You are weird. Good. When people write, they become this other person. - They write things like ‘To whom it may concern.’ - They never say that. - Rule of thumb: If you never say it, never write it. People write about how clever they are. People write about the amazing things they do. People rarely talk about the dumb, weird stuff they do. And yet…it is THOSE things that make you stand out in a world of vanilla. - This is the photo of my clock. - I never change it when the clocks change. - It is wrong for half of the year. When you stop trying to tell the world how perfect you are, you can tell them how human you are. #founders #microballroom #strictlymicro
Firstly, I love the red poster. Does it light up? I noticed the wires. The ‘weird’ one is tricky. Again, it’s all about context. I understand the idea of ‘being one’s authentic self’ and #nofilter / ‘keeping it real’ but it depends who our audience / reader is. Context is king. A trick that radio broadcasters use is to imagine they’re speaking to one person. Not sure if it’s the same for the written word because writing is so intimate and personal. As soon as you put ‘pen to page’ / fingers to keyboard, there *you* are. It could be one word. In Britain — especially in England — we’ve also been conditioned to believe that that there’s a ‘correct’ way to write and speak. It’s a product of our class system and the Empire etc — I.e. speak and write in a certain way and you will have social mobility. English is such a complex, ‘mongrel’ language too — ironically as a result of our Empirical past. It’s now the third most spoken language in the world (if memory serves) so there are many Englishes. I used to use a little mnemonic ‘Audience Purpose Tone’ (aptly enough): - who is this for? - what effect or effects would I like it to have? - how do I want my reader to feel? My nerdiness about language is my weirdness!
I don't think I would change that clock too. It looks like the kind of clock change that requires a ladder and some planning.
Hark! And thus thou speakest the truest prose my dear nobleman.
I do plenty of dumb stuff. So a lot of material to work with ;-)
Wise words David Hieatt Guilty as charged. Especially as I have a professional / medical / science background. I end up being a little too wordy. Too ‘academic’. Safe When the real person I am is one who laughs at the ironic, is always making up puns, silly songs and laughing at life’s contradictions and challenges. Somehow I have deep inside the voice telling you you ‘need to be professional vibe’ - Especially on this platform. But you are right. Revealing the human in you is the good stuff. I recently delivered a very ‘professional’ teaching session for leaders about the future of health. To try and shake me into being me, I made the presentation in a Philamina ‘Cunk on Britain’ style. Asarcastic approach to the future in episode descriprions. I think it was loved Whilst on zoom the facilitator said ‘you would not have seen but people were smiling laughing and super engaged’. Meanwhile I was wondering whether I’d gone too far. Been unprofessional. Of course I was wrong. Silencing that inner ‘sensible’ and ‘smart’ voice in exchange for the ‘amusing’ ‘challenging’ and ‘understandable’ version paid off. Still trying to fight the ‘pro’ me. Will keep trying. Thanks for your insight.
Kiwis with the skin on until the day I die.
Or it’s right half the year
I like hanging out with my dog, music on. I swear she hums along occasionally. She’s not a Killing Joke fan mind
Haha I thought I was the only one that didn’t change my clock.
Retention. Commitment. Teamwork. Innovation. Want some? Let me show you how.
1yI actually have three sisters I call the Weird Sisters, though never in range of their shared ear, David Hieatt. And I, I am weird.