A short spoken reflection by Lennon Bone arguing that industrial, outcome-focused systems teach artists to chase recipes and predictable results, which undermines meaningful creative work. He contrasts that with the non-formulaic practice genuine art requires, shares personal memories about showing up authentically, and urges creators to embrace influence responsibly so their work can reach and help others.
So we focus on the outcome because that's how we know we followed the steps properly. The industrial system that brainwashed us demands that we focus on outcomes to prove that we followed the recipe. That priority makes sense of the reliable, predictable outcome that really matters, and the payoff is truly guaranteed. But what happens when. When the world changes? When your world changes, suddenly you don't get what's guaranteed. And the tasks you're asked to do just aren't as engaging as you'd like them to be. The emptiness of the bargain is now obvious. You were busy sacrificing your heart and your soul for prizes, but the prizes aren't coming as regularly as promised. The important work, the work we really want to do, doesn't come with a recipe. It follows a different pattern.
Whoa, guys. Like, that is.
So big for me. From Seth Godin's the Practice Shipping Creative Work. You like that? Get into it. It's only on page six.
Man. I mean, that hits me so hard because I think about this idea of the outcome. How many times have you watched videos online of people that are like, you know, all you got to do is A, B and C, and then you're gonna get what you want, right? You want more followers, all you gotta do is A, B and C. I'm gonna give you the ABC recipe for more followers right now. Seriously, write this down. If you want more followers, here's all you gotta do. A, go get your phone. B, go look up. Just go Google, buy followers. And then C, put in your credit card. Like, that's all it takes to get followers. That's all you need to do. Promise. Like, that's. It's that simple, right?
But the creative work that we want to do follows a different practice. That's so big for me right now because.
I'm just seeing it as clear as I've ever seen it before. Where, you know, in these. These weeks behind, I was having this whole thing where it was like I felt empty. I felt like I wasn't doing enough. Like, I was making some videos and doing some stuff, but I wasn't really saying what I wanted to say. I was afraid to show up in some ways and afraid of what the outcome was going to be. And I'm still doing that to some degree, right? But.
That, literally, that sentence right there, the work that we want to do follows a different practice that, like, almost brought me to tears. Like, I was the welling up, you know, like, because I've had so many things culminate to this place to where it's like when we want to do creative work, that means something, right? So you're an artist and you make art, you're a musician, you make music. I hear this all the time. I want this to mean something to somebody. I'd want it to impact them the same way that my favorite music or art impacts me. But what we neglect to do is realize where the connection happens. Where do the two stories collide? Why do I love Stevie Wonders? I just called to say I love you. A great song, right? B Because I remember the first moment in my life where the world was soundtracked simultaneously to the things that I was seeing through my own life lens. The world was soundtracked by, by Stevie Wonders. I just called to say I love you. As I, like, drove over the bridge into Memphis with my dad to my left, driving. I was young. I don't even remember the age. But that song holds such a place in my heart. Such a place. And the sad situation is, is when we just show up at the bare minimum with our work, without the heart behind that work, and we put it up on Spotify and we put it out on Instagram and we don't show up as ourselves and we don't show up with the thing, the heart behind it. You are unfortunately missing opportunities for people to get it. You're squandering opportunities for somebody to get what you're saying. And I'm hope you can hear it right now. Like, I'm really passionate about this. For whatever reason, like, in this moment, this is really deep for me because I know that somebody out there needs so much to hear that your work has something to say. Just like I have something to say and it's that voice inside my head that told me for so long, make sure if you're going to say it, that you say it right. Make sure if you're going to say it, that you show up with it scripted and it's bullet pointed and the things need to be coming out just the right way. Make sure that when you say it, you, like, press yourself down a little bit so that you don't get too animated or you don't embarrass yourself or somebody like, doesn't, you know, get uncomfortable watching what you're doing. Let me just tell you, the moment that I started showing up as myself is the moment that everything has kind of changed for me. And it feels so good to say, forget the noise. I have something to say that somebody needs to hear. You have something to say that somebody needs to hear. And the fact that Somebody that I know is going to watch this and say, wow, Lennon's really like gone into this space. He's kind of like thinking of this too much. Like, oh my gosh, look at. He's trying to be an influencer. I don't even care anymore. I don't even care anymore. Because it's about the fact that. Here's what it's about. It's about if you want to be an artist or a creative or some kind of person, and you're so concerned about being an influencer, you're like, I don't want to be known as an influencer. Let me say this. You are required to have influence if you are going to be an artist. If you want to be an artist that does something for other people, you are required to have influence. You don't have the option you're asking to have influence. Doesn't mean you have to be an influencer. Doesn't mean you have to have your low cut shirt and your machismo hanging out or your cleavage, like sagging everywhere. It doesn't need to be that. But you do need to be ready to show yourself a little bit and show up when they need you. Okay.
I'm gonna leave it at that. I want to say this. I'm doing a challenge where you can come and we learn to show up authentically together. It's gonna be a four week challenge. The link for it is in the description. I'm gonna leave it at that. But if you want to be able to show up and do what you know you need to do to impact the person that you need to impact, come, come hang out with me for four weeks. It starts soon so you can get all the details in the description below. And I will look forward to hanging out with some of you guys there. For the rest of you, I'm sending you so much love. Your work needs to be heard by somebody right now. See you soon.
