After a life time of diverse interests and experiences, Rick Clogston has happily settled into life as an author.
What’s your story?
All my life, I’ve been what a former pastor liked to call a “creative flake.” I take it as a compliment. I’m a US Navy veteran and have done everything from carpentry and factory work to newspaper reporting, radio DJing, stock car and tractor pull announcing, and a 30+ year career with the US Postal Service, culminating in a long stint as a Postmaster. The whole time, I was also a musician, songwriter, and writer of poetry and prose. I recently published my first novel, The Princess Key: Part 1 of the Shattered Worlds trilogy. It’s a sci-fi adventure story.
What excites you most about your industry?
The limitless creative opportunities. I’m a firm believer in the power of the imagination. I think a good story can sneak a worthwhile idea past the booby traps and barbed wire of tribalism and prejudice. At the same time, it’s a whole lot of fun, and who wouldn’t like more of that? Songs and stories have taken me–to quote Lennon and McCartney–across the universe. I’ll bet they’ve caused a little stardust to sprinkle onto your shoulders as well.
What drives you in your career to push beyond what other people consider normal?
Define normal. Never mind, don’t bother. The use of words like career, industry, and business might seem counterintuitive to a self-professed creative flake. Yet the fact remains that all this flakiness occurs in the material world. On the one hand, Hendrix, Tolkien, and Beethoven still had to buy lunch and new guitar strings. But there’s also the unquenchable urge to stand at the crossroad and wonder–as another New Hampshire native, Bob Frost, once said–what’s down the road less traveled.
What have been the most useful skills you have learnt and applied in your journey?
Watching and listening. I believe it was right clever of the Good Lord to give us two eyes, two ears, and only one mouth. Beyond that, learning to drive, type, and pound in a nail without smashing my thumb has served me well. I learned to do those by watching and listening, and the rest is filling in the details. How can I get to Carnegie Hall from here? Practice, practice, practice.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Write what you feel. The best songwriter I ever knew taught me that when I was playing guitar in his band. It’s transferable to pretty much any creative endeavor. Seemingly uncreative ones, too. Why not deliver the mail the way you’d want your mail delivered?
Who inspires you?
Hmm. Big question. Jesus, first and foremost. If I could be more like Him, the world would be a just tiny bit better place. My Dad, who could drive anything and taught me to love a good story. My Mom, who could put up with anything, including me. My wife and kids, for sure. Just about anybody who’s got time for anybody else. Small people standing on the ground, way more than big people up on a pedestal.
What have you learnt recently that blew you away?
Whew! That Rory Gallagher liked using the middle pickup on his Strat. That Jesus wants me to be his servant, but also his friend. (Okay, that’s not recent, but it still blows me away.) That being 70 isn’t as bad as I had imagined.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
Not much. I’ve been remarkably blessed. There are people I’d have been nicer to, dumb mistakes I’d have avoided, that sort of thing. I’d have stayed right the heck away from drugs, but I didn’t spend a lot of time there anyway. Even the regrettable things have worked out.
How do you unwind?
When my wife sees me getting antsy, she tosses me my car keys.
What is a major mindset change, belief shift or ‘ah ha’ moment that you’ve experienced in relation to your career?
I was with the Postal Service for more than thirty years, and kept a mental notebook of how I would do things if I ever got to be in charge. By the time I made Postmaster, I had decided that there were three groups of people I had to be concerned with. The customer comes first. The people doing the actual work come a very, very close second. The bosses in the offices fifty miles away are a distant third. Serve the customer well, treat your crew like family, and make sure the forms are filled out properly.
Everyone in business should read this book:
The Bible. The ultimate boss, with a crew of dough-heads to deal with. But he led them well, and the work usually got done right. The boss could have done all the work himself, but he deliberately put his trust in his people and didn’t pull any punches. He laid out the goals and put his stamp of approval on the end results. Still doing it today.
Shameless plug for your business or career:
“The Princess Key” is the first part of a science fiction trilogy and the core of an ever-expanding adventure universe. An orphaned teenager and an alien slave girl escape from the clutches of a brutal arms dealer. They try to build new lives on an out-of-the-way space station, unaware that their former master’s friends, enemies, and business partners are hunting for them.
How can people connect with you?
https://www.rickclogstonauthor.com
https://redhatband1.bandcamp.com/releases
Social Media Links?
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574026660635
https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Rick+Clogston&qid=dIBKB4TTjm
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-clogston-a0673890/
This interview is part of the CallumConnects series.