Why The Weird

Garth Beyer

The mass view top lists, the average find and share the weird.

10 years ago they were one in the same. Five years ago people had the ability to search for the weird, and they began sharing it. Now, though, that has become the average and it’s hurting the weird.

The weird is special, it’s signficant, it’s heartfelt. Now people are monetizing the weird, turning them into top lists.

Don’t find the weird, just to share it. Find the weird to better yourself.

 

Stay Positive & The Weird Will Change The World

Garth E. Beyer

 

(a spin off of Seth Godin)

Seriously, Do You Need To Be Reminded?

Garth Beyer

I had a reporter from a large local news station contact me today, and I was left disappointed.

To maintain my ethical integrity, I will break the message down into its two parts instead of actually sharing what the message said.

“(1) This is what we think we know, (2) we would like to do a story on that. (3) You can reach me here.

(4)Thanks…”

There are many reasons I am sharing this. All are important.

1. (1) This is what we think we know

He was completely off! He knew nothing. It showed that he had done absolutely no research. If you’re not going to do the research, don’t state that you know something. Be blunt and say that you know nothing and want to be informed.

If, however, the information you think you know can’t be found online at all, then at least say that you have looked (and you better have looked hard!) and couldn’t find the information.

2. There was no introduction. Just because you’re a reporter doesn’t mean that someone is going to respond to you. If anything, it makes you seem like a robot, just working the grind of news writing. I can’t imagine what sort of story this reporter will write.

3. (2) we would like to do a story on that

Is that a question? Because if it is, I’m going to opt out. Say you are writing a story on that, not that you want to.

Lastly, there was no call for action in his email. In my head I thought, “Well, great, mr.reporter (purposely in lowercase), I’m glad to hear you have a sense of something false and would like to do a story on it.”

Pitch your writing topic to your editor or boss, not to who is supposed to be your story.

If I was actually able to respond to this reporter (I wasn’t able to, it went to my supervisor), I would have emailed him back with two words.

Good luck.

 

The End Of Add-Ons

Garth Beyer

It’s difficult to add something to a swiss army knife. It’s difficult to add something to a WordPress theme that seems to already have it all. It’s difficult to add something onto a fishing lure that already reflects light, has popping color, and makes noise.

I’ve written about stealing like an artist and combining the work of other geniuses. I’ve shared how to take “the next best thing” and add onto it. However, what I recently noticed is that it is getting ever more difficult to add something onto what is already remarkable. Note: this doesn’t necessarily mean you need to start from scratch.

You may find there is no room to add-on to a swiss army knife, but you can take what you don’t think is regularly useful out and insert something new. For me, I’ve never used the scissors in a swiss army knife. If I need to cut something, I just use one of the multiple blades.

There is only one question I need to ask after I take out the scissors – what do I replace it with? What do you wish a swiss army knife had? The goal is to add an entirely new dimension without changing the size. For the fishing lure, you can take off the noisemaker and add feathers or googly eyes.

Making something unique isn’t just adding onto something; it’s what you remove and what you replace it with.

No one is going to buy a swiss knife that doesn’t fit in their pocket, but someone will choose your swiss knife over another if you have something different.

 

Stay Positive & Destruction Is Fun, Anyway

Garth E. Beyer

We Are Not All In The Same Boat

Garth Beyer

1133650632_a878b67e3f

There are people in the water swimming in place, waiting for a boat they want to climb in.

It’s your responsibility to build that boat.

 

Stay Positive & Go Find Yourself A Crew

Garth E. Beyer

Photo credit

Tell Me What

Garth Beyer

I walked around campus earlier today and saw a couple of people (separate instances) giving something away. They had stacks of something and that was it: them and a stack of something. How could I ever be intrigued to know why I should take it if I have no clue what it is.

Show me a sign. Hollar out what you’re giving away. Tell me what it is.

People rarely express any interest or start to care about something if they don’t know what it is. News writing is a perfect example. Before a writer develops the nut graf (the why you should keep reading paragraph), they tell you what has happened, what the focus is, what the story is.

“Free Bible”

“Pocketbooks for students”

“2014 calendars”

What was it that they were handing out? If they had told me, then I would have been curious why they wanted to give me a free bible, why I need a pocketbook, why they were giving me a calendar when I only ever use the one on my phone.

I’ll never ask why if you never tell me what.

 

Stay Positive & Yes, There Can Be Mystery, But At Least Say You’re Giving A Mystery Box Away

Garth E. Beyer

Don’t Fund It

Garth Beyer

Don’t try to find funds for your venture, don’t pursue investors, don’t take out loans, don’t sell your soul. The moment you make a promise to deliver if you receive funds for it, they own in some instances part of what you deliver, but in most instances, all of what you deliver because you have to shape it to please the investor.

Discover what else you have available,

  • friends.  What skills do they have that can help you?

  • interns.  Who can you help by asking them to help you?

  • space.  Where can you collaborate, experiment, brainstorm?

  • tools.  What do you have that someone else can use better?

  • internet.  This isn’t a question. This is a demand. Leverage the web.

  • knowledge.  What un-used knowledge can you share?

 

Stay Positive & You’ve Got What It Takes

Garth E. Beyer

Why Are Manhole Covers Round?

Garth Beyer

google_manhole

I once heard that those who interviewed at Google were asked why manhole covers were round and not any other shape.

I can’t help but say it’s because the artistic ability to work with something round (rather than the traditional square canvas), which allows for some phenomenal creativity.

The real answer is that a round cover is the only  shape of a manhole cover that no matter how it is turned, it won’t fall into the hole.

But, you know, design still matters after choosing a shape.

 

Stay Positive & Shape Is Only Part Of Design

Garth E. Beyer

Photo credit