Posts tagged strategy
my thoughts on education inspired by The Wire
Feb 1st
So.
Every time I walk into a high school I have a feeling that education … well … that it could be better. 
For everyone. Teachers & all kids (no matter their socioeconomic status or whether they live in an urban or rural environment).
Shit. Not could … that it should be better. And I imagine the crazy thing about educating our youth is that everyone wants it to be better. I cannot envision anyone in the education system seriously not having the best intentions or wanting every kid who walks through the door on day one to learn more and get an education.
I don’t know what happens in other countries but in America’s case we are more class/caste driven which has an impact on kids’ education from the earliest age.
Simplistically … the more affluent send their kids to well financed school systems (public or private) while lower income families traditionally get a worse education (for a variety of reasons) in lower financed systems. By the way … this is not an indictment of teachers because i believe great teachers exist in all school systems.
And even if a lower income kid fights their way through the system to get to college … well … the system is still against them. A Dept. of Education study states low income family students with high test scores are less likely to complete their studies (cross the finish line as it were) then high income family students with lower test scores. In other words, poor children are much less likely to make good then we often like to think. Oh. And the information shows that this fact is truer in America then in Canada and Europe.
The Australian Education system also conducted a similar study.
Let me be clear (and the rest of the post will focus on this point).
Kids are no more, or less, smart based on their associated socioeconomic background. A brain is a brain.
But.
Their socioeconomic background affects their ability to dedicate themselves to learning.
All that said … if you are interested in this topic you should watch season 4 of The Wire. It is the season which uses the high school education system as the main thread for the story line.
This season was so well done a number of universities actually use it to discuss the challenges within our existing education system.
Ok.
Let me begin by saying … if you truly believe in your heart that each and every kid deserves a “chance” then be prepared … the season is simultaneously hopeful, yet hopeless and, ultimately, disturbing … all at the same time.
You can see the challenges and opportunities all at the same time.
And it is an additional maddening aspect in that everyone who tries to fix the system loses.
I admit. It’s disturbing & demoralizing to see good intentioned people (and kids) repeatedly getting crushed (even though it is just a TV show).
And you wonder why you see good intentions squandered until you hear one of the characters on the show say something that is so sadly true … “This game is rigged.”
Look.We all know the system is “broken.”
And good income people can beat the system.
And, frankly, it is those people who suggest “there are no excuses for not getting an education or having an opportunity.”
And, frankly, that’s a bunch of bullshit.
Go teach at an inner city school for a day.
Shit. Go teach at any public school for a day.
“No excuses” is a phrase of blatant ignorance when you see what stresses face many of the lives of the children you see which actually are not ‘excuses’ but in fact … realities. Realities they must face day-to-day.
As you will see, for example, on The Wire is the drug addiction, the crime connected to the drug trade, the business of the drug trade, the barely functioning families, and the poverty which are realities impacting a young student’s ability to be engaged or even be consistently involved (and that doesn’t even touch upon the emotional “hope” aspect).
In that Wire season there are four boys who try to engage with learning and with school, and are occasionally successful (which each student recognizes and are extremely engaged in those situations) but their life situations just do not permit ongoing consistent progress.
The Wire clearly shows us that many kids, many good smart kids, will fail in school through no fault of the schools or of their own.
Ok.
On the other hand, on the ‘hopeful side’, the show showcases the amazing potential our youth exhibits – even in the face of the direst situations. I actually believe it showcases, almost better than I have ever seen, how young people grasp the ‘light’, even if it only appears for seconds, even within the darkest environments.
It is within those moments of viewing the season that you just want to pick up a phone and call someone and say “fix the education system” because it tears your heart into pieces to see what ’could be.’
I also loved how the show so definitively states that only an incredibly small number of students are so emotionally damaged by their circumstances that they are totally unable to respond to what school has to offer (and I happen to agree with them).
The show does this extremely well by taking a group of ‘project kids’ who are the most disruptive and troubled but showing how they are potentially capable of functioning in a learning environment.
The project is where they pull a small number of disruptive students out of regular classes and puts them in a special, smaller, class with a larger number of adults. The students in the project group are involved in the drug trade or are heading down that path. The project succeeds in two ways. It reduces disruption in the regular classes and it allows focused and appropriate attention, with a greater adult-to-student ratio, to the students in the project class.
Oops. Here is where a flaw in our existing system rears its ugly head … the program is terminated when the city’s educational administration decides that a program that is not raising test scores and that smacks of “tracking” is too politically risky. Oh. ‘Tracking’ or ‘profiling’ … swear words in today’s environment (although … I admit it is a slippery slope).
In other words … a promising initiative is eliminated because of rigid bureaucratic goals.
A promising initiative eliminated … that worked. And worked despite the issues that undermine learning in urban schools (although I would argue that it isn’t just urban schools but everywhere) like fragmented families, no families, teachers required to teach to the test, declining neighborhoods with few legitimate jobs, overwhelmed or indifferent leaders.
Oh.
And good initiatives get eliminated due to the fact that the education system is beholden to stats (or “jukin’ the stats” as the show reminds us).
Ah. The ‘stats’ (scores).
This season of The Wire discusses the statistics in that the school system needs to produce raised scores on standardized tests. As a result actual learning and teaching are deeply compromised. The Wire is particularly critical of the testing regime associated with the 2002 No Child Left Behind law in that just as the teachers (and the project class) are beginning to discover some viable strategies for teaching to the students they have to shift to prepping them to take the standardized tests. It is a vivid demonstration (albeit a theatrical one) of an empty gesture within the education system in which the students learn nothing of value and which derails their interest, and growing, if shaky academic engagement.
The system was set up with good intentions but the show displays the flaws.
