Sunday, May 17, 2009

voice be taketh away





















There's a point in The Little Mermaid where the screen creates a frame around Ursula's mouth as she utters "your voice" with possibly the creepiest and most sinister tone in cinematic history. It was awful. Yet awesome, even all these years later.

An important theme that keeps running through my head is the reality that your voice doesn't have to be sacrificed to get where you want to go. However, arguably, we all eventually seem to lose our voice -- knowingly or unknowingly -- at some point in our lives in order to get something (or somewhere) we want to be.

Does this have to be the case? And let's take inventory: where is my voice right now? Where has it been over the past few months? And where do I want it to be?

And my blog. My poor, poor blog. You'll notice there was a substantial gap in my entries, and a number of events have transpired since that last entry in February. Apologies. This manifestation of my voice as a brand thinker seemed to take a hit as I worked in real time on brand-like things. A few really spectacular things have happened over that time, including finding out about my future plans at Saatchi & Saatchi and our group's win in NYC earlier this month. (Quick celebratory party. Okay, now it's over. Thanks for coming.)

But, unfortunately, my writing has been lousy. More importantly, my quick thoughts have not left my head. And that, I've discovered, is the most beautiful part of keeping a blog. Yes, it's nice to read/see/observe/celebrate what other people have to say. But a lot of the time, the most impactful role that this blog can play is the same as a journal -- not with the "dear diary" shenanigins, of course, but for me to showcase unedited, quick tidbits.

I've been trying my darndest to keep up with my ever-growing google reader during this hiatis, though. Russell had a lovely entry on jottings a while back that really got me thinking (as his entries typically do). Living an increasingly busy life, which will most certainly be exacerbated by a move to new york, there is little time to feel overwhelmed. Quick little thoughts are equally important as big, mammoth ideas -- both have a place at the table. My voice is perfectly well suited to produce either, so why really focus on the latter within this blog?

And blogs ought not fulfill just one role.

If this here blog is really going to be an accurate representation of my voice as a plannerly person, it's high time I realize that big, little, medium, grandiose, puny, awkward, intelligent and different thoughts are allowed time in the exhibit. In fact, it breaks up the monotony I've discovered in a lot of other blogs out there in the "sphere" of blogs.

So, come listen to me sing. I've cracked open the seashell necklace. And destroyed the evil octopus. We all should start singing more.

And showcasing different sorts of ideas.

Just a thought.

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