June 07, 2022
I like trying new things - like new travel destinations, new plays, and new technologies to name a few. Which brings me to The Edge.
Mentioning to a friend that I was typing up a blog post, she immediately asked why I wasn't doing a vlog instead. My reaction was a little bit over the top - I said something like "because I won't do it. I don't want to be in a video, and never will." After hearing my own strong reaction, I started questioning my motives for not embracing vlogging as a good communications tool for my message.
First, I want to be clear. I respect, admire, and take advantage of all those kind people who have posted videos that make me laugh, cry or have taught me things from how to cook a turkey to how to play difficult guitar chords. Thank you all. You have taken me step by step to successful outcomes through your creative and thoughtful posts.
I am not comfortable in front of a camera. But I am comfortable with getting a point across using other methods. For example, I can help you learn and remember just about anything to the tune of "Shake it off", "Old Town Road", "Baby Shark" or most any unforgettable song. I have also used treasure hunts to help my family learn their way around a new town after moving. And of course, stories that we create together or experiences that we compare are very helpful in getting a point across, and in keeping a connection going.
The point is, that there is no one communication tool that suits all situations, all the time. Fortunately for all of us, we live during a time where there is a whole evolving world of ways for people to reach each other. Forget about mobile phones (which were first introduced around 1973). Online Images and text messages weren't even around until 1992. Facebook wasn't around until 2004. Amber Alerts? They started around 1996, and FEMA's WEA Alerts (the emergency notifications you get on your phone that make that loud noise) became active in 2012. And ILOG linked its HELP 2-way alerting platform with FEMA's WEA system in 2017.
Interesting... I think I may have come upon the reason I love my work.
I happen to work with a team of people who are excited to create new communications tools, but that is only half the story. The agencies and businesses we work with are people just like us - you are people who want to make a difference - who want new ways to help people and are happy to participate in the process of creating new ways of doing it. When we all get together, I want to say magic happens, but it is not exactly magic. A shift happens for everyone. New thinking, new perspectives, new excitement, and new understandings spark. A problem in someone's day-to-day work gets transformed into the basis for imagining the possibilities, for being frustrated with limitations, for creating something new, and for theorizing impact.
Together we become active participants in making change.
This periodical invites you to take a walk with us on the edge. We will share thoughts, stories and exercises that have challenged us to understand, visualize and connect. That sentence sounds totally obscure even as I write it. But you will experience the challenge as you read Works of Art and other Edge articles.
Who knows - together - maybe even today - we will figure out how to combine existing technologies in a new way. Or maybe come up with a new way to solve a problem or find a new understanding that makes us into better communicators. Maybe that will happen tomorrow. But either way, our collaborations will be thought-provoking, amusing, and totally enjoyable adventures.
Come along with us and take a stroll on the edge.