The show also showcases another thing I encounter (nd this is my opinion) … that many of our schools seem to sanitize the troubling, often offensive, and challenging aspects of real life while the Life reality is that students are surrounded by a popular culture which deals bluntly, graphically, and harshly with real life reality. Ok. I admit I am not sure we want our schools to include all the inappropriateness that is commonplace in the popular culture because one would hope (or, let’s say I believe) our schools should show students what ‘could be’ (from a ‘taste of what is finer’ perspective). It is probably unrealistic on my part but ultimately my hope is that schools would teach the best of the best and give kids something to aim for (without ignoring what is real).
The balance is that the education system needs to exercise discretion but I believe we tend to underestimate what students can appreciate and understand.
I don’t know how schools and education can ignore perspective when teaching. The Wire reminds us that all education, whether you want to define school rules versus street rules or not, have to deal with any aspect of the following (I pulled this list from a formal sociology & education article):
- intersections between representations of race, economy, and criminality
- issues of masculinity
- gender and sexuality in police and criminal cultures
- the family, childhood, parenting, and criminality
- re-imagining of the heroic beyond traditional narratives of America
- roles for women in urban America (and roles for women in general)
- the technology of crime
- street speech and class-based communication
- cultures of addiction and treatment
- constructions of violence
- stress and trauma narratives
- education and class
- interest groups and issues of governance
Some of these are big emotional issues and some may appear to be “not my kid’s type of issue” to some more affluent family readers …. but these are real issues … to all our kids (so don’t be fooled by what you think you see in your own life).
Anyway.
Four features of The Wire’s depiction are particularly worthy of note.
First, the “inner city” kids, like kids anywhere, are shown as bright and curious, and capable of learning. Second, the ability of the schools to educate these children is shown to be strongly compromised by the kids’ world outside of school—their absent or dysfunctional families, their distressed communities, and the lack of any visible accessibility of the world of legitimate work.
Third, despite these negative forces in the students’ lives, teachers and school personnel are capable of making small but significant contributions to children’s educational and personal growth.
Fourth, public schools are portrayed as natural and appropriate places for young people to be in the context of their developing lives (although the particular distressed school the boys attend is deficient in many ways).
In addition.
The Wire did a great job showing us how, in a broad perspective, we are failing our youth with regard to education.
Oh. And it reminds us that good things don’t always happen to good kids. And life can get in the way of even the best education.
But. The main thought?
The show wants to say that most of the kids in school, even in public schools, would be capable of making significant educational progress were their lives and communities not so chaotic and troubled. The Wire portrays the students as naturally curious and constantly learning.
In conclusion, one character on The Wire states the issue better than I could ever.
He predicts … if we don’t solve it … “there will be an endless stream of kids who are not prepared for productive lives.”
never interrupt the enemy
Jan 31st
“Never interrupt the enemy when he is making a mistake.” - Napoleon Bonaparte
This is a follow up to yesterday’s “when you start to suck, stop.”
Why?
Well. Because that one was focused on your suckedness and this is focused on someone else’s suckedness.
Simplistically. If your enemy is starting to suck … don’t interrupt.
Once again, similar to knowing when to stop being difficult, it is difficult to stop from … well … stopping someone, even an enemy, when they are sucking.
Most people see it as an opportunity to shine and cannot wait to show that they don’t suck.
So … this is about patience … oh … and, actually, lack of ego.
Let me go to the ego thing first.
We all like to look & sound smart (or skilled at something). “Opportunity to shine” is how I put it earlier. As soon as someone starts sucking we inherently see the opportunity to show we don’t suck. And we want to rush in as quickly as possible to make the ‘I don’t suck’ statement (or make the point that would confirm to everyone around us that we don’t).
It’s difficult but …. wait. Yep. Wait. Rest your ego for a second (or a minute or whatever).
Your ego will have its opportunity.
Why wait (i.e., “won’t I miss my opportunity”)?
Well. Oftentimes timing is key because if you don’t rush, and pick the time correctly you get an added plus (beyond the non-suckedness) … people will also judge your character.
Oh. And earn some respect.
Trust me. Everyone else in the room knows the other person is sucking. They also know you are not pointing it out (or making the other person look foolish).
Look. Invariably your actions and words are compared to ‘your enemy.’ And it becomes a reflection of who you are as a person from a character perspective. And people recognize that. And they store it away for the future (because everyone knows they will suck at some point and they would prefer to be working/being with someone who is not going to leap at the opportunity to point it out).
So. That is the ego part.
Next. Patience?
Often we are in a rush to “do something” where patience is called for. Setting character to the side … I would like to remind people that mistakes are often like quicksand (corollary to sucking). Not always but sometimes.
Regardless. Patience simply means let your enemy make as many and as much of a mistake as he/she is willing to make. Don’t interrupt the possible depth & breadth of the mistake.
Patience permits you to assess the best opportunity … do you just sit back and let your enemy drown in the quicksand (always a viable option) or at some point when the depth & breadth has been maximized (short of going under) you reach out and pull everyone out of the suckedness zone.
You win either way.
And you don’t have the win opportunity if you aren’t patient.
Napoleon was absolutely a master at permitting his enemy to suck for as long as it took to maximize his opportunity.
Never interrupt your enemy when he/she is making a mistake.
Much much harder to do then you think.
Much much easier to do the more practice you have.
knowing when to stop
Jan 30th
“when you start to suck, stop” – Kristen Hersh
So.
This is so explanatory it needs no explanation.
However.
What I would suggest to everyone is that, in general, people don’t stop when they start to suck.
And they don’t for one of two reasons:
- They are oblivious to their sucking.
- They recognize their suckedness and begin to do whatever it takes to rise above sucking (only to find out that sucking is like quicksand)
Let’s go to # 1 first. Oblivious to sucking.
Unfortunately life doesn’t have stop signs (or any signs for that matter) with regard to sucking. Nor is there a manual you can read. You can pretty much only hope for one of 2 things … either over time you start to recognize your own signs of suckedness or you happen to have a really good friend/co-worker who has a special sign they give you to tell you that you suck (or are starting to suck).
