You Don't Have To Be A Genius // The Alternative to Self-Promotion

Well thank god! Every other thing I've read about 'making it' in the creative industry says 'talent'; but as John Cleese said (quoted in this book) "Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating." Instead of focusing on being notice, focus on being really good at what you do. Although, there are ways to get noticed as you're still learning. Austin Kleon suggests building 'sharing' into your process, and instead of spending time networking, take advantage of your network. Rethink routine and genius will find you.

Be generous: share your ideas and knowledge with others. Helping others creates an audience you can later leverage when you need them--for fellowship, feedback or patronage (as Kleon points out). By creating a group of people you can bounce ideas off of, you are also helping yourself learn faster, as insights you never thought of will appear.