Robbi Behr and Matthew Swanson on creativity: “It has to be its own end.”

Every once in a while, when the she's tired of the grind, my wife tells me that she’s going to quit her job. I should, too. We’ll move out of the city. She’ll carve wooden spoons. I’ll write.

Maybe you think about something like this, too. For most of us, it's a fantasy. But not for Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr.

In 2006, Robbi and Matthew ditched the grind, sold their house, and tried to quit their jobs. They moved into a barn in a small town in Maryland and planned to make books for a year. Fourteen years--and four kids--later, they’re still making books from the barn. Now those books have New York City publishers and find their way to kids across the country.

Matthew and Robbi are the artistic duo behind Everywhere Wonder and Babies Ruin Everything. They published The Real McCoys, a three-volume mystery series for grade-schoolers about sibling sleuths. Their newest series, Cookie Chronicles, comes out next spring. That's on top of the dozens of books they've published themselves for smaller audience on two presses they launched personally.

Now they’re plotting a new adventure. They’re getting ready to drive across the country in a school bus.

Robbi and Matthew have great advice for people considering a similarly bold career (and life) move. They believe luck can be manufactured. They have a smart strategy for managing being a creative person and parenting young kids. And they both agree that a lot of success boils down to showing up and being helpful to others.

What does it look like when you refuse to accept the limitations of a 9-5, and decide that you are willing to sacrifice just about everything you know to make the life you long for?  In this episode, we unpack what they've learned. To hear our conversation, you can download the episode here. Then, please, share your own thoughts and tag them #HelloMonday so I can jump into the conversation.

Here are some highlights….

Matthew, on art and money: “One of the great secrets of success or happiness or fulfillment as a creative person is finding a way to liberate your creative product from whatever your bottom line is.”

Robbi, on doing what you love: “The idea of us making books together was never, 'Someday we're going to be a big success and we're going to make tons of money doing this.' We've never thought that that was going to happen.”

Robbi, on the difference between risk and fear: “It's important to make a distinction between what an actual risk is, and what just feels risky. What is a little scary, right? I honestly believe that we have never taken a real risk...If you have the opportunity to take something that seems like a risk, but isn't risky at all, because you can always backpedal from it, then why not? Why not try the thing and see how it goes?”

Matthew, on work: “I think the number one thing that you need if you're going to live a life like this is an absolute willingness to doggedly work for it. And therefore a corresponding essential love of the thing itself. It has to be its own end.”

I want to hear from you...

Your turn. Tell me what you would do if you could do anything. Write to us at [email protected], or post on LinkedIn, using the hashtag hello-monday.

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