WARNING: Don’t read this book unless you want to feel inspired.
At the heart of it, it’s about someone who had a crazy idea and, after a few risks, made it work.
But, in a wider context, I think this is a reminder to all of us that we’re all under the same sky as one another, as well as the people we admire.
And no one can dream higher than the sky because we can’t see any higher than the sky – which surely means it’s worth chasing your dreams?
I know I am.
Can you remember the last time you heard or read a really good quote?
One that left you thinking about it for hours, or even days afterwards?
For me that happened on Friday, and it was from a family friend:
“Times elastic.
It’s a fixed thing.
I’m convinced of it.”
It was context as to just how quickly time it seemed that time had passed.
And for some reason it just really hit me.
It still does now.
That’s it. To add anymore would detract from its impact.
Let’s say someone you know walks over to you sombrely and says:
“I’ve got some bad news”
No doubt you’ll get a sudden knot in your stomach and a hankering to know just what the news could be.
What’s the cause of that sudden anxiety?
Well, lets face it…
Your first thought is naturally; “how will this affect me?”
Can’t help it. Can’t fight it. It’s human nature. Even if the news will only affect you by proxy that’s the first question your mind and body asks.
That’s why WIIFM is so important when trying to sell something.
‘What’s in it for me?’. WIIFM.
That’s the most important question to answer – way before anything else, way before you even try to engage in a sale.
If you haven’t answered that in your sales call/article/advert/email then any conversions will be due to blind luck.
(image credit: The Telegraph)
I’ve been trying to do some screenwriting recently.
It was actually the first kind of creative writing I ever really did.
Because, as a kid (and as an adult), I’m the kind of person who couldn’t just watch a movie and enjoy it, I’d want to do my own version.
Anyway, I re-watched the movie ‘When Harry Met Sally’ the other day.
Why?
A) Because it’s a successful film that I really like
and
B) because it’s a very dialogue heavy film, and the dialogue is great.
After watching it I found a copy of the script online and, man, even when written down that dialogue is still incredible.
It crackles and sparkles. The screenwriter, Nora Ephron does an amazing job.
You can see why Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan agreed to star in it.
As someone with more than a passing interest in acting I’d bite my agent’s hand off to be in it if I was sent the script.
(Although, I’d probably be kind of shocked as I don’t have an agent…)
Is your writing alive? Does it jump off the page and grab hold of the reader? Is it compelling?
If you answered no to any of those questions maybe you should try and turn that no into a yes.
Here’s the screenplay if you’re interested…
(image credit: Columbia Pictures)
Growing up, I lived in the countryside – which meant I was used to country roads and the pace that life moved at.
So, when I started driving, I was a little nervous about motorways and dual carriageways.
“Why?” asked my driving instructor, “if anything it’s easier. The more you can see of the road ahead, the more you can be ready for”.
And he’s right.
It’s like that with creativity.
The more you can see of the big picture, the easier it is to plan.
But I go one step further than this, I take it literally.
So I bought an A3 drawing pad. A nice big space for me to draft out and plan what I do.
It works.
Too often I see people writing on their phones.
Sure that’s okay for a Tinder message or a Whatsapp. But if you’re crafting sentences, writing paragraphs it’s better to see the whole page.
The bigger picture. It’s good.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock on the farthest corner of Venus, you’ve probably heard about GDPR.
And, like me, your inbox has no doubt been flooded by companies you’ve forgotten about – asking you to remember them and let them into your life.
It’s perhaps the one time that everyone in marketing is sending the same email!
What it does provide though, is a good chance to see just how creative your favourite brands can be when tackling the same thing.
I know there are some subject lines I’ve seen that have stuck out in the battlefield of my inbox!
If we can apply creativity here, we can well and truly apply it anywhere…
what if love is like a credit card?
a mysterious one
where you can’t see the limit
time is the currency
oodles of precious time
as each moment passes, does it send us closer and closer to the limit?
to the edge
where we can’t go any further
do we hope to one day find a gold card?
one where too much is never enough
and what about those times when things last too long? when we spend too much?
do we bite into some horrible overdraft?
that we pay off in sleepless nights once things are over
head under the pillow
trying to drown out the soundtrack of happier times
the one that rings in your head
over and over
“Mistakes are almost always of a sacred nature. Never try to correct them. On the contrary: rationalise them, understand them thoroughly. After that, it will be possible for you to sublimate them.” – Salvador Dali.
Some of the best curves in life are learning curves 🙂
Dear diary, the last time I wrote in you I was a boy,
now I’m a man
I remember when you’d meet a 27 year old,
you’d think they were so big and scary
Big, scary, prepared,
with all their shit together
But, now I’m here, I can tell you that
deep down
I’m still you
Still a little bit lost,
still a little bit ready for adventure
still wide-eyed when exciting things happen
You know those things you worried about?
Zits and bullies and not being as clever as everyone
else?
Well, I’ve got good news,
in the end nothing you’re worrying about right now matters
But, what does matter is the lessons you learnt from them,
they made you feel inadequate yet also resilient
And that feeling of inadequacy will cheer you on to do
better things than you ever thought possible
And that resilience will mean you can roll with the punches,
while others find it hard to get back to their feet
I’m still you, you’re still me,
and wherever we go there we’ll be
The last time I wrote in you I was a boy,
this time I’m a man
Perhaps next time I write I’ll be an old man
With more stories to tell.
‘WHAT IF’ will be the most powerful words in your life so far.
They’ll keep you up many nights, wondering, thinking, planning and creating.
If I can offer you one bit of advice
when it does pay off,
drink in those moments – enjoy them, don’t move right onto the next
thing, and make the most of the people who understand you while they’re there.
That’s all I have to say.
I’m still you, you’re still me.
and wherever we go there we will be
Even though I look at the world with slightly older eyes, I’m still that
boy deep down.
I’m still you.
“I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter” – Blaise Pascal, 1657.
As the years roll by and the digital world advances that quote becomes more and more relevant to our busy newsfeeds.
Here’s to not silencing our inner-editors so we can deliver chopped, concise messages when we need to 🙂
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