Who Needs Role Models? Why Simply Being Yourself Is Better…

Earlier today, I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts (the Mighty Marvel Podcast hosted by Jeff Suter) and I came across an interesting thought process from the episode’s guest, (extremely talented) artist Skottie Young.

Skottie is known for having a unique style that you don’t typically see in comic books, and Jeff asks him where he draws the inspiration for his style. Skottie’s response has an interesting build-up, with a conclusion that ends up being somewhat of a surprise (and a great lesson). P.S. – I’m paraphrasing a bit…

“It’s a question I get a lot…and I think it’s one of the hardest questions I have to answer. The inspiration comes from just a history of looking at a countless number of artists, [here, Skottie lists numerous artists, from comic book artists to Norman Rockwell to “the great Disney animators”]… And I think, for me, what I tried to do over time was take all those and then, in a way, just kind of throw them away and just draw from the gut and see what happens.”

Think about that for a second. So many of us in the world base our actions and approaches on our role models (you know…that’s why they’re called role models). But Skottie has made a strong footprint in the comic book industry based on his desire to buck the “here’s my idol, I’ll try to be like him” philosophy.

Maybe more people should consider taking advantage of his wise approach. How many of us in the social media marketing realm say “I want to write like Chris Brogan” or “I want to be the next Seth Godin?” Probably more people than would openly admit it.

The problem with that mindset is this: I’m guessing if you told Chris Brogan that you wanted to be the next Chris Brogan, he’s likely to tell you to be the next YOU, not the next him. Because, really, if you’re trying to be the next someone else, you’re definitely not allowing yourself to be the next you.

“But wait!” you say. “Why wouldn’t I want to be Chris Brogan or Seth Godin (or Valeria Maltoni or Brian Solis, etc.)? They’ve done things the “right way” and look how well it’s turned out for them.” True, but there’s a reason that doing it your way is better than doing it their way. Check out the rest of Skottie’s (paraphrased) quote to see what I mean…

“Sometimes it’s a little scary because it can feel risky and it can feel a little bit jolting to people who might be used to thinking that comic books should look a certain way…and there have been times when I’ve fallen outside of that boundary and it’s been a little scary. But I think people gravitate toward things that pique their interest. And sometimes I pique people’s interest in a good way and sometimes I pique it in a bad way, but, at the end of the day, I think conversations happen and opinions get thrown around and I think that’s what art means…”

Another interesting thought to consider comes from Amber Naslund, who talked about doing things differently in her post from today titled “There Is More Than One Path.” Although it’s sort of a “no way is the right way” type of post, her words reflect a sentiment similar to Skottie’s. As she puts it,

“There’s more than one way to skin a cat, isn’t there? Do we all have to be lemmings and do things the same way, and doesn’t the very opt-in nature of all of this [social media] mean that we can choose what we tolerate, change those choices, and eventually gather with like-minded individuals if we so choose?… Do it differently. Show me up. Create something amazing. Lead by example. You have a choice. I’m eager to learn from you.”

So…again I ask, is taking the risk worth it? In our industry, I’d say it is. Because, when risks are taken (as Skottie puts it), “conversations happen and opinions get thrown around…”

Aren’t conversations and discussed opinions the whole point of social media?

Of course, if you try your way for ten years and you don’t get people throwing conversations and opinions around, then you might not be doing it right. But wouldn’t you rather take the risk of being yourself over simply being the “next” someone else?

If not, at least consider this: Skottie Young reached the point he’s at by being the next Skottie Young, just like Chris Brogan reached the point he’s at by being the next Chris Brogan. We don’t have to be the next someone else to do amazing things.

Wouldn’t you rather reach a satisfying level of success by being the next YOU?

What do you think? Is Skottie’s approach too irreverent to translate over to social media and marketing? Do you agree that the only way to really be successful is to simply be yourself? As per Amber’s thoughts, is the “best practice” philosophy/mindset of social media too overwhelming to overcome? Let us hear your thoughts by leaving a comment below, hitting us up on Twitter, or dropping us a line on Facebook.

And don’t forget to check out the Mighty Marvel Podcasts while you’re at it…comic book fans, unite!

-Mike