It’s Monday, and Day Five of my two week video challenge. (If you want to read about it and see the first one, as well as a list of all the days, read/watch day one here.)
Today the whole family slept late. The boys and my wife Holly didn’t wake up until almost 9am, and even I slept close to 7am. (I had a blissful hour of lying on a couch reading a novel.) So, I’m a feeling a little foggy, not so sharp and creative.
And yet, it’s the video challenge. So I asked my heart, made three piles of books, from three different authors, and just added one learning experiement- a different camera angle.
The big question: how do some people write so many books, when there just isn’t that much to say?
What do you think? Are you writing enough?
29 Responses
Mark,
Thank you for this. It is SO true, and so comforting. And as I reflect on my experience with various authors who do restate a lot of their content in different ways, how much I often appreciate that.
And how, as you say, I learn new things each time I come back to it.
If I could make a suggestion for your continued video experiments. Play with loosening up your edit a bit – don’t be afraid to leave the space of a breath before you cut away or the video ends.
To my ear, your style of speaking is very circadian, very breath centered. Maybe feeling the breaths as you think about the timing of an edit would be an interesting exercise…
And please don’t think I’m saying this is bad (in fact, I’d say it’s better then at least 85% of what I see online in both technical quality and content delivery)
Hi Andy- thank you for your kind words about the content and the audio itself. And yes, I saw that quick cut- too quick. Definitely needed more space there.
Very nice. The books make it very real. The selection was relevant. And all these books from the sheikh, the titles kept coming. That made me smile. The message came across too.
The books do make it real, eh? I was kind of amazed being surrounded by so many books from just three people. I was equally amazed that my sheikh has written so much. Oh my goodness- amazing, eh?
It is definitely true.
Besides, it is a common fact that we come back to our favorite books, learning new things each time.
So it makes sense to write about the same things again and again, as to give a new perspective, if only to touch different readers. I guess that frees us from having to writing entirely new content for each blog post, right? 🙂
Same deeper truth, new packaging.
Thank you, Mark.
Right on, Sylvain. Gotta keep writing and putting it out there.
Mark – okay I have to go back and watch the first days — but I LOVE you on video. And I heart this message. It’s been something I’ve been realizing about my FAVORITE non-fiction authors and teachers…it’s the message in their voice and the core message it evolves that keeps me coming back.
Great job!
Thanks! Enjoy the others…
Mark, Thanks so much for doing this video; It is just what I needed to hear today. As I am doing a lot writing, it hit home that different people will see themselves in my writing, depending on the context. Now I can focus more clearly on my message. Thanks, Marla
Right on. Glad it landed. It has sure helped me create what I’ve done.
Great video Mark. I love the last part and the expression of your message. I can feel the truth in it. “If you have one message in your heart that is enough. Say it in many different ways and contextes as possible. Don’t feel you have to be original. Instead what you want to be is truthful and sincere”.
I’ve often struggled with the idea “It’s already been said so wonderfully by so many gifted authors what could my writting possibly add?”
Ah yes… don’t stop there. Just get out and say it. All those wonderful authors? Someone said it before them, too.
Thanks, Mark! I feel like I’ve now gotten permission to keep writing. I’d hit that same wall where I felt that I’d already said it over and over again, but your insights on that cleared it up. I realized that I am putting it in different contexts and in different expressions.
And here I thought that I was watching to get video ideas! Hah, Spirit is very creative.
Excellent! Keep writing! Keep going! Spirit is the definition of Creative. 😉
Floor sitting, stacks of wisdom books, quilted pillows – a very cozy view I would return to again. And I don’t watch YouTube videos much.
Just sayin’….
Right on… I liked it very much myself. I’ll remember that…
Genius!
(And oh my God you remind me of my first boyfriend when he took me to his room and showed me his whole CD and book collection. The pride!)
Well, sometimes I get a flash of something. And I’m not sure if that’s a good thing to remind you of or not… 🙂
I’ve been watching your videos, Mark – not all of them, but a reasonably representative sampling – and this one is definitely the best so far!
And I totally agree with what you’re saying here. I find myself doing this all the time in my newsletter, and in the newsletter I write with my business partner.
Those of use who know our message (what we offer to our clients) also know how to generalize it – how to apply it across multiple situations.
But our clients – the people who need what we’re offering – they don’t know how to generalize. And that’s exactly why they need us!
So to present what we offer in multiple ways, showing them different perspectives, different applications in different situations, truly is a tremendous service. (I’m sure everyone has had the experience of just not quite getting something – until that glorious AHA moment arrives, when someone has explained it in just the right way for us to grasp!)
Having said that, I want to add that there’s a difference between what you’re describing, and something I see that’s annoying and frustrating.
There are a number of highly respected, highly popular books and authors out there that take a perfectly good but quite simple concept and drag it out. They create a book from what’s really no more than an article. They create multiple books from what’s really no more than a single book. And that makes me nuts, especially when they suck me into buying something that’s just a rehash of what I’ve already read!
The difference between what you’re talking about, and what they’re doing, is that they’re just re-presenting the same theory/facts/statistics. They’re not showing the practical application, they’re just dredging up different examples of why their theory is correct.
That’s not useful, and it is frustrating.
What you’re talking about – the unfolding of different perspectives, different practical applications – is a real service to people who are struggling with what we offer.
Thanks for your video, Mark. I hadn’t found clarity around this until I saw it and thought it through, and it’s useful to me. I’ve sometimes thought … gee, how many times can I really say the same thing? And now I can see that the answer is – a lot! 🙂
Yes- absolutely. And if you don’t keep learning and evolving, then your work doesn’t either. And then it gets boring. But if not, then not!
Great point, Mark
And I loved the video angle and full body shot with piles of books on the floor. It really felt very personable, like we were hanging out in your loungeroom talking about books.
Awesome!
I did like the way that shot turned out. Definitely have to remember that one.
I struggled with this point for a loooong time…
I’d have a core message I’d like to share, think of a blog post to share it in, then think of a different context which highlights the importance of the core message, then get stuck, not knowing in which post to share my message.
I then realized that it’s only natural that we repeat ourselves, especially when the message we want to share is an essential truth that is present in many places and will likely come up over and over again.
Glad the point rang true for you. I hope it shakes loose even more great stuff from you.
Quick request – could you write the person’s name at the start of your comment to them, lovely Mark? Otherwise when your comments show up in my inbox, I’m never sure if they’re to me or someone else. Would make life a little easier this end 🙂
Cx
Corrina- I can try to remember to do that. The threaded comments obviously visually on the site don’t need the name- it’s obvious who has replied to it, but hadn’t considered the email version.
Thanks dude – I generally see the comment updates in my inbox so that’d help a ton 🙂
Wow. I just watched this now and it was *exactly* what I was needing to hear tonight. After being blessed with more than a year of working with you Mark, in a very in depth fashion in 2008 and into 2009, I don’t think I was hearing this from you regarding my attempts to start writing online for my business.
And now, as my heart has been deeply moving me to seriously considering blogging for HBB, wow… this just landed and rang so incredibly true within me, so thank you – so much.
And it was especially nice to hear your voice and SEE you too… Just like the good old days of coming to Portland for Sacred Moment and PTP.
Much love to you my friend. Thank you for saying something new-to-me today! 🙂
Jess- so glad it landed. 🙂 Sometimes it just takes time for the penny to drop. Me too… sigh.