Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 21 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Work doesn’t speak for itself
— From Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon (here’s a summary of the book)
“Close your eyes an imagine you’re a wealthy collector who’s just entered a gallery in an art museum. On the wall facing you there are two gigantic canvases, each more than 10 feet [3 meters] tall. Both paintings depict a harbor at sunset. From across the room they look identical: the same ships, the same reflections on the water, the same sun at the same stage of setting. You go in for a closer look. […] You can’t detect a single difference. […] You can’t find a label or a museum tag anywhere… The head curator of the museum walks in. You eagerly inquire as to the origin of your new obsessions. The curator tells you that Painting A was painted in the 17th century by a Dutch master. And Painting B… is a forgery. It was copied last week by a graduate student at the local art college.”
Which painting do you want to buy now? You would expect that if it were the exact same thing, both to the trained and the untrained eye, either one of the paintings would bring the same joy. But our mind doesn’t work like that. Our assessment of things, people, services, situations, etc., “is deeply affected by what [we are told] about it.”
We tend to think that our work speaks for itself, but it doesn’t. We are naturally curious and we want to know the story behind it. That’s why we relate (or are repelled!) by the stories brands and people tell.
“The stories you tell about the work you do have a huge effect on how people feel and what they understand about your work, and how people feel and what they understand about your work affects how they value it.”
At the core, we are undeniably human. We need to feel a connection, and personal stories create strong bonds.
Why is this important?
Because our work leaves prints: “realize it or not, you’re already telling a story about your work. Every email you send, every text, every conversation, every blog comment, every tweet, every photo, every video—they’re all bits and pieces of a multimedia narrative you’re constantly constructing. If you want to be more effective when sharing yourself and your work, you need to become a better storyteller. You need to know what a good story is and how to tell one.”
So, what story do you need to tell?
Image from Austin Kleon’s Flickr account: Show Your Work! Album. (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
ACTION
TODAY: We have many stories that depict different aspects of our lives. What is one story that you would like to enhance for your work or your life to be perceived as stronger/better/more valuable/fill in your blank? Please note that enhancing doesn’t mean lying or exaggerating; it means highlighting the best and most positive angle for connections to form, sparks to fly and value to rise.
FUTURE: Take some time to enhance your story in a way that it will connect and create a strong bond with your desired audience. That way your work will—purposely and intentionally—“speak by itself,” saying what you want it to say. Ask yourself the following questions (merely as a starting point), and then go from there to begin crafting your story. It will be very helpful if you can share your story with someone whom you trust and who has your best interest in mind. This person will give you helpful feedback to make your story even stronger. (Hit me up if you want to share your story, I’d love to give you feedback!)
- What do you want to communicate?
- What is your expertise?
- What is your superpower?
- What is a challenge you’ve overcome that someone else can relate?
- How have you been in your customer’s/another person’s shoes?
- What experience do you have with a particular situation/issue that you can share?
- What epiphany did you have when you did XYZ that you can share?
- What example can you give of how you use XYZ that you can share?
Know someone whose story could be told from a different, better angle? Please share this post with that person via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!