Why I write in this space…

•  It gives me a chance to touch base with people who matter to me and my work. It gives you a non-intrusive way, to browse the thoughts of the barefoot executive. (You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't want to, right?)

• The thoughts, ideas and viewpoints I share in this space have the potential to spur a discussion between us – discussions that could potentially lead to bigger things for both you and me! When I say bigger things I don't mean it in a parochial way of profit driven business models and opportunities, but rather a more fulfilling and enriching life experience! Have you ever thought of that...? A possibility to do something fun, to learn together, trade our talents, write a song together…? That’s an exciting possibility!

•  On the professional front, I have a resume to confirm me as a qualified professional, but I need something more to make myself memorable and employable in the eyes of a potential client. This is very important because there are so many talented people out there, with the same keywords in their resume, like ‘marketing’, ‘communication’, ‘freelancer’ and so on, with the word ‘expert’ suffixed to highlight each skill . I never claim the word ‘expert’ as a noun or as a verb in written and verbal exchanges with people who I might work with – not because I don’t know what I am good at, but because there are so many factors that come into play to be successful in a project. It’s partly intelligence, partly human relations and partly attitude.  So, what I write and have written in this space, offers the reader a glint of light into my attitude and mind - the mind a typical resume and 60 minute coffee meeting can't reveal. Besides each individual blog posts adds authenticity by exemplifying some of the key claims made in my resume.

 

• This space gives me a chance to interpret a situation, an incident or place in my own way. “....it's a creative outlet for someone who has a point of view and is brash enough to publish it" - remember? if the viewpoint is not revolutionary or too original, you can still make it unique and effective in the way you communicate it. In this age of apps and digital tools, information will always be a click away, but it is how you interpret and connect different bits of information that is becoming more and more valuable to businesses.

•  This blog is my mental gym, my creative outlet and I would also like to share it with people JFF*

Being the hunter and the prey at the same time!

 

                                      

As a freelancer, I frequently find myself in something called the 'hunting phase', where I need to find or create my next assignment that is worthy of time, money and experience. This hunting phase demands networking, connecting, drinking liters of coffee with potential clients and considerable pitching before I'm rewarded. But given that I have only been freelancing in this country /city for three or more years, I have a limited but growing local business network to tap on. But I realized that I could benefit from the business network of my social circle. So I devised a ruse to help me in this hunt. While I don't expect my social contacts to turn around and fill my work hours with exciting new projects, I realized I could use them as references. I speak to them through my blog and they speak for me when they hear of an opportunity.   "Hey, I know a person .....you could look her up online ...she even has a blog, some barefoot ...." and so it goes. However, this is not the only way it works. But often, this is how a new contact or relationship begins!

For me it is a blog, but perhaps for your line of work it's a podcast, a video, an illustration, a Facebook update, a series of tweets, a joke....anything actually, even a good sense of humor or originality presented in a casual yet interesting way to people you know can speak about you or make you memorable in a crowded suppliers market.

And I believe that all of the above, plus the good work you do, will somehow manifest itself into another new opportunity at work! 


BTW, when are we meeting?!
  





*JFF – just for fun
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creatio ex nihilo?

It's the end of a long and interesting assignment at work and the only thing on my mind now is a three letter word beginning with S ;-)

(what are you thinking ?)

The place I have chosen to take that thought to fruition is a little spa town in the Blackforest. This town claims to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul and as you would guess, I fell for it.

Besides rejuvenation, also on my agenda in this trip, is the task of completing a long overdue blog post. It's not that I care so much about posting regularly (remember this space was never intended to be a regular blog in the first place, though it technically is) but I care about connecting with you. This space offers me a chance to speak to you whenever you are ready to read what's on my mind. It's a great way to sync in, facilitate dialogue, or simply keep in touch, so why call it a blog and dilute its purpose and effect?

To tackle this item on my agenda, I try to follow some popular tips offered by accomplished writers, hoping that some of them will turn on my creativity like a faucet. For example, taking long walks, tuning into the sounds of birds, particularly the cuckoo (given where I am right now), and tuning out of my iPod playlist. But this didn't help much with writing as much as it did with shedding adipose tissue and honing my bird spotting skills.  

Then I try soaking in the mineral rich springs of Baden-Wurttemberg confident they would somehow recharge my dormant greycells and aid in writing a piece that is worthy of posting, sharing and reconnecting with you. But again I fail in the writing part. Somehow for me the mineral springs seem to set my thoughts off more along the lines of grooming, vanity and beauty naps – not writing! 

After a few more such failed attempts at writing, in despair I try a shorter, more luxurious, more expensive route - I invest in a bottle of Blaue Spaetburgunder in the hope that the polyphenols might help my unfocussed mind,  but instead I find myself in the kitchen trying to fix a dinner that would pair well with the local wine.

Hmmm…I do remember reading somewhere that to speed up the creative process you have to actually slow down. But how much slower can I walk, soak or sip a glass a wine? This whole creative process thing is making me more impatient than productive, I conclude. And then it hits me.

It's not discipline, grey cells or creativity that I lack, but rather an idea, a story, a thought or in other words, a purpose - an answer to the question, "what is it that I want tell you -here and now?".

I have realized just that…Eureka!(the walk, the wine and the spa didn’t go in vain).

Right now, this is all I want to share.

But next week, I will tell you why I write in this space - in my next blogpost, in this very space, (not very far from now).

In the meanwhile, could the above be an example of creativity ex nihilo?