Cal Newport’s The Clarity of Craftsmanship was enlightening to read. It really focused in on the age old question of whether or not you are truly sufficed in what you do ? It did not answer the question however, but it did provide one with the tools to have a successful career and the passion for that comes later. It forces you to focus on the craft rather than what the craft can give to you. By comparing two mindsets, ‘the craftsman mindset’ and ‘the passion mindset’ Newport highlights the key differences between passion and making passion happen.

The craftsman mindset focuses on becoming so good at your craft that people can’t ignore you. It suggests that if your continuously bettering yourself within your specific field then you will succeed. His uses of famous comedian Steve Martin highlights the usefulness of this mindset. He explains that Steve did not try to recreate comedy in the way it had already been done but rather worked and reshaped his own style over a decade suffering from chronic anxiety attacks to even begin his career but when he did he was the most successful.

The writer compares this to the mindset we mostly take as humans. Whether or not this is due to our laziness but the passion mindset is the mindset that the craft has something to offer you. That if you have a passion for it then it will come to you.

I really resonate with this reading because in the media industry particularly one needs to be focused and always on top of the craft because if your not you will fall behind. Also if you sit there waiting for that magic and lucky opportunity to come along it will only lead to unhappiness. One has to work and work to perfect their skills so employers and colleagues can’t look away from you.

 

Cal Newport, 2012, ‘The Clarity of the Craftsman’ in So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work, NY Business Plus, ch.4.