Inspiration From the Wizard

"Write" the Wizard says.  "Write even when you don't feel like it.  Especially when you don't feel like it."

The aforementioned "Wizard" is actually a very talented guy by the name of Tim Miles.  He's a Senior Partner in a strategic planning and communications group called Wizard of Ads.  Yesterday I was lucky enough to be treated to over 3 hours of hearing him talk about advertising in America and what a business needs to do to be successful at it.

I couldn't wait to get to the presentation because I actually had just discovered Tim and became a huge fan only a week earlier. 

As I was looking up the details about the seminar offered by the Portland Area Radio Council, I saw a link to Tim's blog on PARC's website.  That particular link took me to one of his installments where he was writing about a radio campaign for a local roofing company which, in and of itself, was great, but it got me to clicking on other industry pieces he had written, and the next thing I knew I had made it to his blog website, www.thedailyblur.com

That's when it happened.

By "it" I mean I found the section of Tim's blog where he talks about life in general.  His wife, his children, his sister, his routine, his observations, his nerdliness, things he's learned about life, you name it, he touches on it.  I couldn't stop reading.  One blog installment after another I was reading, and reading, and reading.

Then I hit upon this particular piece entitled, "A Certain Conceit."  In it, he starts out apologizing for not writing, then points out that all of the so-called "smart" bloggers tell you never to point out that you haven't been writing, and he's breaking that rule.  But he says the smart bloggers have what he doesn't have: The conceit, or maybe just plain confidence, to write publicly all the time.

From there, he explains that he had a revelation and knows he just has to follow his love of writing and simply write, and not worry about thinking who is out there wanting to read it, that he'll write about what interests him and hope that others will come along for the ride.

I read those words and thought, "That's it!"  I've had those same exact self-doubts.  Does anyone really give a rusty-rip about what I have to say?

Speaking of "Rusty-Rip"...Tim would say it's okay for me to use the dorky phrases and words I say in my writing.  He also jokes about how he makes up words and knows he shouldn't end a sentence in a preposition but he doesn't care, he'll do it anyway. 

That's also plagued me.  I always envision my AP English Teacher, Mr. Pease, waiting to haunt me.  Mr. Pease knew I was headed off for a career in radio when I walked out the door of his classroom on the last day of my Senior year in high school, because I was already working at a station each day after school.  He was standing at the door to give a handshake to each of us as we departed and when he got to me, he said in his stern voice, "Miss DuPre', you have a gift with words.  Don't squander it." 

Those words have been ringing in my ears for years.  Many times I've wondered if Mr. Pease would think I've squandered everything.

Each time I've written an installment for my blog, I picture Mr. Pease shaking his head in disappointment because I left a participle danging, or committed some other writing offense.

Like saying "Rusty-rip."

And starting out a sentence with "like"....or "and."

But here was Tim saying it was okay to let things dangle.  It was okay to write "wanna" and "kinda" because you just kinda wanna do it!

I felt liberated.  Free at last!!

I then found another piece Tim wrote in answer to people who tell him, "I want to do what you do."  That's the one that really did it for me.  He got to a part where he talked about writing and he just said, "Write.  Write even when you don't feel like it.  Especially when you don't feel like it."

There it is again, that simple statement.  "Write."  In another place he says, "You want to write?  Write.  That's really it."

You wanna write, Lisa?  Then write. 

Write.

Alright, I'll write!

The funny, surreal thing about all this is I didn't think I was going to be able to even go to the seminar.  When my calendar cleared and I realized I could, it was already full, so I put my name on the waiting list, and figured my fate was in the hands of somebody else canceling and that didn't seem likely.

Then I heard from Melissa at PARC that she had found a seat for me.  By this time, I had read so much of what Tim had written, that I could not wait to get there to hear his presentation.  Afterwards, Melissa said, "I want to introduce you to Tim, because I told him how successful your fair was this last year and how you had changed your marketing approach."

In my head I was going, "Okay, Lisa, don't be your nerdly self and geek-out."  I didn't want to gush like a groupie, but what he had to say and what he wrote really inspired and encouraged me, at a time when I wondered if anything could get me excited anymore.

After we talked "business" I said, "You know, I love your blog, and not just the industry-related pieces, but I really love what you write about life, in general."  I told him he had given me the nudge to get back into writing my blog, and he said, "Oh, I want to read it!  Email me the link to it." 

I tried to act cool about it, but I had an internal "Gulp!" thinking, "Oh, no!  Now I HAVE to write!"

But, that's what the Wizard said to do.

Write.

Just write.

Even when you don't give a rusty-rip and kinda don't wanna do it.

Just write.