Knowing when you start to suck is difficult. Really difficult.
I think it is easier to recognize when you aren’t sucking. So what I typically tell people is that when you know you are going good … and on a roll … as quickly as you can find a “period” point. I mean a stopping point (usually characterized by the fact you need to stop talking to actually breathe) … and … well … you stop.
Now.
That may be as difficult as stopping when you suck (maybe harder because it is natural to want the goodness (non-suckedness) to go for as long as possible. But. Stop on a high note. Trust me. If someone really likes it they will ask for more. If they don’t … well … you did great. You didn’t suck.
The corollary factoid?
Well. If you enter into the suck zone and you stop … well … I can guarantee they won’t ask for more.
It all sounds confusing doesn’t it?
It is.
Especially now as we move to #2.
This is where you actually realize you suck … and then begin paddling as hard as you can to get out of the suck zone.
Oops.
Sucking is like quicksand. The harder you work to stop sucking the further you get sucked down into suckedness.
But, once again, it is natural to try and want to end on a high note so you work to get there. This is human nature to try and get yourself out of trouble once you recognize you are in trouble (insert suck for trouble at any point)
And you shouldn’t.
Stop.
A little suckedness will be recognized as just that … a little. And most people will overlook the little for whatever made up ‘the most.’ But. A lot of suckedness? It’s … well … a lot. And difficult to overlook or ignore.
Anyway.
Kristen is a musician … but she said something relevant to anyone at any time.
It’s her quote but I would change a couple of things to create some advice.
“When you think (even an inkling) you are starting to suck, stop.”
The corollary?
“When you think it is going good, stop.”
But.
I guess truly the best thought in the end is just where I started … “when you start to suck, stop.”
confessions of an ad man
Jan 29th
Well.
Maybe its because I get to talk with a lot of teen/20somethings or maybe its because all my friends are cynical bastards … but I seem to defend the advertising business a lot.
And maybe because of that I thought I should take a moment and share some truths.
Because the business (for the majority) is not made up of liars, hucksters, clowns, alcoholics and smarmy assholes.
And mostly we try and tell the truth to businesses and consumers. I say mostly because I admit that there are some moments inside an agency where one of the minority (from the above aforementioned majority) find a voice (most typically with regard to new business) and says things that send a shiver up my ethical spine.
Regardless.
Some truth (I imagine this is just an abbreviated list of truths of which we could add many many more if I were to think about it more).
Advertising is not always about just selling stuff.
Advertising isn’t just a catalyst for buying (or convincing someone to buy) … it is a catalyst for how people see things, think about things and, sometimes, actually do things. I heard Spike Lee once say .. “I feel a responsibility for everything I create <because millions will see it>.” Advertising may be the most powerful thing out there to affect people. We know we are in a business but we also know we impact people significantly more than the sales numbers ever reflect. We in the business never forget this (albeit it may look like we have on occasion). Ok. Let’s just say that the people in advertising who really ‘get it’ never forget this.
That said …
Yes. Creativity is about results & awards (or recognition).
We understand what we do makes an impact … and should be measured by some type of results. On the other hand … because it is creativity we like some creative validation that you didn’t just have to throw mud against the wall to make something stick. The truth is that advertising people thrive on both. And we have to because sometimes bad advertising can generate results. And people get fooled by just looking at sales results (and not examining the results in terms of what people actually think … because that impacts future behavior). Good advertising can generate better results (and better long term impressions). And awards help better delineate between the crappy advertising that shows results and good advertising that shows results.
We like results & recognition. And we like people talking about it … speaking of which …
Social media is actually not that social.
We care about social media. Probably more than most business owners actually do. Many businesses create an illusion of ‘social’ but in reality maintain a relatively non-social business model (as defined in traditional social terms). So. The truth? The term social media has taken on galactic size proportions standing for everything … and nothing. Here is the truth. Most social media vehicles are simply information disseminators. They aren’t social. They permit people and businesses to narcissistically spew forth ad nausea about themselves. What makes the web different is that there is an OPPORTUNITY to respond. If you take part in responding … well … it still isn’t social … it has simply become a dialogue (sort of). It only becomes social when there is some interaction like talking with someone at a party. Trust me on this one … in most cases it remains at stage one (the spewing part). For the most part the current social world is a monologue.
Oh. Just like TV.
Now. This doesn’t diminish the importance of social media and the future … it’s just that the good agencies keep perspective and actually recommend what is going to be the best for a clients’ business.
Ok. Back to TV.
Television is not dead.
One TV ad on American Idol can reach more teens then a PitBull tweet. And make a bigger impression (because you have those funny moving picture thingies).
Anyway. As long as tv executives keep their heads out of their asses often enough to actually produce programs people will watch … there will be TV ads. And as long as there is TV advertising there will be a maddening mix of insightfully educating entertaining executions and pedantic pedestrian drivel waste of :30 seconds.
Why is that? ….
We don’t know what works (for sure).
Sure. There are some basic principles that can insure your advertising will be in the “good” portion of the gene pool but, in the end, setting research aside … people are fickle and clients (in general) find it difficult to make the hard choices (because they prefer to ‘please’ rather than ‘prod’ the mind) needed so that the advertising actually has enough sharp edges on it to stand out. I will say this … give a good advertising agency (not a hack agency) one year to do whatever they believed was the best thing to do and I would bet over 80%+ of everything they did would be good (people like it) and effective (creates results).
Anyway. We are probably like songwriters. We write songs and we know some are better than others when we write them. We also kind of recognize when we write a hit – on the off chance when we write something like that – but you can never be sure until it is actually out there for all to hear & see.
And we do care what people think …
We do care about clients (most of them).
There is nothing better than knowing you have created something people like and generates results in partnership with a client you respect.
