Look around at the people in your life – those who have nothing to do with creativity or your work. Those are the people that are going to give you your next great blog post or idea for an advertisement.
1. IRL friend. Or a friend who isn’t on twitter, linkedin, blogging, stumbleupon, etc. More than likely they are on Facebook, but if they aren’t, even better. This person lives in the real world, and only in the real world. They will know what’s going on in the news but not from tweets or status updates. They will know it because they spent time looking for a story and reading articles. Ask them how their experience is without social media. What do they think when they hear all the radio/tv stations asking you to “follow” them.
2. The generation older than you (or 2 generations above you if you can). Ask them to tell you a story about growing up, college life, working, or raising a family. Listen to how they talk, the words that they use and how they engage you into the story. It’s like what Abigail Chase said to Ben Gates in National Treasure, “People don’t really talk that way, you know”. But they should…
3. A family member or friend under the age of 13. I have talked a few times about bringing out your inner child, whether it is through crayons and a coloring book or letting yourself lose control. But, neither are the same as actually talking with a child. Ask them what they think about something going on in the news, or have them tell you about their day. The fervor with which they use to describe one thing or the other is always interesting. Secondly, the younger generation can often help us to be more free, and have more fun in everything that we do.
4. A teenager (13-19). Despite some of them having a surly outlook on life – many of them are still willing to talk and analyze what is going on in the world (or their lives, which usually is their world anyway). Ask them about the communities in their school, cliques, groups, whatever. The same dynamics exist throughout the rest of our lives, but those in their teenage years often have a clearer picture of what is actually happening. In addition, these are the people who will be the most involved with social media, the newest trends and what needs to be created. They are the future of twitter, linkedin, facebook, etc. Knowing what they think and need will help us to craft the tools and technologies before they need them.
The point of these people – whomever you choose to talk with – is to find out a new perspective on something. Or, to take a step away from your everyday and check out someone else’s world.
Who would you choose to talk with? Is there a type of person I am missing?
Related posts:
- Social media friends vs Real life friends
- A phone call? Do people really make those anymore?
- Do you treat your clients like people?
Kirsten
