See like your heroes
Have you read Steal Like an Artist? A concept it presents is imitating your heroes; the reality is you won't be able to, instead through your attempts will create your own voice.
The act of attempting to steal from your heroes (or imitate if you get worried about plagiarism) is developing the ability to develop the lens in which they see the world.
Purple Cow by Seth Godin had a significant impact on me. It was marketing yet it was written in a way that resonated with the way I saw the world. I read it while I was weighing up a career shift; feeling disillusioned with the inward brand focus that left me feeling more like becoming a master of manipulation than marketing.
Reading almost every book he publishes & following seths.blog since 2015; most of his posts are not explicitly about marketing, and yet have everything to do with marketing. Seth's ability to connect the dots. That rare ability to see what others don't then call it out; with clarity.
I feel confident in my ability to see the dots, but I'm still crafting my ability to bring clarity in the explanation (rather than confusion!).
There are 3 learnings from following Seth that I want to share, and build the muscle to emulate:
- The ability to "ship" his work consistently. I discovered Seth almost 10 years ago, and yet he was showing up for almost 10 years before that! I didn't discover Purple Cow until 7 years after it was first published
- His insatiable appetite for curiosity, being unwilling to not understand. He digs, explores and questions until he can communicate
- Generosity and the art of giving. Many of his books have been built around having to order multiples to give away.
If you've read this far, thankyou. If you've never read any of Seth's Books, the first 3 people to DM me, it would be my pleasure to recommend and purchase one of his books for you.