Nothing.
The only advertising people who have no/little respect for their clients or nothing good/nice to say about their clients (most typical comment is “they just aren’t that smart”) aren’t good advertising people. And you don’t want to work with them anyway.
And we do care about the people who buy the stuff too, but …
The consumer is not the king/queen.
Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble but if they were (kings & queens) they could demand anything they wanted and businesses would go out of business chasing their fleeting whims.
Here is the truth. A sale is a partnership between the seller & the buyer. At its best it is a marriagelike relationship. In either case … things are balanced … with one not significantly more important than the other. And why is this important? Well. With balance there is trust. And that is the basis for any long term brand or business proposition. Treat them like a king/queen? Yikes. At some point they will believe they are one and … well … treat the company like a serf (that is bad by the way).
Speaking of how people are treated …
Creative people always have a thread of insecurity (or fear).
If people want to wonder why creative people (or agency people in general) do wacky things … well … try this on for size. Remember what it felt like the first time you were in love and decided to say it out loud? You were scared shitless it wouldn’t be reciprocated. Or, worse, someone would just laugh. Well. That’s life in advertising on a daily basis. Creative ideas and ads and thoughts are emotionally, typically insightful, parts of our soul we elected to have the kahones to share with the public. In the end no client is the enemy, the consumer isn’t the enemy … fear is the enemy. Understand that and you understand the people in the business.
Ok.
I am sure I missed some other truths, but those are probably the biggies.
Good advertising people don’t lie. Either by omission or in actual ‘untruths.’ And they actually have the clients’ business interest in mind with almost everything they do … because when a client is successful, even if an agency may not get credit, they almost never get fired.
That’s the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (at least for today).
rat girl thoughts
Jan 27th
So.
I wrote about Rat Girl (Kristen Hersh) awhile back … and have been meaning to come back to the book and some quotable/comment-able thoughts from Kristen and her book.
Let me say this upfront.
Rarely have I found so many quotable thoughts from one book.
Anyway.
There is no particular order for these thoughts & quotes. I simply wrote them down as I read Rat Girl. So there is some spontaneous nonlinear thinking to be shared (and several other posts will follow using specific quotes).
With that … it seems appropriate to start with this following quote because I love music and I tend to believe it is one of the few global forms of communication with the ability to cross cultures and actually bend cultures …
“They <songs> don’t commit to linear time – they whiz around all your memories collecting them into a goofy pile that somehow seems less goofy because it’s set to music. Songs are weird. They tell the future and they tell the past but they can’t seem to tell the difference.” - K. Hersh
Well.
I am not sure I have ever heard a better explanation for why music is so powerful, oh, and timeless. Great songs & songwriters have the ability to capture moments & thoughts in a way that they become timeless …’ or maybe better said they become ‘a relevant time’ to the listener.
And there are really two thoughts here.
Some songs inspire timelessness on things you are experiencing now … they just express eternal ‘truth.’
And the some songs are, well, not timeless.
What do I mean?
Well.
Not timeless is easy to describe. They are of a genre and style and wording that may make it a hit today but quickly slips away into that irrelevance space that most tepid shit ends up in.
But timeless? Whew. That stuff speaks to you forever. Because, as Kristen suggests, they live concurrently in the past, present & future in what they say and how they make you feel.
You hear it and it can make you think of something that was. And you ache, or think or just laugh a little.
You hear it and it can make you think of something that is. And you ache, or think or just laugh a little.
You hear it and it cam make you think of something that could be. And you are hopeful, fearful … or just think.
That goofy pile of thoughts is less goofy set to music … and by being less goofy it makes you think … think about something.
And that is what makes a great song great.
It doesn’t have to be great grandiose type thinking … it is just thinking.
Once again … if you ever need to explain to someone what makes music the thing that is universal globally … just pull this quote out.
It is a timeless quote.
Next.
“Play a grown up ‘til you grow up.” – K. Hersh
Ok.
Let’s think about this one a little.
This was written by a 19 year old. Bi polar. Pregnant. Fronting one of the most avante garde bands of the time. And she is often thrown into environments where she was expected to be a grown up … and make grown up decisions (or maybe think like a grown up).
Putting this quote into perspective … all she really wants to do is be a musician … to create and play what was in her head.
What did she do?
Play a grown up.
I like this one for a variety of reasons.
Mainly because it was written by a 19 year old. And one who embraced her originality (which would almost presume she would balk at being “grown up”).
But I also like it because in its simplicity it is a Life truth.
I think a lot of teens understand this (play a grown up). And will do it … that is if they are permitted to and it is nurtured.
All teens contain originality. That is what youth is all about.
Some young people are strong enough to “play grown up” on their own (see Kristen Hersh as an example).
But most young people aren’t strong enough … okay … maybe ‘resilient enough’ is a better way to phrase it. They seek to fit in first and foremost. It’s the safest path. And, therefore, true originality is few and far between (being part of a flock isn’t conducive to originality).
So. She reminds us that even those teens who are grown up – are simply acting like it … that is until they actually become a grown up.
Ok. I say all this to make a point.
We adults can either nurture it or destroy it. And destruction is a lot easier than nurturing. Destruction can happen in the smallest word or action.
We adults need to remember this. Not all teens are as strong as Kristen Hersh. Most are more fragile. Does this mean we should pamper our youth? Absolutely not. But be cognizant of repercussions of our actions as we nurture.
Also.
There is a business side to life, yeah, I said life. By business I mean there are rules of the road we all have to follow on how we are supposed to act, what is appropriate or not, all that stuff we need to do and are supposed to do … if we want to get what we want. And this is true regardless of your age. and to make it trickier it all varies depending on the situation.
What do I mean? If you are 19 but put in a situation surrounded by 40 year olds you have one of 2 choices …
(1) act like a 19 year old and get nothing
(2) or act like a 40something and get what you want.
