“Shipping, because it doesn’t count if you don’t share it. Creative, because you’re not a cog in the system. You’re a creator, a problem solver, a generous leader who is making things better by producing a new way forward. Work, because it’s not a hobby. You might not get paid for it, not today, but you approach it as a professional. The muse is not the point, excuses are avoided, and the work is why you are here.”
– Seth Godin, The Practice
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“Amateurs are sometimes separated from professionals by skill, but always by motivation; the term itself derives from the Latin amare—“ to love.” The essence of amateurism is intrinsic motivation: to be an amateur is to do something for the love of it.”
– Clay Shirky, Cognitive Surplus Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age
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I’m a professional, not because I get paid, but because I show up every day.
If I didn’t turn up to my paid job, I’d be in trouble.
I want to be as reliable in the work I choose to do for myself as I am in work for others.
The reward for my diligence is not a pay check or bonus, but in identifying and reminding myself of what is vital and taking action every day.
I work like a professional to satisfy the amateur’s needs.
Because I need satisfy no one but myself.
Conversations With Quotations 