You Are in Charge
No matter what your phone says.
Oh, the Distraction
Right now—like just this second—I turned to my phone to look up a statistic about distraction and got caught up in the mesmerizing radar pics of the atmospheric river headed my way.
This leads me to two other thoughts: 1. In Oregon, we call an atmospheric river a storm, and 2. If I’m going to be sucked in I prefer otter videos.
But this is what I’m saying. I don’t want to be sucked in. At all. I want to be in charge. I want to write when it’s writing time and deliberate in my technology use.
Too often the technology designed to help us be more productive, to speed things up is slowing me down and showering me with messages curated by advertisers politicians, companies, and organizations who want to get their ideas in front of me. They want me to support, pay, and think like them.
But, with self-awareness, we can be deliberate in not only the information we take in but when we do it and how we use it.
I talked to media psychologist Dr. Pamela Rutledge on my other podcast Polly Campbell, Simply Said about digital literacy and how we can be better curators of our digital use.
Rutledge says to start by noticing how we use our screen time.
Three things to help us take charge of our digital use:
Identify digital use patterns. When is the device on? What device do we turn to most? And when?
When we do have a device in hand, how are we using it?
What do we do when we get to that gaming site, or on social media? How long do we spend there and what do we gain?
On the Road
In an hour I’ll throw my black pants—the ones I always wear when I’m speaking—into a bag and drive west. I’m giving a speech tomorrow. About acceptance and resilience.
It’s part of the job, now. Speaking at events. Writers are creative professionals. There’s a lot involved in that and we’ll talk more about it in the weeks to come.
I like writing speeches—for myself and others—and while I’m mostly an introvert, I like going out and talking with others about their ideas and those I write about.
Public appearances at bookstores, on Zoom, at associations or clubs, or corporate training events and other venues are a good way to make a little extra money and meet readers.
This is fun because I get to hear their stories and receive feedback, I also get to bounce new ideas around and see what resonates.
It’s a very personal form of market research.
And it’s been my experience that the most thought-provoking materials come not from Google, but when I’m standing face-to-face with real people.
So I’ll be out in the world, then I’ll come back with more to write about.
What’s in the Desk?
On the Simp;y Write w/Polly podcast, we talk about writing craft and crafting a writer’s life. My favorite segment of the show is called What’s In the Desk? This is when I share my favorite pen, notebook, or other item I rely on in my writing life.
So, what’s in my desk today?
Well, my black pants. They don’t wrinkle, they work for every environment, and I can dress them up or down. Blank pants. No, they aren’t in the desk but in a bag next to it.
Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.
Seth Godin
OK it is time to get to work. Time to make your own stories.
Have a good week writers and sit down and Simply Write
-p
