Today, I have the privilege of interviewing one of my favorite business authors Seth Godin, as part of a blog tour he's doing for his new book Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? (an excellent book for those who don't want to ever have to worry about getting fired).
 
Seth Godin - Linchpin InterviewI'm working my way through Linchpin right now; it's excellent. As always, I recommend this treasure from Godin, even if you don't consider yourself a businessperson, marketer, or entrepreneur.

Like Tribes, Linchpin is an appropriate read for anyone who longs to do meaningful work in a unique way. Here's the interview...

***

Your new book Linchpin is about how everyone now is an "artist." Does technology make this easier or harder? What challenges or distractions does the modern-day artist face that Michelangelo and da Vinci never had to bother with?

I think it's important to distinguish between painters and artists. I'm talking about artists, and I define them as human beings that make change by establishing a connection with others--and then doing things that haven't been done before, making change as they go.

So John Lennon was an artist, and Shepard Fairey too, but so are the founders of Twitter and Flickr.

Technology is perfect for artists because it does two great things. First, it creates new opportunities to make connections, to interact, to exchange. And second, because it opens new vistas and gives you new ways to make a difference. If all we had was oil and canvas, it would be harder than ever to be original, interesting or important.
 
What's one example of how technology opens up new connections to be made by artists?

I can give you a hundred examples. The obvious ones are things like Etsy that help craftspeople and visual artists connect with customers and collectors, and blogs which let writers instantly find an audience. But I also think that project management software makes it easier to be an artful project manager... your work is more visible and your leverage is greater.
 
Seth Godin's LinchpinWhat kind of advice do you have for creatives out there who dream of publishing a book or creating a piece of art that will captivate millions? How do you go about it?

Start with understanding that trying to be big is different from trying to make art. Big isn't a useful goal. Making a living at it might not even be a useful goal. Engaging in the art, making change, embracing it... that's a useful goal. It turns out that when you push it hard enough, it turns out to work.

The tactics of online viral spread have been discussed many times, including by me. I'm not focused on that so much right now, I'm more focused on the intent, on the decision.
 
Is there such a thing as "bad" art?
 
Only in the eye of the beholder. Of course there's art you don't like. That's fine. If no one likes it, if it changes no one, then I'd argue it's not art, it's just noise.

How do you begin innovating in an environment that may not be open to change?

Most organizations are more open to change than you'd like to believe. What they're not open to is effortless change, intellectual change and blameless change. Tough! Real change is made by people who care deeply and willing to do things that feel really risky, whatever the cost. That's why it's so rare, and the scarcity makes it valuable.

The million dollar question: How do I do what I love to do and get paid for it?

And the ten dollar answer is to love what you do. That makes it a lot easier to do what you love. In the book I spend a lot of time talking about fear, fear of art and fear of change, and often people who feel stuck are actually stuck because it's easier than being unstuck. There are artists who wait tables with love, who fly airplanes with love and yes, clean up at a Dean and Deluca coffee shop with flair and energy and art. It's a choice.

Can you explain your interest in philanthropy and what a fulfilled life really looks like?

The act of giving a nickel or a dollar or a dime to charity is the part that I'm fascinated by. The gross amount matters, the work that gets done matters, but it's the act of selfless generosity that changes people. Once you're comfortable with that, it's a lot easier to do art wherever you can, to be generous, to make changes that have an impact. It changes your posture from inward and score-keeping to outward and connected.

Just for fun: If you could star on any 90s sitcom, what would it be? And who would you play?

Well, Batman was on during the 60s, so I can't be the Riddler, but I think Cosmo Kramer is exactly the role for me. Want to buy a coffee table book about coffee table books?

How do you know someone is a linchpin? How do you find those people who are indispensable?

I know dozens. Generous artists. People with passion. Folks who take it personally and make a difference every day. You know those people too. Get over the fact that they're bad at following rules. So what? That's what makes them artists.
 
Like what you're reading? Check out other interviews with Seth Godin at the list of Linchpin posts, including a short one I did with Seth on Church Marketing Sucks.