Why YOU Should Blog
“But, blogging is dead…” Exactly. Dead to the hype, but very much alive to those who are still moved by idea, conviction, story and conversation
If you’re like me, you have a community of people surrounding you that do not demand you be articulate and to the point. They appreciate your heart. They love you. They are true friends and they will likely tolerate your ‘thinking out loud’, even pardoning the occasional emotional rant.
But online… you might get about 1.4 seconds of first impression before the ‘click away’. You must earn the right to be heard. You must strive to be poignant. You must care enough about your reader that you are willing to spend the front-end work that it takes to deliver clear, passionate and honest thought (even if you’re probably wrong).
Why do I blog?
- Do I think you really need to know my opinions? No.
- Do I use this format to develop my own opinions and convictions? Yes.
- Do I hope to influence, provoke, inspire and encourage you in the process? Yes.
Now, why wouldn’t you want to do the same for someone else?
Carefully Executing Your Brilliant Ideas
This is one of my favorite “uh…what?” moments yet.
(I had to wait 5 minutes for the men’s room to clear so I could take this pic without getting arrested or beat up)
I’ve NEVER met a fellow man who enjoys hanging out in a restroom any longer than it takes to… well, you know… go. But even if the men’s restroom needed a place to put up your feet, I highly doubt it should be within 5 feet of these urinals.
So, someone had an idea. Or maybe they just needed to stash a couch out of the way. Either way, perception is truth to the person perceiving. If an idea’s execution is poor, the idea may as well be equally poor. Recently I attended a gathering where one of the first things I noticed was a vinyl banner mounted loose, slightly off-center and slightly crooked. No big deal, right? Wrong. I had to fight the feeling that what I was about to experience was… well… hack. Details matter.
As a creative, I thoroughly enjoy the brainstorming process. I love trying new things. However, on occasion I’ve been guilty of prematurely pushing along the execution of an idea for the sake of completion and all it’s thrill. The following pressures can creep upon the best of us:
- *deadline pressures
- *cost factors
- *failing to seek input from trusted sources
- *emotional detachment from the original idea
- *unwillingness to modify the original idea
- *unrestrained excitement to launch
Whatever the reason, remember this: don’t put the couch next to the urinal!
May this be a lasting reminder to take a little extra time properly execute your idea. Your idea deserves this.
