A Branding Broadside

I've been resisting buying Seth Godin's book Linchpin.

Skimming over his blog posts, not even half paying attention to his relentless promotion of the book. Not bothering to read his definition of one. Telling myself, Oh, it's just another book.

Until tonight, when someone I deeply respect, Francine Hardaway, wrote in her blog about how it changed her life before she even finished reading it. So I clicked on the link, and there was a review by Hugh McLeod, whom I also respect.

Deeply.

The book is now downloaded to my phone - Kindle for iPhone - and I'm crying big tears. These are words I have desperately needed to hear. 

They come from Hugh's review, on Seth's definition of linchpin as artist:

"By Seth’s definition, an artist is not just some person who messes around with paint and brushes, an artist is somebody who does (and I LOVE this term) “emotional work.” 

Work that you put your heart and soul into. Work that matters. Work that you gladly sacrifice all other alternatives for. As a working artist and cartoonist myself, I know exactly what he means. It’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it."

The way that you do it.

With passion.

Unable to stop until whatever it is, is right.

A blog post. A Tweet (No, I am not the New York Times.)

A logo. 

A home page.

A brand.