Playing it safe is a topic that really gets to me at times. Play it safe. Don’t take any risks! What is a risk?

Good question. I define risk as unknown outcomes. I don’t know if I am going to be successful at this new job. I don’t know if I am going to understand how to do a certain task. I don’t know if my ideas are going to stick.

But, I am actually really good at succeeding. Arrogant sounding maybe. What I mean by that is I respond well to challenges that scare the crap out of me. There is a fire that starts and a part of my brain that kicks in to solve the problem.

It seems more and more creatives have been pushed into little boxes and the playing it safe is the number one mode of operation in the creative field. Go to the expensive school, become a UX designer, measure all your work, work for the name brand agency or company, keep your head down, follow the design rules, don’t cause a stir, don’t be loud and bombast, get your 401K, pay too much for a house and on and on. The strange irony of this messaging is that it kills real creativity. Creativity is tied to taking risks.

I find Seth Godin tone and general message to be a breath of fresh air and a strong reminder to take chances because it is the stuff that drive leaders to create significant change.

All posts on this site are written by Marcie McCabe. If you like what you read here then add me to your network on Linkedin. I would love to connect!