Networking is an interesting and weird thing. It requires give-and-take.
In a world or culture so focused on taking, and amassing, the 21st century version of connecting with others can cause us to see some things about ourselves that are not so pretty.
The Internet is clearly a place where transparency is a plus.
You must give to get. And what you give has to be of service to those from whom seek to receive.
So how does one get into this mode of giving without worrying so much of what I’ll receive?
For me it starts with passion and honesty.
I like talking to people, and listening to what they have to say, then offering back what I thought I heard them say. If I don’t get the intended message, I want to be corrected.
It’s important to grasp the meaning of what another person is trying to say.
We all like to be heard.
We also like to know that what we said not only has meaning, but that we have communicated the intention of what we have said, and that it is valued.
Misunderstandings give rise to hurt feelings. Misunderstandings often result from improper listening.
The desire to hear what others want to say is a gift. That’s why I like interviewing fellow writers on my blog talk radio show, Book Talk, Creativity & Family Matters.
Yes, I’m a writer and author. I also love to engage other authors and artists in discussing their works, what drives their imagination; I like uncovering the secrets of how they maintain their passion and commitment to their work.
Too often as writers and artists we become single-minded and focused simply on our work and only what we are trying to achieve.
It’s easy to do this, to think that without taking this approach we will most definitely fail.
And fail we will when reaching out to others, but not at achieving our goals. Rather, when we extend a hand to help others moving along similar paths we fail at remaining absorbed with only ourselves and the small worlds in which we toil and lose sight of the big picture, the mosaic upon which we are all working and creating–life.
If art is an imitation, at best a reflection of life, then artists must incorporate life skills, what makes us good people, into the work we do.
At the center of a truly great artist sits the heart of a child, a person who takes wonder in all the world’s great mysteries, of which the least of these is never that of meeting another human.
Sit and observe children at any playground.
The best way to get what you want is to help others accomplish their dreams.
Can I be your friend?
Wanna play?
And the children shall lead.
What was your favorite game as a child?
What are your anxieties about social networking?
What is the aim of your writing?
What would help you get your message out?
How might you assist others in achieving the desires for their work?