When Humility Frees Creativity
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It was a humbling week for this word artist. A couple of years ago I formulated the phrase “High Tech & Human Touch.” Technology was now so large and omnipresent, “high task” had become a downgraded Pluto in the Stress Doc’s cultural-lexical alliterative universe. In fact, a proposed workshop-retreat program title developed with friend and colleague, Liz Gibson, was: Bridging the High Tech & Human Touch Divide. Clearly, attention spans were shrinking and face-to-face, honest and empathic communication was suffering while porn sites and panic states were skyrocketing from real intimacy and iPhone disconnection. Though a tad dramatic, it seemed a case could be made that as a society we were “Going MA&DD” through Media Addiction & Digital Distraction. (Alas, I don't just crave alliteration; I'm also the founder of another "AA" 12-Step Group: Acronyms Anonymous!)



Getting back to my lesson in humility…Not surprisingly, I basically adapted the Bridging the High Tech & Human Touch Divide as a title for a soon to be published book – a mix of “resiliency poetry” and “shrink raps” ™, essays and Q & As. Now the title was workable; my subtitle…well, let’s just say a piece of work! There were several iterations, but this should give you a feel: A Psychohumorist’s ™ Hybrid of “Shrink Rap, “Burnout Boogie” & Stress Resiliency Essays and Poetry.



Of course, I’ve always loved my mid-‘90s invention of the role-concept “Psychohumorist” ™ and “Burnout Boogie,” a book collection pre-rap, was penned in the late ‘80s while living in N’Awlins. (I’ll paste it at the end of this essay.) And I coined the term “Stress Resiliency” sometime in 2014. Obviously, this title and subtitle was all about MOI!!! Insight from hindsight. In reality…there’s often no bigger separation struggle than letting go of one’s ego!



Friendly Fire and Flow



And in a subsequent conversation with a Mad City Coffeehouse compatriot, Avi Azrieli, who, btw, just snagged Harper Collins as a book publisher, this was made abundantly clear. My title, and especially the subtitle, had to be accessible to a wider audience, not just budding psychohumorists. At first I played with the subtitle wording; at some point, I believe the next day, I could sing, “Avi Maria, now I can see ya,” (tip of the hat to songwriting and musical genius, Tom Lehrer). I was finally understanding the need for simplicity without dumbing down. And was even ready to raze my cover title/cover page Bridge-Divide theme.



With a brainstorming push from my Mad City brother and fellow writer, Elvis Evans, we started shaking up the title-puzzle. And voila: Preserving Human Touch in a High Tech World! But it’s the subtitle metamorphosis of which I am most proud. (Okay, so maybe I went from EGO- to ego-driven. At least I was no longer Egoal-driven!) Clearly, I had to scrap “Psychohumorist’s Hybrid.” And as much as I liked the alliteration, its replacement was even better: Writings, Raps & Rhymes. The subtitle not only captured alliterative style, but also the three basic content sections of the book. So from the lyrical to the practical and back again…Trumpets please:



Preserving Human Touch in a High Tech World: Writings, Raps & Rhymes on Stress Resiliency, Burnout Recovery, and Digital Sanity



I’ll keep you posted when it will be available for purchase. Sometimes a little humility goes a long way. And with a “little help from your TLC ** friends,” as the Beatles noted, you can be high and still remain humble!



Conclusion: Seven Key Questions-Steps for Experiencing Humility-Driven Creativity:



1. Question your pearls: are they more dazzling (i.e., self-blinding) than crystal clear?



2. If you are quickly smitten by your pearls, show them to others who will provide honest TLC ** feedback; grapple with the same, even if frustrating in the short-run. Sleep on the problem!



3. Is your message accessible to and energizing for a broad audience?



4. Are you employing too clever or intellectual wit when a humanistic-humorous approach will more likely "reach out and touch (perhaps even tickle) someone?"



5. Have you shortened and streamlined your message as much as possible? (Vital in a TNT -- Time-Numbers-Technology -- Driven and Distracted Age.)



6. Are there qualities about your message that help it stand out, in addition to relevant or meaningful subject matter, e.g., rhythm, alliteration, powerful and identifiable concepts, metaphoric-visual imagery, etc.?



7. Have you connected to pieces of cultural history/cultural literacy that likely resonate with your audience, e.g., The Three "R"s: Writing, Raps & Rhyme?




** TLC: The Stress Doc variation – Tender Loving Criticism & Tough Loving Care!




To more good adventures!