Simple to do? Nope.
But if you don’t even try and act like a grown up and you are 19 in this situation I can promise you one thing, unequivocally, you won’t get shit.
In the end? Play a grown up until you are a grownup.
Another awesome quote in its simplicity.
Next.
This one is mindboggling as she, in her own words, defines passion in life.
“I think you need something in your life that is both beautiful and necessary. A person or a mission or a place. Beautiful might not be pretty and necessary may not be understood, but, still … I think caring, not death, is the passport to heaven.” – K. Hersh
Ok.
I have been tempted to have this quote framed.
And, once again, from the mouth of a 19 year old.
“beautiful may not be pretty and necessary may not be understood.”
Whew.
That is chill bump type stuff.
Not all passion is shared. And what is necessary to you may not be necessary to someone else.
Frankly that thought may be one of the most difficult for people to grasp.
We so often set a ‘standard’ for what is good, acceptable or the ‘best’ for people.
So what happens to the people who don’t ‘fit ‘within the guardrails? They are oddballs … out of the norm or mainstream … and are forced to swim upstream.
Shit. So what about the majority who do go easily within the guardrails? Maybe they never get to see what is beautiful and necessary (what a fucking shame).
Regardless.
This quote is a big thought. A thoughtful thought. And rather that have me define it or explain it I just posted it so everyone could read it … and all I ask is for everyone to think about it.
Because, honestly, I cannot stop thinking about it.
Next.
“If you play too many wimpy chords you’re just asking for wimpy scales. Play colors.” – K. Hersh
This one is awesome for not just for musicians but for anyone in the creative business.
Shit.
This is actually awesome for anyone.
A lot of people are really successful playing it safe. Or doing what others have done. And then there are the few … those who play colors.
I am not suggesting, using her words, that it is bad to be ‘wimpy.’ Because in this case wimpy isn’t bad … it’s just … well … maybe not aspirational. And that’s okay because not everyone does aspirational stuff. And not everyone SHOULD do aspirational stuff. Not everyone s wired for that.
But.
Boy.
“Play colors.”
If you are even closed to being wired this way this simple quote is pretty powerful.
Me?
If I could have one thing in my obituary it would be “we saw colors when he was there.”
Do I believe I deserve that now? Nope.
But that is surely what I am aiming for.
Ok.
This is the last quote I will use from the book.
“Everything about Betty is huge, bigger than life. I’m smaller than life – so unremarkable that I’m practically invisible.” – K. Hersh
So.
I lied.
There was an order in the quotes … at least I that I purposefully put this one last.
For a variety of reasons this one really struck me.
And, no, you don’t need to know who Betty is to think about this and understand it.
But.
Think about this as you read this quote … fact here was one of the most talented songwriters and singers of her generation … and she thought herself unremarkable.
And small.
And it got me thinking.
That word unremarkable.
It’s a big word.
Maybe even an immense word when referring to oneself.
Maybe I like this quote not because I am as talented as Kristen Hersh … but rather because I feel unremarkable.
Not in a bad way. Just that in comparison to some pretty remarkable people I have been fortunate to have known.
Frankly … I tend to believe a lot of people feel the same way. They feel unremarkable. And maybe not invisible but … well … not remarkably visible to the broader world.
And yet I, just as most people I imagine, would like to do something remarkable.
C’mon.
We all want to leave something behind… but how do we do that when we are so small in life.
So few of us actually make an impact … well … a really big impact.
The kind of impact that makes you remarkable.
And I do think the majority of us feel small and insignificant on occasion (if not the majority of the time). I know I do.
And once again that’s not bad. It just is.
But I want to make a difference.
Is it “making people see colors?”
Or implementing the global education initiative?
Or something else?
Heck. I don’t know.
What I do know is Kristen captured the essence of our smallness in a way that was clear and concise and thought provoking.
And it made me want to be sure I at least tried to do something that, in the end, was visible.
So.
You may not like the book (Rat Girl).
And you may not like Kristen Hersh’s music.
But, boy, you gotta like how she takes some really complex thoughts and breaks them down into some really simple words.
Thank you Kristen.
to be yourself or nobody
Jan 26th
“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.”
- ee cummings
Just when I think the battle to be yourself ends when you have gained a certain maturity and finding a place in time when you are “comfortable in your own skin” and whatever success you have attained (which creates at least some affirmation that “yourself’ has some merit) I am reminded that good ole ee was right … it is the hardest battle and you never have to stop fighting a world doing its best to make you like everyone else.
Ok.
To be clear. I am not talking about doubting yourself.
This is about being distinct as an individual … and facing those who maybe don’t want you to be like everybody else … they just want you to be like them.
Here’s the deal.
ee never worked in an organization (as a poet he worked for himself).
So maybe he missed out on the business organization aspect. Because, sure, the world does its best to make you like everybody else but in the business world you often face leaders who try and wear you down seeking to ‘do it my way.’
Well.
Sometimes that is okay (I am not suggesting it is always wrong).
But I sometimes see organizations do their best to take their best & brightest (who are often the most distinct) and constantly do their best to recreate them in a likeness of themselves.
For young people this is often what I caution them to be cognizant of:
Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applause which he cannot keep. ~Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, 1750
Applause is a tantalizing mistress.
And sure. On occasion you may be able to walk in someone else’s shoes and be comfortable … but the most comfortable will always be your own.
And just as each day you put your shoes on and head out we all need to learn to put “yourself” on and head out every day.
And be comfortable.
Oh. And put on a personality & character Kevlar vest.
Because this is a tricky one in the business world.
And I do believe it matters what age/experience you are. Well. At least in terms of what issues your Kevlar vest is trying to deflect.
Younger people are still being molded as well as molding/shaping themselves. So, in general, they are protecting their soul as well as some core of distinctness that kind of makes them who they are (they may get confused at times by mistaking external – how I dress and how I speak – as core distinctness but that is a different post for another day).
