Seth Godin

I had the privilege of hearing Seth Godin at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night. Not a typical venue for this entrepreneurial guru.

But, in a stroke, or SPARK, of creative genius, Julie Burstein invited him onto a two-person panel to celebrate a Renaissance entrepreneur and artistic master Pieter Coecke van Aelst. Interestingly, the display of his tapestries is unusual in that he was not a weaver. He recognized a medium and designed for it, even though it wasn’t the guild he belonged to. He was, above all, an even more talented collaborator.

I didn’t need much convincing that this tapestry artist was also on the cutting edge of global change. Having never heard of him prior to the brilliant curator Elizabeth Cleland‘s synopsis, I was intrigued, as Seth so aptly put it, that the tapestries were fabricated in different materials, wool, silk and metallic threads. It was explained that the king’s summer palace needed a different texture. Early marketing technique 101, make it in different colors and fabrics.

Besides the inspiration of great art, Seth announced the debut of his new book, Your Turn, and described his process, which is far from the usual. He has no printer, he designed it himself, and you can’t just buy one copy. When you order, he’ll send you two. Why? So you can give one away.

I love one of his mantras which is: We seduce ourselves into thinking that it’s not our turn.

BTW, Lizzie Cleland told the audience, and I heard her loud and clear, that the best way to experience the tapestry show is to simply walk through the immense wall-hangings and breathe the air. Her show has created a different climate at the Met. I, for one, can’t wait to see it.