Do Less of What You Do and Do It Well...

I've been thinking. Lord knows I've had enough time for that. The weeks and months have felt like I'm carrying chains behind me, each link carrying the disappointment of rejection and heartache as I go.

Then amongst the ruins of the past two years, an announcement of an election is broadcast and there's hope.

Even better, there's a smidgen of light, as Beth Gibbons releases an album, I say another, but this one is her debut solo album since Portishead, not counting the one with Rustin Man in 2002. There is no link between the election announcement and the release of an album from a well-known musical artist, but both brought me a good deal of joy and hope.

Gibbons made three albums with Portishead - Dummy, Portishead and Third. Her overall contribution is 'minimal,' as described by Paste Magazine (I'll post the link to this article at the end of the newsletter, as links don't work in LinkedIn newsletters, what a surprise).

Dummy was the most successful album of the 1990s and I still listen to it. For those born in the '90s, you may never even have heard of Gibbons, Portishead or their seminal album Dummy. I urge you to listen to it if that is the case.

Gibbons promised us a solo album following the one with Rustin Man a decade ago. But it is only now that we are getting to hear it. But waiting ten years was worth it. And trust me when I say this, Lives Outgrown is magnificent, and I've only been listening to it since Friday (31/5). It is my album of the summer, so beautiful I can barely stand to not have it playing continuously in my ears. Her album is thoughtful and asks many questions. Hard as it is to believe, she is in middle age now, as many of us are, and her songs reflect this, she sings of mortality, loss, ageing and death.

Why am I telling you all this?

I'm not a music journalist, and I'm ill-qualified to talk about music in general, but I'm going to talk about Gibbons for a reason, and that will become more evident as I go on. As much as it may make you groan, there is an analogy coming here - and yes a business one.

Gibbons feels unknowable and isn't your usual rockstar or solo siren. She gives no interviews, she doesn't appear in glamorous photo shoots, nor does she dominate social media with her presence. She is characteristically absent from parties and red carpet events - yet people still buy her albums, and music magazines still sing her praises and give her albums 5-star reviews.

She rushes for no one, she seems oblivious to the demands of a music industry that demands so much of its performers. She is no Taylor Swift, no album each year, no arena tours, nothing is known of her private life. But there is a love and affection for Gibbons and a respect for her music. You know you're not going to be disappointed with anything she puts out. That's how good she is. This is how good you have to be to have things on your own terms.

The reason why I mention her is that although not many people I know on LinkedIn are in the music business, we do feel pressured to produce something - even if it's content in the form of words, rather than music. I speak to you as someone who produces words as content, for that is the majority of what people I know do on here and other social media platforms. Having said that, most freelancers, whether they're graphic designers or proofreaders will produce words in order to market their work.

What can we learn from Beth Gibbons?

If you hone your craft and write well, less can mean more. What you say and how you say it is far more important than throwing down an endless stream of consciousness where you try to create meaning from the banality of daily life. It's not an easy habit to break, posting on social media is like a sugar addiction, once you start you can't stop. You think that if you don't post, or say something, you'll miss an opportunity. I'm as guilty as any of you when it comes to banal posting.

What I have discovered is that in the time I've used LinkedIn (as one example), when I've posted every single day I've not had a single enquiry, and when I've posted less, I've had warm leads.

If you can't resist posting as frequently as possible - just be as intentional as you can in what you do write. I know I'm a slave to it because there is a deep need to be liked, and not just to get work. People don't want to admit to that, to the playground mentality and the likey-likeyness of social media.

If we can learn anything from Gibbons, it is, that producing lots of something doesn't necessarily guarantee quality, while posting less content can actually lead us to saying something more meaningful. To not turn ourselves into content machines producing trite content for our 'audience' can make you feel hollow inside and lead to burnout. Better and less frequent work can lead to better clients - and help you to be more creative instead of less.

Less can mean more when you're intentional with your output, and I can see a slow but no less sharp U-turn in the air.

Forces beyond our control have made many of us slow down against our will. This has led to many questioning the what and why of what we're doing. This isn't a massive swell of people, but there's a slow trickle of those who are tired of balancing balls on the end of our noses for the masses.

There has to be more because otherwise, what have the past four years been about?

I have felt lost these past few months, and for me, I know changes are in the air. They may be no more drastic than a discreet re-positioning, of which I'm in the middle of right now. It's not just pivoting for leads, it's a change of attitude, it's a sea-change in who I want to work with and the type of work I produce.

I want it to mean more than just about making lots of money, while at the same time, I'm not likely to say that money doesn't matter, because it does. And it matters even more when you don't have any. It's a privilege to be able to say that money doesn't matter. Even in my worst moments, I still carry privilege, one person's poverty is another person's luxury. I remind myself of this daily, no toxic positivity here, just practising gratitude where needed.

Just stop where you are and breathe, for a moment, and consider what you're doing, what you're saying, what you're putting out there, and if it doesn't feel right anymore, stop doing it, do something else, or change direction, or just do it differently. And make what you produce more meaningful, it won't make what you do seem any less appealing or lacking in quality, but it might just be the best work you ever did - and if you do that you can have everything on your own terms. And your audience will still be there, waiting for you.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/beth-gibbons/beth-gibbons-sets-cycles-of-grief-aglow-on-the-perfect-anchoring-lives-outgrown

_________________________

***I'm now looking to work with those that help neurodivergent communities and individuals, whether you're a SaaS that's created software for someone with ADHD or Autism, a tech company that's forged a new path for neurodivergent people to work in technology, a nonprofit, or mental health professional in private practice. I provide web copy, content and editing services - so get in touch if you'd like to book my services.

****If you'd like to subscribe to my writing outside of copywriting, where I discuss literature, society, and culture through the lens of autism, you can join me here as a paid or free subscriber - https://storystrategistsheher.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile