NOT WRITE IN THE HEAD
I keep waiting for the flash of inspiration to have something to write about. Thinking maybe this weekend I’ll take the camera out and get some great shots that will inspire story.
No reason to write about some Social Media work I’m doing for a client. They kept saying that, “the Parrotheads follow the band, tell our fans…” as if I knew what the Parrotheads were. Thank god for Google, I now know that the Parrotheads are a gang of Jimmy Buffet fans that follow bands that play his music. Who knew?
No reason to write about my first actual writing assignment that involves commentary on this artist Evan Sinclair. I didn’t realize I had an eye for Abstract Art, but apparently I have a mouth for it…or in this case I found words to describe it. I don’t particularly care for most Abstract Artists but for some reason I liked this guy and got what he was all about. Here is an excerpt from the article I wrote:
“It’s been said, that there’s a fine line between genius and insanity. To me, there is even a finer line in the world of abstract art between something and nothing. When you look at a piece painted by Evan Sinclair, you’re either swept up in the motion of color and line or you find yourself lost in a microscopic world of bundled threads and sparks. There is a sense of place that comes from his art as well as a feeling of movement, that’s hard to describe. If you are standing in front of one of his blowing fields of whipped up hairy frenzies, spiraling in twisted color, you will definitely feel it. You’ll be transported to another world, much bigger or much smaller than the obvious geometry of the one you usually live in.”
Then, I have this other client that has asked me to promote a very small part that goes into another small part, that goes into a very large mobile piece of construction equipment. So in researching the industry and the images for it, I stumble across priceless photos. No reason to write about how I actually thought about taking the dog playing the flute out of this image and replacing it with my client’s part within a part. This way it would look like all the construction workers are looking at their part. No reason to admit that…uh uh, no way.
Then there is my own A.D.D. as if I didn’t have enough to do, there’s no point in writing about my compulsion to review my old photos and edit them with the new software I’m learning to use.
Then, somewhere before and after all the things I should be doing, I go back to the compulsion to keep producing this promotional literature. Not sure what its all about, but for the past few weeks, whenever I’m driving around and spot some construction equipment on the side of the road, I pull over and start snapping away with the hopes of capturing a masterful gut shot. Yeah, definitely not gonna write about that.
Not gonna write about the dozens of cold calls I’ve made this week to Restaurant Companies relocating to the south, Real Estate companies who need better photos of their properties, Hospitals who need more compelling and attractive print ads or Furniture Stores who desperately need my help with their website.
I’m definitely not gonna write about a company who I spoke with earlier in the week. They were looking for someone to help them write clever headlines. They forced me to remember the early awkward days of writing headlines for retail clothing stores. “Can you give me an example of some of your old headlines?” they legitimately asked. To which I replied, “well there was this one time, this store wanted to have a sale on light weight leather flight jackets… the headline I came up with was “As Flight As A Leather.” Then I wondered, while I was so impressed with myself if that little bit if cleverness helped me or actually hurt me. Then I continued, “and there was another time when that same client needed an ad to sell cold weather clothing around Thanksgiving time, and I came up with “Cold Dressing On Your Sale-ad”… thinking to myself, “who in the world is better at thinking of headlines than me?” As if that wasn’t enough, then I told her about the concept I once presented to Bear Archery, the makers of Bows and Arrows. They needed an ad that promoted their products to hunters. Naturally, I came up with the headline, “Does a Bear Shoot in the Woods? … Precisely.” Definitely not gonna write about that.
I gotta get back to work… clearly, another day with nothing to write about.
Barry Stein's Blog 
❤ it! Wish I could write as well as you do.
And Jules, I wish I looked as pretty as you. 😉
I had to do a double take of the dog playing the flute. No wonder you have nothing to write about after reading all of that 🙂