Really, I could just copy out quote after quote of goodness from this book by Seth Godin – The practice, Shipping creative work – but I’ll try and summarise for you instead.

Writers write. Runners run. Establish your identity by doing your work.

Seth Godin is an American best-selling author who has written 19 books on creativity, marketing, ideas, change and leadership. This book focuses, as the title implies, on getting your creative work out there. Your creative work might be dance, fine art, business proposals, a small business idea, a book or many other possibilities.

We fail and then we edit and then we do it again.

Many other luminaries have discussed the idea of showing up to your art. It’s not a matter of waiting for the muse to show up – you show up to your art and you treat it like work.

My husband is a cyclist and he has a t-shirt which reads – the harder I work, the luckier I get. Sport, art, Yr 9 maths – showing up regularly improves your chance at success, whether that’s a better race time, an art gallery show or a B plus for your maths test.

The practice is divided into eight chapters, which are further divided into 219 brief sections. Very easy to pick up and read in bite-size chunks, especially with Godin’s accessible language.

1. This is a practice.

2. It has a purpose.

3. I desire to create change.

4. The change is for someone specific.

5. How can I do it better?

6. Can I persist long enough to do it again?

7. Repeat.

We don’t ship because we’re creative. We’re creative because we ship.

According to Godin, shipping your work is a sign of trust, a generous act and an indication of your professionalism. There’s no certainty, but there’s no certainty in anything, really.

So go practise!