writing

I've been questioning copywriting for the past six months.

Because I consider it to be a bullshit profession. I really question WHAT, if ANY, real working skills I'm developing, or if I'm just seriously wasting a lot of time.

I got a new direct boss about six weeks ago. I had the opportunity to get a look at his resume and talk to him during the interviewing process, and I knew right away that I wanted to work for him.

With over 20 years of hardcore Chicago advertising creative experience, SB is an asskicker among the weak and the tame. He has had the copywriting career that I wanted when I graduated from college seven years ago and decided to move to Chicago to write ads.

Fortunately, SB is a fucking cool guy, so we're getting along very well on many levels, and that's great.

Last week after a particularly long day, the department director dropped the credit card down at the Rock Bottom rooftop and began buying drinks. Most everyone took off after a couple rounds, but SB and I stuck around for another hour talking honestly about the profession and about what I wanted to do with my career.

It was good because SB believes in constructive encouragement. There's no bullshit, and I respect that.

I told him that I thought that writing was a scam and a bullshit job. It almost knocked the air out of him because I seemed sincere.

He said,

"Of course this is a bullshit job! You had to have known that getting into it. We mess around with fucking words all day... That's not a real job.

However, if you do this long enough and you get good enough and can talk your game up enough, you can develop an expertise that no one can deny or touch, because nobody can write, and writing scares people. That is your advantage. And that justifies your career.

Let me put it this way: you're probably innately more intelligent than 50% of the lawyers out there. Nobody questions the advice or recommendation of a lawyer because the law is foreign language to the lay man. The same thing goes on with writing. It's foreign language to almost everyone. And yes, it's all a big fucking joke."

Finally, a true mentor.

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A final thought on writing:

Writing is a lot like sex. At first you do it because you like it. Then you find yourself doing it for a few close friends and people you like. But if you're any good at all...you end up doing it for money. --Unknown