Good answer (clap, clap)

Every day I get a digest of advertising-related news in my email. It’s called “The Brief” (put out by Pile and Company) and at the end of each day’s email they include a quote. I particularly like today’s:

Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputations… can never effect a reform. 
–Susan B. Anthony 

In other words, if you don’t put yourself out there, you will never be anything special–you will leave no legacy–you will change nothing. 

It’s hard to start putting yourself out there as something individual. We as a society, and possibly as a species, seem to crave conformity. But it is those of us who do not conform but rather who challenge the status quo who become the leaders.

And though we (society) act as a group in so many ways, we laud the innovators; but, by definition, an innovator must create something new and creating something new challenges conformity. 

As the King of Siam (from The King and I) would put it: Is a puzzlement. 

Yes, it is. But we know the only possible workable answer: be (honestly) yourself and push conformity–make your art, your way. Put that out to the world. For as they say, it is better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you are not.*

I know, someone is going to say “But I need to feed my family and can’t afford to be hated!” Well, I’m sorry, you picked the wrong profession then. Being an artist is one of the hardest ways to make a living out there and if you choose to do it, you can succeed ONLY if you create original work. And, if you create original work, someone will hate it. You can’t please everyone. So stop hitting your head against that wall. Let go of trying to please everyone and your work will get better. Better work will attract better clients (if you market it). That’s your road to success.

(*I can’t find the source for that quote, btw)