I’ve Ever Read On Working In Public
# 1 CREATE & INNOVATE ON YOUR HOME PAGE
“Don’t think of your website as a self-promotion machine, think of it as a self-invention machine.”
Your website needs to be more than only a platform for promotion.
Use it as a place for experimentation, innovation, and creation.
Think of it as a form of artwork, or display your work as artwork.
Create a site like this, and…
You will foster a truer connection with your audience.
You will create a deeper form of engagement by being a messy, vulnerable human.
🧠 What can your home page say about you that it doesn’t currently?
# 2 PUT YOUR MASK ON FIRST
“You just have to be as generous as you can, but selfish enough to get your work done.”
It’s important to create & share. It’s also important to recognize what you need, so that you can create.
Your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health needs to be a priority. If not, it can mean you: not only won’t show up for others, you won’t for yourself.
Recognize the signs when you need to take a break. Be vulnerable, and let others know when you need one. They’ll understand and respect you more for it.
And by doing so, you’ll have taught them it’s okay to do the same. That’s one way we can encourage mental health for each other.
🧠 What do you need?
# 3 GIVE CREDIT TO YOUR SOURCE
“It’s always good practice to give a shout-out to the people who’ve helped you stumble onto good work and also leave a bread-crumb trail that people you’re sharing with can follow back to the sources of your inspiration.”
The people who inspire you are the change makers in your life. They could be the change makers for others.
This information for yourself and your audience can shed more light on who you are and what drives you.
It affected you in such a way that was inspiring or motivating. Now, you get to pass that on to someone else.
Maybe… one day someone will credit you for their inspiration.
Thank you, Austin Kleon 💜
🧠 Who inspired you today?
# 4 FOLLOW YOUR PASSIONS
“Make stuff you love and talk about stuff you love and you’ll attract people who love that kind of stuff. It’s that simple.”
Yeah…
It’s simple, until you realize you’re a multi-passionate creator.
Then it’s hard.
Being alone and not finding your people isn’t fun.
And, then one day it becomes simple again, because you realize you’re not alone.
I love watching and making films. I love designing websites for artists. I love riding my bicycle all year long, especially in the winter.
🧠 What do you love?
# 5 BRAVE LOUDLY WITH HONESTY
“Being open and honest about what you like is the best way to connect with people who like those things, too.”
We build trust in many ways. Dr. Brené Brown has shared 7 ways to work on trust in relationships (i.e. BRAVING).
Relationships need this foundation. It’s a hard thing to be vulnerable, and even harder with things you hold dear.
I’ve formed some of my strongest relationships by sharing what I enjoy most in life. But, I need to do this more.
🧠 How about you?
— —
If you are at all interested in showing up as a human in public, I can’t recommend this book enough.
🧠 What other books would you recommend?
See you tomorrow. Matt Cici
Follow the journey here or on:
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