Guts and Trust
September 2, 2010 | No Comments
{ sometimes "trust us" is more of a strong suggestion }
“Guts and Trust” : three words on heavy rotation here at Bluezoom, first flying from the mouth of Tommy Beaver (resident designer, illustrator, leather enthusiast) ca. 2001. It’s not our tag line, but it’s certainly a mantra. If it were to be committed to ink on skin, it might be set in Blackmoor in an arc across the abs, a la Tupac’s “Thug Life”, except with a more pirate lean to it. If “trust” were one letter shorter, the combo would be perfect knuckle tat fodder, too. Oh well.
Seems pretty simple, and on one level it is: if asked, Tommy might argue that it’s the underlying foundation of any great, groundbreaking work, especially in the creative field. Show a great new strategy or design to Tommy, and he’ll say “guts and trust” just like a lawyer says “I rest my case”. Really, it’ll work anywhere it’s allowed (which is the hard part). But while it rolls off the tongue and sounds catchy, Tommy’s credo is really profound: it involves faith and courage, two of the hardest things to muster, much less stick with. Fortitude of character. It can mean trusting the courage of another, or having the courage to trust another, or having both guts and trust in one’s self to be bold: to bear down, defy, and excel. What also makes this dynamic so meaningful is that it works among people, but also among more abstract entities like organizations: clients and agencies, agencies and vendors, teachers and students, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and on and on.
But it involves new ideas and the unknown, which makes it inherently risky, which gives us the rub. It requires letting go of fear. An idea that requires guts, trust, or both, is never the safest idea on the table. But in the industry of ideas, what’s so safe about something that’s already been done? Wanting what’s already been done to yield groundbreaking results, now that’s a risk that’ll leave you “flat as a fritter” as Grandma says. When you let the guts and trust take over and it works, the elation and reward is unmatched. If it doesn’t work? Take notes for the next time.
Think about anything that’s magnificent in our culture (or another, if you like), and ask yourself if it could’ve happened without guts and trust. If you end up sold on the idea, stop on by–we could (very easily) talk Tommy into giving you a temporary “Guts and Trust” Sharpie tattoo, if you want. Comes right off with Coppertone spray sunblock. Trust Tommy, he knows.
Thanks for trusting us with a few precious minutes,
- BZ
Tags: bluezoom > illustration > tommy beaver