Let your creativity grow!, originally uploaded by kelsmith1992.
I had this discussion with Michael last night.
Michael and I often have discussions. This is one of the (many) benefits of having a loving, supportive husband who likes to talk to you.
I recommend it. Doesn’t have to be a husband, although the cuddling is an extra bonus, but I do recommend having someone (husband, wife, reason-for-being, friend, pal, confidante, interested toll-booth worker, hair-stylist or intuitive dental-hygienist) available for idea bouncing and general emotional reinforcement.
If you find that you do not have anyone like that in your life, let me know. I’ll fill in temporarily, ’cause everyone needs one.
But back to the point. (Man, can I ramble, or what?)
So I’ve been going here a lot: marissabracke.com
This is the Can-Do-Ologist that I’ve mentioned (still have “Hire Marissa for something” on my list of business objectives). So I often go and read her blog, then link to other things and bounce around various websites reading various things from other “solopreneurs.”
And what I see are these amazing, funky, quirky, creative web-sites that speak to me on a personal level. I love them. The humor resonates, the “conversation” the author is having with you is very engaging.
And then I look at my own website, and it is not of that sort.
And I fretted about that, and was feeling un-creative, un-funky. In fact, I was feeling bland, boring and banal (alliteration purely coincidental).
But then, I thought about my market. My market is mid-sized tech and medical organizations.
Mid-sized tech and medical organizations are not funky, creative or quirky.
Individuals within the company may be, I hope I will get to communicate with those people. But as a whole, as Michael reminded me, businesses once they reach a certain size also reach a certain level of homogeniety related to business identity and communication.
Which means, if I want to be taken seriously, I need to at least introduce myself using that language and adopting those “cultural” mannerisms.
But I won’t love doing this if I abandon creativity and quirky-funkiness (or, funky-quirkiness, if you’re reading right to left), so I need to work in some somewhere.
I am writing the business blog in more of my own voice.
My little brain-teaser download has some of my humor in it.
And when I do trainings and seminars, I really can’t help but work myself into it. It is, I think, one of the reasons people like my presentations.
So I’ll get to be myself eventually, but taking my own advice from my mutlicultural communication seminar, I need to introduce myself in a way that makes sense to the people I’m meeting. Which is a little more formal, and speaking a more corporate language.
And truly, you should really be exposed to the real me in small, controlled doses anyway.
