Observed

Seth’s blog this morning offered another take on the notion of Demand Trigger.  Interesting.

Seth reminded me this morning of the creative tension I see in myself.  Part of me is in a hurry to ship.  I’ve been given a deadline, I want to please and impress my client and so on.  Another part of me  understands that I need to slow down and just be with myself in order to create.

I would be wise to remember that most readers experience the same tension.  They, too, are being pulled in a million directions and are seeking balance — consciously or not.

So, what can I do to facilitate what they need to have happen?  How do I make life/work easier for others?  Others who have way too much on their plates.

The ones interested in a life with fewer traffic jams.

Shoemaker, Das Ständebuch, 1568

There are two kinds of entrepreneurs:  Craftsmen and Opportunists.  Picture the first type bent over a workbench or keyboard perfecting whatever.  This one figures that the excellence of their product is enough to keep the work coming in.

The other type of entrepreneur has a pair or binoculars, a periscope (that can look around corners) or some other kind of optic or diagnostic tool.  This type is looking for…well, opportunities.  Potentially lucrative gaps in the supply chain where the competition is thin or thinner.

I’m a little of both types.  As a freelance writer, I had better be crafting something of high quality for which there’s a profitable market or I cannot sustain what I do.

That’s what I do.  It’s not, however, what I’m selling. (more…)