Episode 27 - Oh Sh*t! Why Safe Is the Riskiest Choice for Creatives with Patrik Lindkvist
For creatives who want to cut through the noise
Episode Overview
You know that feeling. You’re about to send the email, pitch the idea, post the thing — and suddenly your palms are sweaty and two words land hard in your head.
Oh shit.
Most of us take that as a warning to stop. But what if it’s actually your body saying — yeah, go for it?
This week we talk to Patrik Lindkvist, creative director, author and the man who once got a standing ovation for a job application listing all his flaws. (Spoiler: he got the job.)
His new book Oh Shit! 115 Thoughts on Magic Communication is basically a permission slip for every creative who has ever played it safe and regretted it.
This week’s tiny experiment: Find your Oh Shit idea. Say it out loud. Then do it. Later means never.
Topics Covered
- Why 3,000 messages hit us every day — and we remember exactly two
- The anti-job-application that broke LinkedIn
- How to make ventilation sexy (we’re serious, it works)
- Why your community is your safe launchpad for uncomfortable leaps
- And what Michael Jordan, monkey Jesus and a Swedish ferry to Finland have in common
Time Stamps
- 00:00:00 — Hook 3,000 messages hit us daily. We remember two. Are you one of them?
- 00:00:53 — Meet Patrik Lindkvist Creative director, author, lecturer at Berghs — and the man who wrote a job application listing all his flaws.
- 00:02:19 — His own Oh Shit moment Saying yes to this podcast. And moving to Texas alone at 19 with no plan.
- 00:04:39 — The anti-application that broke LinkedIn Flaws, no dishes, need for validation — 2,000 likes and job offers in the comments.
- 00:07:12 — A bit whimpy – Reading his interviewer’s notes upside down: “a little lame, but good.” What happened next.
- 00:09:39 — What makes communication magical? The circle. Why polished and safe disappears into the noise.
- 00:12:06 — Monkey Jesus and the power of mistakes A botched restoration that saved an entire city’s economy. Leonard Cohen. Kintsugi.
- 00:13:45 — What’s next for creatives? Stop filming yourself at the same angle as everyone else. Find your format.
- 00:16:27 — The 60/40 rule 60% brand building, 40% selling. Why people need to know you before they buy from you.
- 00:17:24 — The “stupid question” no one dared ask And how one colleague asking it saved entire projects.
- 00:20:37 — Science section remember what stands out — so why do we keep playing it safe?
- 00:26:50 — Karina’s in the book Singing lessons as a metaphor for everything: don’t grip the note too hard.
- 00:28:03 — SOFA groups: Patrik’s alternative to stiff conference-room focus groups.
- 00:32:23 — Practical advice for the scared creative Sitting on an idea you’re too afraid to pitch? Here’s what to do.
- 00:35:53 — Michael Jordan, Nike, and failing your way to success If Patrik can make ventilation sexy, you can do anything.
- 00:36:49 — Key takeaways + this week’s tiny experiment The Oh Shit Challenge: find the idea, say it out loud, don’t wait. Later means never.
- 00:38:31 — Find Patrik plindkvist.com and LinkedIn. The book is out now — in Swedish, and in English if enough of you buy it.
References & further reading
Books Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway — Susan Jeffers amazon.com/Feel-Fear-Anyway-Indecision-Confidence/dp/0345487427
Oh Shit! 115 Thoughts on Magic Communication — Patrik Lindkvist www.plindkvist.com
Research & concepts The Von Restorff Effect wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Restorff_effect
Google’s Project Aristotle rework.withgoogle.com/guides/understanding-team-effectiveness
Monkey Jesus / Ecce Homo — Borja, Spain wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecce_Homo_(García_Martínez_and_Giménez)
Kintsugi — the Japanese art of repairing with gold wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi
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Guest Patrik Lindkvist 🌍 plindkvist.com 💼 LinkedIn: Search Patrik Lindkvist
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