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[UPDATE: Please sign up for the “Crazy, Deranged Fools” Newsletter. Thanks!]
Dear Crazy, Deranged Fools,
For a while, I’ve been thinking about what to call y’all collectively, i.e. the people who follow my work with regularity.
My friend, Jason Calacanis calls his regular readers “Jason Nation”. I thought that was very clever; I liked it a lot. Hey, it rhymes! In a similar exercise in wordplay, I thought about “Voidettes”, “Gapingvoiders”, “Hughtrainers” or whatever, but nothing really stuck. I guess that’s because these kind of names were “All About Hugh”. And, well, let’s face it, it isn’t all about me- you guys have your own stuff going on, as well. That’s what makes it interesting.
So what unites us? The answer came to me in flash this morning, in a blog post:

A. Most people work for the money. Most people wouldn’t do their jobs for free.
B. Most people hate their jobs.
But I’m not thinking about “Most People” right now. I’m thinking about the small percentage of the population who want to love their work; who want to find meaning in their work… and are willing to work like hell to find out how.
Those crazy, deranged fools…
How do they manage to exist? How dare they exist!
Are you one of them? Just curious…

A CrazyDerangedFool [CDF for short] is, like me, somebody who has the temerity to aspire to work in a way that produces both joy, meaning and contribution for both them and others, while also paying the bills. It’s about creativity, it’s about finding meaning, but it’s also about living in the real world. That’s the reality I want to live in, and from the vast quantities of e-mails and comments I get from y’all, that seems to be your game plan, as well.
I really liked what Ms Constantine said in the comments of the aforementioned post:

I’m working about 30 hours a week on top of my “day job” so that one day I’ll be able to do the work I love.
I’m currently doing the extra hours for free, so I’m kind of one of them.
Gotta pay the bills though.

Ms Constantine, that too has been my life for the last twenty years. I too am a CDF. This IS INDEED the crazy, deranged, foolish world of my own making that I chose to live in. And this IS INDEED the crazy, deranged, foolish world I will die in. I’ve already crossed the Rubicon. Alea iacta est. There is no going back. Ever.
With Love and Respect to You All,
Thank You. Seriously. Godspeed!
-Hugh MacLeod

42 Comments
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Dave Barnhart
Dave Barnhart
15 years ago

“crossed the Rubicon”. Most of my friends have no idea what that phrase means or where it comes from. So much so that I’ve almost stopped using it.

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juliejulie
juliejulie
15 years ago

I am crazy, I am deranged, and I’m exhausted. And I have no idea how to go back to the regular world, so I have to keep being crazy, I guess.

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gemils
gemils
15 years ago

Perhaps not so much crossing the Rubicon as doing my damnedest not to drown in it whilst juggling long hours managing software development teams and my “other” work in photography and music and on and on …
I am happily a CDR, a seeder, or whatever other pronunciation sticks best.
Been following your work for years now, quietly stalking from the sidelines. Your writing and art have had a positive impact on this crazy ‘life’ thing. Echoing your sentiments to us … thank you.

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Alvin
Alvin
15 years ago

No, thank *you* Hugh, for your funny, honest and inspiring blog.

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Rajesh Setty
Rajesh Setty
15 years ago

If that’s what CDR means, glad to be one Hugh 🙂
I just wrote about “Ideal Workplace and Ideal Work” at my blog. Here is the link:
http://www.lifebeyondcode.com/2009/02/17/ideal-workplace-and-ideal-work/
Have a great evening
Best,
Rajesh

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bonnieL
bonnieL
15 years ago

Call me what you like Mr. MacLeod, I’m a member of the Hugh Crew.
bonnieL

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m
m
15 years ago

perhaps my biggest dissapointment is that i am not crazy and deranged enough.

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Grant Bissett
Grant Bissett
15 years ago

why is it CDR? was CDF not sufficiently deranged?

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fernando
fernando
15 years ago

thank you, dude.

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hugh macleod
Editor
hugh macleod
15 years ago

@Grant, yeah, ‘scuse the typo. It should have read, “CDF”, not “CDR”. Fixed now. Sorry. Thanks.
@juliejulie, yeah, that sounds just like my life 😉
, I often have the same feeling…
Thanks for the kind words, Everybody.

