'Leave the studio': Brian Eno's excellent email advice

The British musician Brian Eno makes music differently.

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Getting out of the studio is critical for his creative process.

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He says:

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‘You’re a completely different person as a maker than you are as a listener. ?A lot of people never leave the studio when they’re making something, so they’re always in that maker mode, screwdriving things in – adding, adding, adding. ?

Because it seems like the right thing to be doing in that room. ?But it’s when you come out that you start to hear what you like.’

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(Heard via Richard Shotton’s excellent book on behavioural science, The Choice Factory)

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Getting the audience perspective is so important – with music, with presentations and yes, with email.

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Because then we know what we’ve actually created, written or said vs. what we think we did.

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But how can we get our audience’s perspective, without constantly nagging our clients or colleagues for feedback?

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How do we move from maker to listener? ?How do we ‘leave the studio’?

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Well, here’s a simple tip: ?Use the read-aloud function on your computer.?

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Hearing your writing read aloud offers a completely different perspective from us reading it to ourselves.

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You’ll hear if you sound friendly or a bit passive-aggressive. ?You’ll notice if sentences go on for too long. You’ll know if it feels light and easy to digest or stodgier than a Christmas pudding.

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I hit the read-aloud button on every email before I hit send. ?

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And I use it for every important client document. Inevitably I can improve what I’ve written, based on the new insights that hearing my work has given me. ?

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So, give it a go. ?Leave the studio. ?Become the listener. ?

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And let me know how you get on (you know I love hearing from you).

I'm a marketing and brand consultant and communication coach. To get your business off that comfy old couch and out there winning business, visit kimarnold.co.uk or drop me a line at [email protected].

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