But older people have a more solid ‘mold’ and have to be more careful when choosing who to work for, work with and the culture of the organization.
I am not sure this is the best advice to give anyone but I tend to like ‘black & white’ thoughts more because … well … they draw a clear line you can see when considering where to step:
It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not. ~Andre Gide
In the end I guess what I am saying is … if you cannot be yourself, who you truly are, day in and day out … at work and not at work … you really kind of become … well … nobody. Harsh thought? Well, yeah. But sometimes truth is harsh. Oh. And sometimes truth is enlightening … and freeing.
So. Maybe I should end this way …. at minimum … choose to at least know who ‘yourself’ is. Then at least you know what choice you end up making between what you are and what you are not.
facts and creation
Jan 23rd
“Without the hard little bits of marble which are called ‘facts’ or ‘data’ one cannot compose a mosaic; what matters, however, are not so much the individual bits, but the successive patterns into which you arrange them, then break them up and rearrange them.” - The Act of Creation
I find it tragic to watch bright, energetic youth become lethargic and uninspired in the workplace.
Yes. Tragic. Because it is such a waste of not only mindpower but, well, will power. And it is also tragic to the work company because lethargy does not lead to ideas/ideation/creative thinking.
To me? The real problem lies with the older folk (in manager positions) who seem to lack a comprehensive relevant view of learning. Or maybe better said … they have an archaic way of viewing the way it should be done.
There are a lot of leaders (management whatever you want to call them) who appear to be guilty of classifying learning as being a difficult and frustrating experience.
This is in combination with the fact they also tend to have odd views on ‘how to make it fun.’ Oh. And to complete that thought … they have a belief that they have to ‘make it fun’ because learning is difficult/frustrating. Therefore it is a flawed belief system.
Look.
Creative thinking and innovation does not arise out of a vacuum but must be supported by a culture that encourages people to experiment. To experiment with facts, with ideas and products. With the hard little bits of marble as it were.
Original thinking and new ideas has to be nurtured and rearranged in successive patterns … not destroyed and scattered.
We can all encourage creativity by helping young people learn to assess the bits of marble and take intellectual risks in their work & ideation. Does this have to be “made” fun? Nope. And it is, frankly, silly to think it has to be.
Instead this is like providing a spark to combustible matter. I am not suggesting it should be painful but rather fun is slightly less relevant than providing the inspiration to learn and become engaged.
Ultimately I don’t believe management should teach people how to create ideas.
The goal should be to prepare young people to be competent and original in their thinking.
Do that and they will create mosaics like you have never seen before.
Oh.
And in successive patterns.
(by the way … that is a good thing)
fearless work
Jan 19th
Creativity is a tricky thing.
Having been involved in the creativity business in some form for over 20 years I recognize that the best of the creative best are … well … part insecure … and part fearless.
And it’s the fearless part that I am going to write about because I saw this quote somewhere.
“I seek fearless work that challenges me”
- choreographer Martha Graham
This is good stuff.
This is the kind of stuff not for the faint of heart.
And, frankly, this is the kind of stuff for few people.
Because this quote is indicative of someone whose heart lies in doing fearless work.
Oh.
Fearless work means being fearless of failure.
Fearless work does NOT mean doing something wacky just for wacky sake.
Oh. But that is the first thing people who condone fearless work bring up.
You hear words like “stupid” or “what were they thinking” or “I could have told them it wouldn’t work <or be popular or be liked>.”
In my mind those are words of people who fear work that looks fearless. This fear can be disguised as a variety of things … discomfort in something new … misunderstanding … lack of ability to recognize something.
Whatever.
This is about people who actually DO the fearless work. Because people who seek to do fearless work recognize several things:
- how difficult it is (even though it may seem simple to the creators)
- how unpopular it may be
- when to stop being unpopular (the guard rails in fearless creativity)
in fact. I am going to use someone else who pursued fearless work to make the point. Kristen Hersh. The Rat Girl. One of the founding members of The Throwing Muses.
A teen I may add (just to make another point that teens can often be wiser beyond their years).
Here is what she said about the difficulty of pursuing fearless work:
“do you know how hard it is to not know how to sound like other bands? There aren’t any lessons to teach you how to do this and no one can help us figure out what <to play>. It’s hard to learn something that no one can teach you.” – Kristen Hersh
Actually.
I wish I could share this with anyone who is critical of any original idea so they could think about the fact someone is doing something that was self taught … because here was no one to teach).
Sometimes doing fearless work is difficult because you are forging your own path. There are no lessons. There are no rules. There are no guardrails. In fact. The real difficulty is knowing when to put up your own guard rails. Knowing when to stop innovating and just be … well .. creative with fearless work.
Kristen, as a 19 year old teen, pursued fearless work and did some amazing stuff (along with her fellow teen and musical genius in her own right … Tonya Donnelly).
Anyway. I think the fearless ones tend to hear and see things the rest of us don’t. In simplistic terms it is only popular in their own heads.
And unfortunately for the fearless there is only a minority who truly understands what they are doing:
(Kristen Hersh) … “but we play unpopular music.”
(producer) …
“that’s exactly what you play because you’re inventing something. You’re gonna be hugely influential.”
I do believe the best of the fearless best recognize that what they do is unpopular to the majority.
They may not like it. They may not embrace it. But they understand it. And fight their way through it.
Because it is a fact.
All the truly influential fearless creators didn’t have it easy early on. They were creating something … inventing something.
In their fearless work they were paving the way for people to think differently, see differently … just experience something different. Yeah, I know, that is what being influential is all about. But that doesn’t make it any easier.
Fearless work is often unpopular initially.
But there is a difference between bad unpopular and influential unpopular.
Good fearless is about understanding the guardrails.
Oh. Yeah. Those guard rails.
