Fleshy Bloggers

Had dinner last night with a couple of bloggers: Johnnie Moore and Howard Mann.  What fun!  I've been enjoying Johnnie's blog for about a year and a half and hadn't read Howard's until Johnnie introduced me to it recently.

The interesting thing about actually meeting bloggers in the flesh is that feeling of already knowing a lot about them.  As Johnnie said last night, there's very little of that "who are you?  this is me" kind of interaction; you know a good deal about the other person and her/his point of view.  This certainly happened when I had coffee with Evelyn back in June.

Last night, the three of us quickly started yacking about this and that, and soon settled into a discussion (not quite a "dialogue," right Johnnie?) of an idea clearly important to us: working for cash/working for passion.  We shared all-too-vivid memories of working with clients who had no appetite for exploring the borders of the new social/technical frontier, pooh-poohing, nay-saying and otherwise, "ripping my soul out of my body," as one of us put it.  And yet, we're all running businesses that need reliable cash flow.  So, we'll often do work that's less than satisfying to keep the engine running.

Now, this is a high quality problem, to be sure.  We acknowledged that we live good lives.  But this fire to be involved in meaningful, creative work with our clients, pushing for "next," is undeniable in ourselves and in the broader culture.  And, at a certain point (financial, developmental, existential) we all spoke of making decisions that didn't make economic sense  so that we could  engage in the kind of meaning-making we crave.  That may not be "smart" but it's what many of us do, daily.

One of the joys of living in a long-tail era is the opportunity to find a niche that's yours and live there.  It was great to meet up with a couple of others who hang around out there as well.

Tags: Blogging Work Life

Comments

[EM Sky]

Hey, Tom. Love this post. I have to ask: the discussion/dialogue reference - that has to be a reference to David Bohm, right? Love that book!

I really get where you're coming from, and I have to agree that "smart" isn't always smart. The very idea that "smart" always leads toward short-term financial gain is ridiculous. Reason is a tool. This is rapidly becoming one of my favorite things to say.

We are emotional creatures. We do not exist on money (or the things it buys) alone. A certain amount of contentment comes from money. Beyond that point, it isn't about money at all. Applying the tool of reason toward the goal of happiness is smart. Very smart. No matter where it takes you.

Thanks,
EM

[Michael Wagner]

Tom, your post reminded me of days gone by when I would speak to people on Sunday mornings who also had little or "no appetite for exploring the borders the new". But I am sure you and the others don't hold back too much. More things are caught than taught and people will often pay to see a person on fire. Sometimes even without knowing it they get to close the flames! I love it when that happens! Great post.

[Tom]

Thanks for the comments on this post, EM and Mike. When you think about it, it's unrealistic to expect to make a great living doing what you love...never before in human history could one reasonably expect to do so.

But, for some of us, this now becomes the Holy Grail. It's almost as if making money is easy, but making money doing what you love, doing the things that nourish you and the people with whom you work, is hard; the true test.

Today, I spent several hours working in a zone I love: high-level strategic work with a smart client, much at stake, outcomes in doubt, co-creating important ideas. Remember the old agage: "time flies when you're having fun"? This time flew.