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Sex and Cash; Hugh Macleod Meets Guitar

Hugh MacLeod: Ignore Everybody

Ignore-everybody
One of the many fantastic reasons to read Hugh Macleod's new book, "Ignore Everybody" is the 'Sex and Cash Theory.'  I like how he really makes it clear that no matter who we are, there will always be a division between what excites us and what makes us money. Accepting it, according to Hugh, may mean we can have more peace with our pursuits, professionally and beyond.

I liked how he used the example of John Travolta. His role in Pulp Fiction? Sexy. Totally sexy. His role in Broken Arrow? Cash. Totally a dough move. Hugh also used the idea of a painter. Painting what the collectors want? Cash. Painting what she wants? Get the idea?

I have been working pretty non-stop on a cross-browser prototype for online guitar lessons. The ideas percolating in my head are monstrous fun to think about.  From the marketing, design, programming, to even the business aspects, just everything about it is fun to think about and work on. I've even been taking my computer home to work on it until 4am in some instances. These parts are currently the "sex" part of the equation. The cash is what I do on a daily basis, i.e. teaching. The daily work of teaching is still very very important to me, but the trick of it is how to allow myself to be there for someone else. It's about learning to put aside anything else because nothing is as important as this person at that moment.

Sex and Cash Theory for Guitarists who Teach?

For guitarists who teach, the "sex" might be writing a song. Perhaps there are people out there who can appreciate the feeling of being really opened up by the creative experience of writing a song, being caught up in it, and then two seconds later your student knocks on the door. Parkinson's Law at work? I don't know. But the journey is how to accept the teaching, and keep from coloring outside the lines with the sexy part of what we do (like writing songs, or these days for me at least- programming online guitar lessons).

Posted by Dave Wirth
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Filed under: Hugh Macleod Sex and Cash