Having fun is hard work — Kelford Labs Daily

“Sometimes ‘joy’ gets confused with being trivial.

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My state of mind and how I am in my practice ultimately is going to be embodied in the work. So if I’m consumed with anxiety, that’s how the work will end up.”

— Sir Jony Ive

Having fun and enjoying your marketing isn’t a distraction from the work, it is part of the work.

And it’s fundamental, ground floor stuff. If you’re not enjoying your marketing, what are the odds your audience will?

Advertising legend David Ogilvy once wrote, “I do not believe that fear is a tool used by good leaders. People do their best work in a happy atmosphere.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but my mind immediately goes to the counterexample when I read that.

Like, it’s interesting to me that Blade Runner, now considered one of the greatest movies of all time, was an absolutely miserable production. Everyone hated each other. I mean, the crew printed and wore t-shirts with xenophobic slogans against the director of the film, who ultimately had his own protest t-shirts printed and worn on set. The star and co-star found each other intolerable. It was not a happy time.

And there are lots of exceptional examples I could share and did, in fact, type out and then delete because you get the point:

These exceptions get canonized because they are exceptional. Because it’s actually surprising that great work got done in a terrible atmosphere.

Because we all know that if you want great creative work done you should have fun doing it. It’s self-evident to anyone who’s tried it. It’s evident to anyone who’s led a team of creative people.

And yet when it comes time for us as leaders and entrepreneurs to do our own marketing, we’re often immediately dismissive of joy. Of fun. Of creativity itself.

So, yeah, sometimes the toxic fear is self-inflicted. Sometimes, we’re the leader who’s creating a fearful environment for ourselves.

By refusing to find the deep, difficult, and ultimately creative work of marketing enjoyable.

For me that means actively manufacturing joy and fun in the work. It means working at finding marketing fun, as if it matters.

Because it does.

And it can be simple. Go outside, if you can, and get some fresh air.

Watch a movie, if you have the time, and really pay attention to it.

Put your phone down and grab a piece of paper and a marker and jot down some ideas or make some doodles.

Do something you like, during your marketing time, because it’ll make your marketing better. Don’t consider it leisure, consider it learning.

You’re learning how to be more joyful in your marketing so your marketing becomes more joyful, and therefore more noticeable.

More effective.

More valuable.

That’s your homework, the thing this marketer you’ve come to enjoy reading is insisting you do:

Try to enjoy your marketing. It’ll feel like work at first.

Because it is.

Reply to this email to tell me what you think, or ask any questions!

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