That probably depends on who you ask. If I am, great. If not, you’re certainly free to move along. There’s no shortage of interesting stuff within a keystroke or two. Being interesting is something I think about because there’s so much content – much of it meaningless, that I fear I might just be adding to the dribble.
Chris Brogan always talks about being useful. And he delivers every time. That makes him interesting. I could list many other really interesting people too – here are just ten (but there are always more).
- Ann Handley
- Bob Sutton
- Chris Guillebeau
- David Armano
- Jonathan Baskin
- Mark Earls
- Seth Godin
- Tara Hunt
- Tim Brown
- Valeria Maltoni
Each of them offers a voice and perspective to think about. They add color, texture and context to the thinking I bring to my job each day. From a writing standpoint, while it’s good to have a benchmark for good content, it can be intimidating – these are people who’ve been consistently delivering great stuff. How can I compete? Well, I can’t. You can’t either. Nor should you. Each of us, if we’re going to offer content worth reading need to find our own voice. I’m looking for mine as I write. If you’re always focusing on competing, you’re going to lose because it saps energy from what you offer. And it would be pretty tough to catch up.
I think some of the previous posts here speak to who I am. But I bet some seem contrived. I can feel when I write whether I’m writing from the heart, or writing because I feel like I need to keep up the content. I do know the key to being interesting is to be interested. To be curious about life and everything in it. Sometimes I think I have too many interests that I suffer the tyranny of choice. But I’m getting better at that. After spending two weeks in Aspen Colorado in 1995 with Jay Maisel, he left us with this: “Interesting people take interesting pictures.”
The same goes for writing. Dan Roam talks about how leaving your home country for a few years helps you be more creative because it forces you out of your comfort zone.
I think I’m starting to find my voice. In my head at least. No, I’m never satisfied – the perfectionist in me can never be stamped completely out. But I worry less about what others think – here or in person. There are people I connect with and those I don’t. And when I don’t, regardless of who they are, I’m content to move on. Because I’ve realized the times when I feel at ease around people compared to those I with whom conversation is forced. Why spend time (unless work requires it) with people you’re not comfortable around? People you don’t enjoy?
And although there’s too much of everything, find your voice and you’ll likely find an audience. It’s not just about talent, though. It’s about tenacious hard work fueled by a passion to share. So look to find more of me here delivering observations that matter to some people. And if you’re not one of them, that’s okay. Keep looking because you’ll find it. Do you ever think about being interesting?
