Are we better defined by who we are or what we do? Andy Columbine asks you to stop blowing your own trumpet and start… blowing your own trumpet.
If Ella Fitzgerald taught us one thing, it’s this: Do-be-do-be-do.
More than just a catchy scat from the First Lady of Song, it’s a beautifully articulate instruction. And, crucially, the “Do” comes first. Yet, looking at today’s cultural landscape, you’d think we’d flipped the script.
We’re in the era of the “Be-er”, a professional class obsessed with being the thing, rather than actually doing it. We’re inundated with fame-hungry influencers who, on a whim, suddenly become Authors, Chefs, Winemakers, or Life Coaches. But when did you last hear an Influencer say their purpose was to influence anything? Maybe they’re too busy polishing the aesthetic of the role to do the stuff that defines it.
Agency land? Much the same. Thought Leaders, Change Agents and Experience Architects spending so much time curating the persona of the Creative that they’ve forgotten that the art needs, well, arting.
Causing the scene
The Ella Manifesto still holds some sway over the music industry at least. The Ramones didn’t spend six months refining their “authentic rebel persona”. They bought cheap guitars, cranked up the amps, and hammered three chords until their fingers bled. They became a band because they played.
The Gallaghers didn’t “be” Britpop by spouting the socio-political implications of the Union Jack. They made it, one loud, messy chord at a time.
Truth is, a leather jacket doesn’t make you a rockstar. It’s just fancy dress until you step onto the stage.
I do.
As a student, I didn’t want to be a designer. I wanted to design. The excitement of bringing a thought to life, the process of shaping it, the act of making it were the sensations I craved. Sure, the result mattered, but I never wanted to gloat about what I was. I needed to prove it in what I did. I wanted to Do, better – and still do now.
Today, I see Creatives (capital C) finessing the typography of their portfolios while the work that fills them falters. But the fact is you’re not a typographer because you own a vintage letterpress and a black turtleneck; you’re a typographer because you’re wrestling with a kerning pair, right now, like your life depends on it.
We risk disappearing into a culture vibe of ping-pong tables, mid-century furniture and curated bookshelves. Vital as it may be, our culture is the support act for the headliner: the Do. Yet we risk spending more time polishing our badges than sharpening our pencils.
Why don’t you Do?
We’re perpetually moving on these days, in work and in play. The job-for-life generation is dead. We’re now seeing the career equivalent of binge-watching the latest Netflix hit in a weekend simply to say you’ve watched it, instead of actually watching it. We’re keeping up, not keeping smart.
We’re in an era of instant access. Life is faster. Dopamine hits are on tap. Attention spans are shorter. Results are a prompt away. We’re speed-scrolling, track-skipping, skim-watching. And we’re losing our grip on truth.
All this naturally reflects in the effort we’re willing to expend to achieve our goals. It’s eroding our acceptance of delayed gratification and, with it, the rewards that prolonged effort brings.
So we lazily accept (and wear) labels as unchallenged, unchecked fact. But if everyone’s in on the game, those who do the hard yards find themselves a mile behind. The question is not “can I get away with it?”, but “why wouldn’t I?”.
How do You Do?
This isn’t just a superficial tale about superficiality: there’s a poignant lesson too. Let’s talk about the Do in You. But first, it might help to consider the Don’t.
For people tackling addiction, a similar mindset is a proven self-help mechanism. Want to quit smoking? You do so every time you extinguish a cigarette. It’s powerful motivation to remember that you’re only a smoker if you’re DOing the smoking, right there, in that moment.
No cigarette? No label. Spark up again in a moment of relative weakness? Remember, the label is as weightless and fleeting as the smoke itself. Stub out, go again.
Same goes for the “Do”. That motivation, compulsion even, in the act of doing is far stronger and more immediate than in the arbitrary notion of being.
The Ella Manifesto
Back to the band. Think of the bassist: they stop plucking, the groove is gone. No residual state of being a musician keeps the audience dancing once the rhythm stops. You’re only a musician in the very moments you’re making music. It’s a beautifully simple guiding principle, and a powerful antidote to inaction.
Ella’s “Do-Be-Do-Be-Do” is a rallying cry. The Be is a by-product of the Do, not a substitute. We can’t let our titles trump our tasks.
A pen in your pocket doesn’t make you a writer. A pen in your hand? That’s a start. Pen to paper? Now we’re talking. Want to be a storyteller? Tell a story, right now. Want to be a creative? Create something, anything. Want to be an influencer? You get the idea.
Is this just a disgruntled veteran’s rant at the proofless, baseless label-chasers who’ve still to do the Do? Not entirely. Hey, you do you. What matters to me is, when I bin my final layout pad, I can proudly say “I did”, not just “I was”.
We don’t need personas, we need practitioners. People who pick up, plug in and make some noise.
And if you’re not playing, it’s just air guitar.
