Every so often, someone unsubscribes from my blog or my free Creative Pathfinder course and leaves me some angry feedback.
The gist of their complaint is that they signed up for some help with their creative career, and they don’t want to hear about marketing, sales or anything else to do with business.
I know how they feel.
Twenty-odd years ago, I would have said the same. I just wanted to write, I didn’t want to have anything to do with the business world. I had vague dreams of landing a book deal, but I had no idea how to go about it.
Even several years later, once I’d learned a trade (psychotherapy) I was horrified to learn that it’s not enough to be really good at what you do. You still have to persuade others of the value you’re offering – whether you’re an independent artist, freelancer, entrepreneur or employee.
Whatever business you’re in, you are in sales.
So when I get one of these emails, I’m reminded of the words of the Buddhist teacher Ajahn Chah:
You are looking for a turtle with a moustache.
Obviously, there’s no such thing as a turtle with a moustache. But that doesn’t stop us looking for one.
When you want to be a great novelist, but you can’t face sitting at the laptop day after day, struggling to get the novel written, you are looking for a turtle with a moustache.
When you want to be a great actress, but you avoid auditioning because you can’t face rejection, you are looking for a turtle with a moustache.
When you want to be a famous artist but you think your art should sell itself, without any effort on your part, you are looking for a turtle with a moustache.
Or when you want to have a thriving business, but don’t want to get your hands dirty with sales and marketing.
Or when you love someone but wish they would change a few of their irritating personality quirks.
Or when you want to be a successful blogger, but don’t hit ‘publish’ because you’re afraid of criticism.
Whenever you want the juicy reward without paying the price, or facing the unpalatable truth, or doing the hard work, you are looking for a turtle with a moustache.
Whenever you think your work exists in some kind of pure spiritual dimension that has nothing to do with the grubby realities of life, you are looking for a turtle with a moustache.
If anyone should know about pure spiritual dimensions, it was the Buddha. Yet even he struggled when he first tried to communicate his insights to the wider world.
He could have given up and lived out his days in peaceful seclusion, but instead he rolled up his sleeves and learned how to communicate his message effectively, so that others would benefit from his discovery.
If you want to know how he did it, read my new piece for Copyblogger, How the Buddha Solved His Marketing Problem.
And if you want to learn what it really takes to succeed as a creative professional in the 21st century, sign up for my free course The Creative Pathfinder. (Turtles not included. 😉 )
What Are You Looking For?
Have you ever caught yourself looking for a turtle with a moustache?
If so, how did you stop?
And what did you do instead?
About the Author: Mark McGuinness is a Coach for Artists, Creatives and Entrepreneurs. For tips on creativity, productivity and creative entrepreneurship, sign up for free updates from Lateral Action. And for bite-sized inspiration, follow Mark on Twitter here.
Bwahahaha, what a great headline! I LOL’ed when I saw it in my inbox, and I just had to see what it meant.
And it turns out that, contrary to my expectations, it made perfect sense.
There is no turtle with a mustache, so we’d might as well start living in the real world 🙂
Must admit I was quite pleased with the headline. 😉 Although Ajahn Chah has to take the credit.
Another priceless one of his was “You’re angry with the duck for not being a chicken, and the chicken for not being a duck”. 🙂
I liked this article very much, thank you
My pleasure!
People who create only for themselves may not have to worry about marketing. Among those who create with a hope of succeeding as a business, I think we have all seen that effective marketing can help a lower quality service succeed even while a higher quality, poorly marketed service fails.
More to the point, perhaps, I think in anything we read, we may take more interest in some of the content than in other parts of the content. Why can’t the disgruntled reader simply skip the things that don’t interest him?
I have to say that I think what you present is about as balanced as anything I have seen. I see in it that you are well-acquainted with what is known and what others have written about encouraging personal creativity. It looks like a broad and rich approach rather than a narrow or one-size-fits-all approach.
As you have probably written somewhere, no one can please everyone.
Very true, and I’d be the first to encourage them to get on and enjoy it.
But here on Lateral Action I’m writing for creative professionals – the ones who are doing this either for a living or to a professional standard. The complaints I’m talking about are from people who want to earn more money, have a bigger audience or more critical recognition, but don’t want to do what it takes to get these things.
Thanks Fritzie, I do my best! 🙂
Thanks Mark. We creative people would much rather not go into the marketing side but of course we have to if we plan to get anywhere with our work. I actually read your Copyblogger post first and I thought that was a great one too. I’m loving your titles!
Anyway, I wasted a lot of time looking for that mustached turtle probably out of fear of rejection. Until I got over that, I finally figured I had to be more active in promoting myself if I wanted to get somewhere. Now, I am indeed getting somewhere. Thanks also for your creative pathfinder course :).
Thanks Grace. Yes, titles are insanely important in getting people to read the articles, so I do make an effort with them!
Very glad to hear it. And props for facing up to that turtle. 🙂
Enjoy the Pathfinder…
Hi Mark–I have enjoyed reading your Lateral Action essays and articles. Does the Pathfinder course run on a continuous basis? If not, will you rerun it? I would love to take it but can’t see the time before August.
Thank you.
Margo
Hi Margo, the Creative Pathfinder runs continuously – you can sign up whenever you’re ready to start!
Wonderful! I shall see you in August.
Right on the money, Mark! Oops, didn’t mean to refer to marketing 😉
Just finished the Creative Pathfinder series and am astounded by how much value, advice and inspiration you give away there. Thank you!
Thanks Elle, and really glad you enjoyed the Pathfinder.
That’s a cool site you have there. 🙂
Thanks! It’s a kick to research and write.
The only way I’ve ever been able to do marketing – in all my different businesses 😉 – is to find a way to do it I enjoy. Maybe it never made me rich but I usually manage to pay the bills and smile a lot 🙂
I guess that’s my version of finding a turtle and painting a moustache on it 😉
Great solution! 🙂
This is a great article and speaks to something which I come up against with my clients. (And which occasionally, on a bad day, I face myself!) I encourage people to take your Creative Pathfinder course – I’ve found it a fabulous source of information and inspiration. Thanks, Mark!
Tell me about it. 😉
And really glad to hear you’re enjoying the Creative Pathfinder. That’s great feedback coming from someone with your depth of knowledge.
Mark,
Thank you for the wealth of information you send me. I always enjoy your posts and gain from being on the Creative Pathfinder. I especially liked the “Turtle with a moustache” quote and have shared it with friends.
Terence.
My pleasure Terence, plenty more in the pipeline!
Great post. At first it seemed strange but I read it and I realized how much of it speaks to me. Bottom line is success comes to the hard workers, not the wishful thinkers. Thanks for this!
Bros….
(that how we say Sir in Nigeria)…
you have been a great source of inspiration and profound informationespecially cause i teach corporate Nigeria Creativity.
Thank you for been a m a z i n g…
Thanks! My pleasure. And great to learn a new meaning of ‘Bros’. 🙂
Great advice, Mark.
It’s right up there with a saying I learned recently: “Pray for corn, but plant the seed.”