So how do the fearless know when to stop innovating?
“when you start to suck, stop” – Kristen Hersh
Sounds simple … but I believe the best of the fearless best have an internal quality control. In the mind’s of the ‘less mature’ innovative thinking maybe the guard rails are less defined. But. In the best of the fearless best they have that inner barometer to recognize what sucks and what doesn’t suck.
Oh.
And before we start putting too much weight on ‘less mature’ and associating it with age I would like to remind you that Kristen said this last quote when she was 19 (oh, these smart teens as I like to remind those wise stodgy adults).
Like I just said.
The best of the fearless best have an inner barometer. They are born with it. They are born with the guardrails.
But this doesn’t mean there isn’t fear.
Even the fearless creative people have fear.
Everyone has fear (lest we forget).
“We fear the idea of something more than the thing itself.” Steve Chandler
Fearless work means loving the idea of something more than fearing the thing itself. I imagine that thought encapsulates most good things in life. But in this case those who pursue fearless work have overcome their fear in pursuit of what is good fearless work.
Martha Graham.
Kristen Hersh.
A number of other people whose quotes I just didn’t use.
All pursued fearless work.
And created beautiful things.
And influenced how the rest of us looked at things and listened to things.
As for you & i?
All we can do is …
Act.
Do.
Create.
And seek our own version of fearless work.
And in the end maybe we are lucky enough to positively influence people.
And, at its best, maybe we actually be influential.
tolkein part 1: living & adventures
Jan 16th
So.
IMAGINATION_by_archanN
I have been a JRR Tolkien and Lord of the Rings/Hobbit fan since grade school when one ambitious teacher read us The Hobbit during reading time (in whatever grade someone has reading time).
I was fascinated by the battles and the drama and the cast of characters. My imagination went wild with the possibilities and I would guess The Hobbit was one of the first “adult” books I picked up and read on my own when I was old enough.
Looking back … I guess I have always found joy in the metaphorical aspect of all the Tolkien books (and loved drawing the correlations).
But it was The Hobbitt that originally tweaked that understanding and began my love of words and framing of words.
It was this book that opened the door in my mind where I understood books were not just words but thoughts.
And I could probably blame Tolkien for my sense of imagination and some of the ways I view things.
Anyway.
What I really value is that he made me realize good authors/writers didn’t just write things down in some willy nilly fashion.
That authors wote with a thought. And that it was a mistake to take the words at face value but rather it was worth taking some time to understand the meaning behind the words … the messages and the lessons to be learned.
In the beginning, my impressionable youth, it probably took me a number of years to begin breaking down the metaphors into distinct conceptual quotes and truly understanding the genius of Tolkein.
ok.
Enough on all that.
As with any well written fantasy book the Lord of the Rings is strewn with a number of great quotes and soundbite thoughts.
Really thoughtful thoughts.
Not “elvin” thoughts or thoughts using some wacky made up language or simly unrealistic fantasy-like thoughts … but life thoughts.
Here are some of my favorites:
“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” – Gandalf
This thought is huge.
And not all people may buy it. Mostly because it is always difficult to believe that good people shouldn’t have the opportunity to fulfill their potential “good” destiny. And it becomes even more difficult when you observe obviously ‘not good’ living a long life dispensing ‘not good things’ as freely as loose cards from a dozen decks of cards.
But. It is too simplistic to suggest the bad deserve to die and the good deserve to live. Because, frankly, life isn’t all good nor is it all bad.
Anyway.
I guess the bigger thought here is that we judge people ‘as is’ (or as they are)and estimate ‘what will be (or what could be) and .. well … judge.
You can’t.
Sorry.
But you can’t.
Even the best of hearts can be cracked by life.
Even the worst of souls can find redemption.
Regardless.
Gandalf reminds us we shouldn’t be too eager to use death in judgment for bad .. or good. Why? Because, whether we like it or not … “not good” people serve a role in life.
One big role is that it is in the conflict between good people and bad people therein lies the growth of “what should be.”
Think about it.
In those who live, that deserve death, we see vivid demonstrations to remind us of “what shouldn’t be.” And in those who die, who seemingly deserved life because of goodness, it is a harsh reminder that those of us remaining have a responsibility to uphold that “which should be.”
Ok. The quote.
I do know I read this quote several times before I fully grasped it.
And, in fact, I may still be searching for the real truth within.
Regardless. No matter how wise I may become … I cannot see all ends.
And I certainly cannot judge who deserves death and who doesn’t (no matter how much I would like to).
And I think it is either silly, or selfish, to dwell on ‘what could have been’ even with who may be seemingly the best of the best.
In the end?
Try not to judge people. And judge your own life by what you are doing … because you cannot see the end. The end arrives … well … when it wants to arrive not when we choose.
Next.
“It is not your own Shire. Others dwelt here before hobbits were, and others will dwell here again when hobbits are no more. The wide world is not all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.” – Gildor Inglorion
The big thought: “The world is not all about you.”
Wow.
If the Shire were America, and Gildor shared this thought, could you see the ole blogosphere lighting up like a roman candle?
Ignorance is a fence.
And isolationism is living within that fence.
That is fencing yourself from the unknown.
I won’t suggest it’s out of fear or any number of actually good reasons … but isolating yourself (personally or as a country) is never good.
Anyway.
I think the bigger thought here is that we need to always remind ourselves that we today represent a past .. and that we are probably a blip in history (or what will be).
I guess the reason why this quote resonates with me today is that Americans are REALLY focused on what is seemingly “our problems”.
And I guess they should be (I do know I care …. but …) but this quote is a reminder that all in which we live in should have some perspective. What happens in our community is important .. but it is simply one cog in the bigger global wheel.
Bottom line?
Yeah. What you & your community is facing is important. And needs to be dealt with.