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Scott Gamble
Scott Gamble
15 years ago

Rock on, Hugh. Rock the fuck on…

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M3 Sweatt
M3 Sweatt
15 years ago

Your post today arrives at a good time. So far, I’m lucky enough to have been able to do what I enjoy, and (somewhat) maintain balance between life and work.
Fortuna favet fatuis. 😉

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Dennis Howlett
Dennis Howlett
15 years ago

I made that transition 12 years ago. Never looking back to see the treadmill.

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Amanda Fenton
Amanda Fenton
15 years ago

I love how you described aspiring to ‘work in a way that produces both joy, meaning and contribution’ for us and others. You just summed up what I hope I accomplish every day.
You champion that, celebrate it, and from what I see on Twitter and your blog, you honestly answer the ‘how are you doing’ question (most of the world says ‘fine’ – and mostly they’re lying). I think it’s that honesty – you share the real you – that I love the most.
Thanks for keepin’ it real. It reminds the rest of us to do the same.
@AmandaFenton

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Tim S.
Tim S.
15 years ago

I think “I’m either going to make this thing fucking work or die trying” applies here as well.
Thanks for helping us all climb the mountain…

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Ms Constantine
Ms Constantine
15 years ago

Wow, public acknowledgement from the Hugh McLeod!
Proud to call myself a CDF. And being able to read someone like you makes it worth it.

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Rock Star Recipes
Rock Star Recipes
15 years ago

Crazy , deranged, beautiful and changing the world.
We love our job.

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Simone
Simone
15 years ago

crazy and deranged here to serve you… 🙂

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Ajit Verghese
Ajit Verghese
15 years ago

CDF – the ones that make me continue to work with and in my music beyond everything else – the ones that I try and surround myself with. Reminds me of a wonderful Kerouac quote:
“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars….”
Thank you @gapingvoid
-@averghese

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Daria
Daria
15 years ago

I am so happy being CDR and loving what I do. I grew up with Hegels quote on my wall “Nothing great have ever been achieved without passion”. Money, titles they come and go. They are bi-product of working. It is ok when they are but they can’t replace the joy working on something you love for. I’ve been working in advertising/media for the last 10 years and I’ve noticed one sad thing – majority of people are bread-eaters who work from 9-17 and use their power to fight for better titles on their business card and money and have no passion for what they do.
There is the need for more CDF cause those people make a difference and dare to cast die and change status quo!
Great post! thanks for inspirations Hugh!

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Janet
Janet
15 years ago

I grew up in Rubicon Wisconsin. We crossed the Rubicon all the time. 🙂
CDF. ‘voiders — we read your blog cause we are avoiding doing something else.

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Janet
Janet
15 years ago

I grew up in Rubicon Wisconsin. We crossed the Rubicon all the time. 🙂
CDF. ‘voiders — we read your blog cause we are avoiding doing something else.

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Janet
Janet
15 years ago

I grew up in Rubicon Wisconsin. We crossed the Rubicon all the time. 🙂
CDF. ‘voiders — we read your blog cause we are avoiding doing something else.

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Janet
Janet
15 years ago

I grew up in Rubicon Wisconsin. We crossed the Rubicon all the time. 🙂
CDF. ‘voiders — we read your blog cause we are avoiding doing something else.

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Janet
Janet
15 years ago

I grew up in Rubicon Wisconsin. We crossed the Rubicon all the time. 🙂
CDF. ‘voiders — we read your blog cause we are avoiding doing something else.

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Pegas
Pegas
15 years ago

Repositioning “family” to first place in personal list helped me to go through
Also, deadlines always are. Most time shit happens when you miss them. At least does to family.
–pg

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B.L. Ochman
B.L. Ochman
15 years ago

CDF is perfect. I’ve been working an extra 8-10 hours a day to make a dream come true at Pawfun so i can stop doing my “day job” and devote all my time to what i love. it’s worth every minute. as for the day job, well, that’s why they call it work.

