With so many talented artists sharing their lives on Cars Yeah it got me thinking. Authors, photographers, sculptures, painters, and TV personalities are asked for their autograph. It is requested and often expected that they sign their work.
Would you sign all the work you do?
For years the builders of the majestic and iconic Rolls Royce grills signed their creations. You’ll find the signature of the talented artisan who built the Parthenon shaped piece of sculpture on the interior of the radiator shell. There is a plaque on the new Bentley Mulsanne engines where the signature of the builder is proudly displayed when you open the bonnet. You’ll often see Carroll Shelby’s signature on the dash of a Cobra or a Mustang. All proud reminders of the work they created.
But what about the rest of us?
For the rest of us working in companies behind the scenes it’s a question worth asking. Doing a job, any job, is worth doing it well and to the best of your ability. Aristotle said “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” Are you proud enough to sign your work? If not, why not? And if so, why don’t you? Perhaps it’s because you don’t enjoy what you’re doing.
Thank you to Seth Godin for his inspiration for this post.
When a handful of ancient monuments were dismantled in the Valley of the Kings, to be relocated to save them from the flooding caused by the Aswan Dam, the archeologists discovered that each giant stone had been signed on its hidden side by the various teams that had carved, hauled and fitted it. One team went by the name “The Pharaoh is Drunk” and so signed, in hieroglyphs, each stone it handled.
I always feel honored to sign one of my books when asked and as I do, I feel I am signing for each story contributor, as well. The Old Car Nut Books are written by old car guys across the country and they are the ones that deserve the credit.
I write a hospital chart note for every diagnostic or treatment session I do. So I am basically signing my work every time, with every patient.
I would get in trouble if I signed my incisions, but I always try to make the closures very neat. The healed wound is all the patient can see after the operation, and I want them to know that the inside work was as meticulous as the closure.
Concerning autographs of famous people, I have a small collection and enjoy thinking about the person writing their names years and years ago.