February 20th, 2009
Shhhhhhh…
I haven’t written in a while because I haven’t had anything to say. Which is not to say I haven’t had anything on my mind…or haven’t been thinking.
Quite the contrary; I am thinking constantly these days about these things among others:
1. The curse of the 24-hour news cycle
2. My latest shattered fantasy: ‘Antarctica, Winter Wonderland’ (Thanks, Herzog!)
3. The efficacy of vitamins
4. Shai Agassi and the people who are trying to fix broken systems
5. The cultural rift taking shape in America
6. What homeless people do with the dollars I give them
7. My new hero, Carla from Top Chef. I love that she sticks to her principles and wins
Ghostride the Whip divx
8. The death of the novel
9. Taking a long hike through dense woods
10. What compels people to litter
I’m trying something new: Only speaking or writing when I have something to say. It’s harder than it sounds…and I think it sounds hard.
My new attitude was inspired by something a friend said the other day. We were talking about the communications strategy for the launch of a new product. Deliberating over copy, he announced with frustration: “If they have something to say, they should say it–at length and with feeling! If not, they shouldn’t say anything at all.”
So true. How often–especially in the world of marketing–do we waste our time and the consumer’s talking loud, saying nothing? It’s staggering to think about the hours and days lost “wordsmithing,” and the general level of noise created by ineffectual stabs at “communication.”
In a culture where information is currency, the pressure to say something is strong. When silence is scarce, the compulsion to fill the void with words is powerful. How often we give in: in conversation, in meetings, in writing, definitely in advertising. We are surrounded by half-baked ideas and words spoken or written in haste. How many have you wasted today?
My friend’s point made me think about an item that’s been on my to-do list for weeks: BLOG ENTRY. I’ve been searching for something to write, and coming up empty. My brain is vibrant, my thoughts are clear, my life is full, but I haven’t got a thing to say. Could that be…ok?
My friend would say, “Heck, yeah!” (Or he might just save the words and nod his head vigorously.)
Embracing the idea has given me a sense of relief. Just because I have a voice, a blog, a company, and a responsibility – many days – to my readers, friends, and clients to have a point of view, doesn’t mean I need to fill space just because it’s there to be filled.
FernGully: The Last Rainforest video I’ve been able to sit back and watch the thoughts in my head fluctuate, morph, and form into stories with beginnings and middles, but no ends. I observe them patiently, in no rush, and see that these ideas are only half-way to the truth at this point. And some of them may die out before they ever get there.
So, rest assured: When I have something that I perceive to be of value to share, I will do so. Here. For you.
Until then, I will remain contemplative and quiet, hoping that the world will appreciate a break; just a tiny, distant, moment of silence barely noticeable in the din, but important as an example of what it’s like to have space to think.
Which brings me back to the problem of the 24-hour news cycle…
posted by schuyler brown
Filed Under: Skyelab