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Ingrid
Ingrid
15 years ago

I am one of the fortunate ones who loves her job. Right, I would probably not do it for free, and yet I get personal and professional gratification from my job, from the service I and my company provide, and the team of geeks I work with are mostinteresting and stimulating. We see a strong hand-print of the work we do on our organization of over 25,000; we have unique and interesting conundrums daily; we have enough down-time to remain up-to-date with our industry and yet enough work and commitment to be worthwhile each and every day. And it’s all about the CDF moniker we hold with pride. Thank you for letting us know we’re not alone. IVM

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mike
mike
15 years ago

I guess the wordplaying moment has passed now, but I thought ‘Gaping Voyeur’ was apropos.
Though, I’m just as happy being a CrazyDerangedFool 😉

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steve clayton
steve clayton
15 years ago

“blogging is my day job…everything else is moonlighting” –
that gets more and more true for me each week here at Microsoft. if they stopped me blogging, I’d probably go somewhere else 🙂
but you know that already hugh

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Julia
Julia
15 years ago

i would definitely add myself to the list of CDF… and i am proud to do so 🙂
only, i really do love my job! it’s not what i originally set out to do, but it has turned into something that never ceases to cheer my mood no matter what.
i am an english language trainer. it is my job to help people improve their english. this is mostly done simply by talking to them… i guess i have turned my love of talking into a job. wow! how cool is that?
and when my clients achieve their goals, i feel extreme satisfaction.
in my free time i write song-lyrics, which also gives me a lot of satisfaction even though they don’t get recorded – at the moment, but working with people and the exchange can be a real buzz.
but hugh, you are a true inspiration and constant joy!!!
i luv ya!

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Deborah Paris
Deborah Paris
15 years ago

a CDF and I’m not going back!

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David Chislett
David Chislett
15 years ago

I am so a CDF! Have been for 15 years and I love every second of that crazy existence!

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Jon
Jon
15 years ago

CDF…meh…doesn’t ring….but maybe I am just an Avoider 😉

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Sam
Sam
15 years ago

There is no going back. Ever.
And that’s kinda why there will always be the fools and those who label us fools, something that they can’t ever seeing themselves being.

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Michel
Michel
15 years ago

I am deranged, as well…
I had a day job. I quit. I had a sure paycheck. I did not want it anymore.
I want to be creative, free, I wanted to design and love and create new things…
I am crazy, I know.
I have debts, no job, now. But I want to be free…

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Chad
Chad
15 years ago

Every have the feeling that your job gets in the way of your real work? Yeah me too.

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Brienne
Brienne
15 years ago

Chad: everyday!
I had a job, where I was creative. Where I contributed, where I didn’t sacrifice the better parts of me, and low and behold this economy kicked it’s ass, and I was laid off (maybe we weren’t creative enough?)
Creativity, doesn’t pay (at least not as often as it should).
CDF, reporting for duty.

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Steve Haase
Steve Haase
15 years ago

Card-carrying member of the Crazy Deranged Fools right here–or as philosopher Susan Nieman might say, a grown up idealist.
Used to play trumpet for a military band in DC–paycheck every 2 weeks, plenty of free time. No mojo.
Moved to Western Massachusetts last year to be at the heart of the EnlightenNext community. Now working with two of my dearest friends to build a web software company from the ground up. Hard as hell, completely ecstatic. Every victory is huge, every setback a direct challenge. Suddenly life and work come together in the biggest way.
Glad to be amongst so many kindred spirits here. Thanks for the space, Hugh!

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Duey
Duey
15 years ago

The poem at the beginning of this post is beautiful. Very touching 🙂

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geogeller
geogeller
15 years ago

hmmm crazy deranged fool – the fool was the trickster the one who made us think differently – to look at world from different eyes – today we suffer from collective psycho-phobia and lock them up in mental hospitals – in earlier times the indigenous people looked at people who were deranged crazy fools as having a gift, being wise beyond themselves – people who they went to for guidance and for insights in life and the world – in many way todays artist fill that gaping void by caring for our imagination – much like humor crosses the rubi-con too – so you-hugh maybe there is more to this crazy, deranged fools thing then meets the eye – food for thought
geo
FoodForThoughtCartoons.com

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trackback
Intoxicated by the possibility of making mediocrity hard to sustain (#100ppl) | Josh Can Help
14 years ago

[…] Brief back story: Gaping Void is the “brand name” of Hugh MacLeod, cartoonist, author, blogger, and general creativity muse. Hugh was the first blogger I ever started reading. I have no recollection of how I found his site though I’m sure it had something to do with one of his cartoons I found somewhere. This was several years ago and after that first encounter, I forgot about him entirely until maybe a year later (I’m guessing 2006 at this point) when I felt this strange need to find his site again. It took a while (I completely forgot the name, URL, everything) but I finally found it and when I did, I was elated. I started reading Hugh regularly and was particularly affected by his creativity manifesto, how to be creative. Since then, I’ve been a huge fan… bought business cards with his cartoon on one side, bought his book Ignore Everybody, and get his daily cartoon. […]

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