It's never as easy as Abc

Last week, I was watching a documentary about the history of music. Inevitably, Nirvana were featured at one point in the story, much of it rehashed reports on the lead-up to Kurt Cobain's tragic death.

But one thing I had never heard before – that was mentioned only incidentally – was the fact that the band always jammed for the first half-hour of any rehearsal, only then setting their minds to specific songs or half-written tunes.

Likewise, designers will take weeks to work their way through dozens of concepts and half-baked ideas before settling on the one that cracks the brief.

And how many times do you hear of artists painting over their work, only for these hidden canvases to be discovered years later and revealed as forgotten masterpieces?

I realise that none of this sounds like a big deal. But believe me, it is.

Because when the amateur writer starts to write, they often expect great things from the moment the pen hits the page. And I mean, great things.

As writers, we can tend to put undue pressure on ourselves to create epic stories worthy of equally epic praise with every stroke of the pen or tap on the keyboard. However, if you take even the most fleeting glance at any other creative pursuit, there is always the basic belief that success does not come straightaway.

What's more, the pressure is doubled by the fact that everyone can read and write. From an early age, we're taught how to recognise and create the letterforms required to communicate through the written word. That said – and as you'll have read in this previous post – we don't spend nearly as much time promoting the creative arts as we do our technical skills.

And so it is that the examples I gave at the start of this post show the way for any aspiring amateur writer.

Firstly, a musician might jam or improvise. So why shouldn't we do the same as writers?

Then there's the act of rehearsing. Things don't always flow straight onto the page, and it takes time and practice to get the words to read and feel right.

And finally, writing is first and foremost about writing. And writing. And writing. Which is different to re-writing. And nothing at all like editing. Three different activities with three different mindsets that ought to be kept entirely separate.

Ultimately, the distinction between the technique and the art of writing is an important one.

We can all do the one, but we should never take the other for granted.

Pumping up the tyres of the recession

People typically reveal themselves when under pressure.

The recession is putting a good many businesses under a fair amount of pressure. I, for one, think that can only be a good thing, but it is enlightening to see how differently the reactions range.

Take financial institutions.

Most have simply screeched to a halt, blinded in the headlights of the oncoming issues. This generation of bankers haven’t really had to make tough calls before about their futures before because all roads seemed to be paved with gold and it was simply a question of degrees of success. And when it came to their brands, as long as the business card was embossed with gold leaf on a weighty stock, none of them really cared. If they happen to have pulled over carefully to the side of the road, they might be able to avoid scrutiny, but if they find themselves at a busy crossroads, it’s likely they’ll get caught in the pile-up.

Many have taken a more dogmatic view. Hunkering down in the comfort of their most recent bonus, they are simply hoping that it will all go away before they have to change their habits. The machine is still full steam ahead, but no one is particularly keen to take the wheel, or even look over the dashboard. And if they do crash, there is a clear belief that the combination of size and sheer momentum will carry their brand through to the other side with only some minor abrasions and maybe a slow puncture.

There are a few that have decided to trade their vehicle, as it were, for a slightly different model. Maybe it’s a different colour, or maybe it’s a more substantial change like smaller engine capacity or lighter fuel consumption. Whatever the difference, they’re trying valiantly to tune their brand to the times without necessarily going so far as to forego it altogether for a completely different vehicle. It’s a sensible strategy, at least for the fact that it’s a little more considered.

And finally, they’re a small number that have decided that to put their foot down and either ram their competitors off the road or car­–jack them at the next set of lights. It’s not pretty, but it’s basic marketing instinct for those who want their brand to prosper not just survive.

But it’s not just financial institutions that find themselves driving their brand manually when they have only ever cruised along in automatic. The recession has hit everyone in different ways. From FMCG to fashion, cars to airline carriers.

That said, a recession doesn’t simply have to be about going backwards, quite literally receding. There are as many advantages as there are disadvantages to be gained by choosing to go forward, even if it may require a small sideways step to get you started.

You might need a push from some friends, maybe a jump–start from an unexpected passer–by, or there might even be a free tank of fuel in a competitor’s abandoned brand.

Anyway, I promise that’s the first and last time I’ll write about the recession. I find them incredibly tedious affairs as everyone (1) gets incredibly anxious at the slightest twinge, and then (2) feels the need to talk about the importance of investing in a downturn with the same fervent passion as a man who has just discovered crack cocaine and is absolutely certain that no one will ever get this high again.

That’s it. No more recession talk. I promise. (Except for a presentation to a client next week – their idea, not mine.)