But burying your head in your own community means losing sight of the forest. And the issues that reside in the forest. And, frankly, the things the forest can bring to bear against your own little tree in the woods.
The cycle of time brings an end to everything … only to bring a beginning to another. You may as well step beyond your own shire at some point. And that’s not about being adventurous … that is simply about living life.
Ah.
But what about adventures …
“Don’t adventures ever have an end? I suppose not. Someone else always has to carry on the story.” – Bilbo
Adventures are fun to write about.
Especially when you talk about beginning or end.
Because … well .. in my eyes .. true adventures never do end. I could have included another thought … “in each end there is a beginning, and each beginning there is an end.”
A truth.
Life is an adventure. Or a series of adventures. (that is if you elect to look at it this way)
Peoples’ lives end but life doesn’t. Someone is always there to carry on.
Think about it.
Someone is always an extension of the past. No one is totally new.
Your own adventure is simply something you have found a passion for that exists and you are carrying it on … for someone else to pick up again one day and carry it on.
We are all just a chapter in a bigger story.
Never lose sight of that fact.
So ends this chapter of thought.
tolkien Part 2: glittering & wandering
Jan 16th
Ok.
What I said to open Tolkien part 1 still stands (I just didn’t want to repeat it). Here are 2 more stanzas from Lord of the Rings I like:
“all that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.”
- ancient verses of Elvish prophecy
This is one of my favorite quotes of all time.
And it is probably my most used.
While many use the first couplet I like the entire stanza.
Part A. “not all those who wander are lost.”
Maybe because it seems a reflection of me …. maybe its because I think it is a reflection of a lot f people … I use this time and time again when teaching some high school classes and talk with students about their future and making plans and knowing what the hell they are going to do with their lives.
I have written about this thought ad nausea but the truth is that not everyone knows their “destination.”
Particularly in youth.
It takes time to figure out not only what you are good at but what makes you happy (which may not be the same thing) as well as what feeds your life vitality (the shit that makes waking up every morning fun).
People wander. Ok. Not all do … but those who do tend to be some pretty interesting people (not necessarily the most successful … but interesting).
I often use this clip from the old tv show Felicity to make this point:
- (this is called “ben’s big mom speech … and yes … I am actually using a clip from Felicity to make a point here … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_OYgh1_MZA and the actual scene is 1:39 to 3:48 … it says it perfectly)
Ben: “I’d like to think that people take a good look at me before they make up their minds… He’s this guy, he doesn’t know what he wants to be yet, and he doesn’t have a major yet, he’s got his dad as this dark character … has a drinking problem.
I’m not really selling myself here, am I? … Look I understand why you guys needed to see Felicity with someone like Noel… I mean, he’s obviously gonna make it. And probably long before, I mean, I figure out what I ‘m gonna be in my life. But I always remember this one thing my teacher said, which was, all these people she knew they had no idea what they were gonna do with their lives when they were twenty. So, chances are, I’m gonna turn out to be a pretty interesting guy.
It’s a great clip.
And says what many of us at that age felt … even though we were still wandering. What do I mean? Well. The wanderer usually feels like there is something wrong with themselves (and adults are typically fairly quick to suggest just that). I imagine the danger is in defending yourself you stop seeking a destination and revel in the seeming rebellion of wandering.
Regardless.
Wandering doesn’t mean you are lost.
You may simply be discovering.
And all that discovery is needed to make whatever gold you have in you shine.
Time just needs to buff away the dullness a little.
Next.
Part B … “deep roots are not reached by frost.”
Well.
As I have grown older I have grown a larger appreciation for this part.
The first couplet is brilliantly crafted but inevitably I believe the genius of Tolkien was putting the two couplets together.
For the deep roots are found in your soul. This is that life vitality stuff I talk about a lot.
Deep roots is the shit you care about.
Your passion.
Your soul.
The kind of stuff that no matter how much someone may challenge or try to make sound silly … well .. they are your deep roots.
Here is the tricky part.
I think deep roots takes time.
And I don’t mean cultural roots or family roots … I mean personal roots.
Unfortunately (as I tell young people) you don’t get deep <healthy> roots until you are older.
A young person may have an old soul …. but only life experience creates deep roots.
But.
Its worth the wait.
Because even in the coldest and darkest of time … deep roots can never be touched by frost. Which means they will grow again.
Ok. Moving on.
The last Tolkien saying in part 2 … it seemed appropriate to end with this one.
I am a self-anointed nomad.
I am most happy when home is simply where I hang my hat for the moment. And sometimes that is a difficult thing to explain to people because it seems like the majority like the comfort of home … and the stability that comes with it. I find homes confining. I find settling constricting. I find comfort in roaming. I find the unknown freeing.
So.
With that said … roaming and leaving places always reminds me of this Tolkien stanza:
“The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
Still round the corner there may wait,
A new road or a secret gate.”
- Elvish verse
To me (and I know I am in the minority on this) Life is all about “still around the corner there may wait a new road or a secret gate.”
I thrive in the fact that we don’t really know how each day will unfold.
The fact that every day something will happen.
And every day somethings we expect and somethings we don’t will happen.
And, to me, that’s what makes Life interesting.
What you cannot see around the corner.
That new road.
Or that secret gate.
The unknown.
To me each step in life is driven on by curiosity and the joy of discovery. And then not settling with that discovery but rather pocketing it as a new experience and immediately stepping back out on the road seeking the next gate, door or errand …. ‘pursuing it with eager feet’ as it may be.
Look.
I don’t lie to myself and believe everyone feels this way.
But I do talk about it as often as I can.
Because everyone should at least try it once in a while.
Ok. That’s it.
These are just some of my favorite quotable moments but all his books are chockfull of thoughtful literary moments.
Read Tolkien.
Read any literature.
Whatever.
What I know for sure is if you read, and you think about what you read, you can gain perspective on things in a way you maybe have never thought of them ever before.
