#tracyjones

Dan, Frank Jr. & Victor (Life After Armand’s), Tracy Jones

This piece was inspired by 3 guys who used to work at a pizza place in high school. This painting documents the life path that the 3 guys took after they left the pizza place.

Beef Sandwich, Chicken Noodle Soup & Cheese Fries, Tracy Jones

This piece was inspired by my daughters food order at Portillo's in Chicago.

An Unfortunate Outcome, Tracy Jones

A story of two long distance lovers in a relationship which ended in an unfortunate outcome.

Or, my lifelong battle with GAS

Post #5: July 26, 2014.

Ageism is a lot like Gluten Intolerance. All kinds of people in my field say they suffer from it, but very few have the slightest idea what causes it. I have always had an issue with discussions around Ageism, not because it doesn’t exist, but because of how many people self-misdiagnose their condition as a way to avoid recognizing the real cause.

I hear stories about Victims of Ageism weekly – it’s “applied blame” about their circumstance, described almost like an uncontrollable, dormant virus that releases itself upon you in your 40s and makes you undesirable in the marketplace. Sorry, it’s not that. It’s worse. You are the cause of your Ageism.

Let’s go Outside Inside Out for some insight…

My battle with GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) started when I was around 4 years old. I picked up my brother’s Yamaha 6 string and I was transported to another dimension. (I still spend a lot of time there.) When I was 14, he handed me his 1965 Fender Telecaster. I still have it; when I play it I always remember the first time I slammed an “A” chord through a big sound system at my High School “Rock Night”, just like Marty McFly in “Back To The Future”. 

I buy and sell guitars, amps and effect pedals constantly. Every guitar I play brings me something. Ask any player – you pick up a Strat and you channel Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray. Pick up a Les Paul and it’s Slash and Jimi Page. Pick up an Airline Guitar and you can feel Jack White or The Black Keys. As a musician, I am ever-curious to channel these influences, get inspired and break out of old patterns to evolve my skills. Flipping gear helps me do that and I think it might be part of my personality. I have embraced my GAS. I’m not stuck.

About 10 years ago I left a Creative Director role I held. I took a significant hit in salary and “position” to become an ACD at a pure play digital agency. The person who hired me knew I was way behind the curve in terms of real practical ability, but he also saw that I was a digital native at heart and could bring something to the team that they didn’t have. Best decision I ever made. I learned from the ground up and found a whole new “career white space”. I know at least a dozen people, considerably older than me, who continue to thrive in our business because they know the secret about Ageism:

The Ageism Paradox: it’s not about age. It’s about relevance. Evolve or die. 

Every time I do an employee review, particularly with young talent, I tell them that being a student of human nature and our business is more than an element of their evaluation; it’s a key ingredient to having a long and successful career. Young people are hungry. They’re culture junkies, inventors, alchemists, doers and fearless high wire walkers, not afraid to talk way beyond the miles they’ve walked. Or their “age”.  

How “new” are you? With all that experience you have to back it up, the potential is explosive. You can’t help aging, but you can help getting “old”.

You’re only as good Inside as what you bring in from the Outside. Before you allow yourself to blame your situation on the scourge of “Ageism”, do some real, honest introspection and ask yourself: Is it time to buy a new guitar?