Being Remarkable

The topic of a morning discussion was on becoming remarkable. Referenced in the conversation was the Seth Godin book, Purple Cow, and it later brought to my mind the book, So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport. Newport is the author of another of my favorites, Deep Work.

I was struck in the discussion by a paradox I've experienced in which I do work that I think is remarkable, but it doesn't land that way for others. I've experienced that with many areas of creation, from songs to books to workshops to coaching. If I attempt to orchestrate the remarkability, the outcome tends to not be remarkable at all.

The handful of moments in my life I can point at as remarkable were such due to many factors that were outside my control - the mood of the audience, the energy level of the crowd, the anticipation of the event - these were not factors that I had any influence upon. Just like every other night, I showed up and played. It's just on those nights, something deeper clicked for everyone in the room, and honestly, I don't remember the actual experience, but the feeling after it happened.

When I consider artists, authors, performers, and other influential people I would say are remarkable, I see people who have been more committed to showing up and doing the work than setting out to make something noteworthy. The remarkability for them is an afterthought, but at some point in their creative process, they realize something special has emerged. And while that special something feels wonderful, I have heard from many creators that they hadn't set out to make something special for others. They just enjoyed the process for themselves.

Don't get me wrong, I love remarkable things, moments, and experiences. They are the spice of life, but I encourage you to pursue other creative goals and let remarkability take care of itself.

#remarkable #attention #creativity