Shameless Self-Promotion

Back in the day, every time I took an aptitude/interest battery, creativity was always at the top of my rankings. And always, always, at the bottom? Entrepreneurship.

I do not have and never have had what it takes to start a business and build it. As a self-described “creativity guru” — and I shudder even writing those words — I am unable to toot my own horn. I admire those who can; they do it so effortlessly that I think there must be something wrong with me.

There’s nothing wrong with me, of course. It’s just that impostor syndrome telling me that whatever it is I’m offering to the public is not really good enough.

And you know what? It may not be, but that is not important. Might people be appalled? Disappointed? Repulsed? Dismissive to the point of mockery?

Maybe.

Or maybe not. I mean, I like my stuff. Maybe the AUDIENCE will too.

So I have decided to spend a few blogposts tooting my own horn. After all, what are this blog and my Twitter feed for if not for self-promotion?

(Don’t worry: I am not about to turn into one of those people who turn every conversation into a commercial for their work. I truly don’t have that aptitude, and I’ve reached that point in my life where I’m retired, comfortable, and not inclined to disrupt that with what is, for me, incredibly hard work. But I would like to see my stuff have a wider AUDIENCE.)

We’ll start, naturally, with the book: Lichtenbergianism: procrastination as a creative strategy.

I like my book. It has its faults, but on the whole it is a great introduction to the creative process. The whole joke of “Procrastination is key to creativity” leads into the seriousness of the Precepts, which look flimsy and perhaps unconnected, but which actually provide a structure for exploration, openness, and willingness to fail. (Or succeed. Success is always an option.)

So buy my book. You can buy it from Amazon, or you can buy it from independent booksellers. It’s worth it. If you’d like to have it autographed, I’ll even mail you a free bookplate. [update: In answer to Anna’s comment below: yes, of course I will send you a bookplate even if you already bought the book.]

Also, if you have stuff you wish you could self-promote but are too afraid to, do it in the comments. If you do, I’ll tweet it out on my account (unless you tell me not to). SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION, BABY, LET’S DO IT!