In Seth Godin's most inspiring book he challenges readers to find the courage to treat their
work as a form of art Everyone knows that Icarus's father made him wings and told him not to
fly too close to the sun he ignored the warning and plunged to his doom. The lesson: Play it
safe. Listen to the experts. It was the perfect propaganda for the industrial economy. What
boss wouldn't want employees to believe that obedience and conformity are the keys to success?
But we tend to forget that Icarus was also warned not to fly too low because seawater would
ruin the lift in his wings. Flying too low is even more dangerous than flying too high because
it feels deceptively safe. The safety zone has moved. Conformity no longer leads to comfort.
But the good news is that creativity is scarce and more valuable than ever. So is choosing to
do something unpredictable and brave: Make art. Being an artist isn't a genetic disposition or
a specific talent. It's an attitude we can all adopt. It's a hunger to seize new ground make
connections and work without a map. If you do those things you're an artist no matter what it
says on your business card. Godin shows us how it's possible and convinces us why it's
essential.
