Manifesto in 40 words
Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 08:22AM 
Last Friday my new business cards arrived in the mail on just the right day. I'd designed and ordered them about 4 days prior, planning ahead to this coming weekend, when I'm attending a women's conference with Frances, a conference at which I wanted to be able to promote my writing by handing out a pretty card with my name and details on it.
This is my second batch of business cards in the six months, my second batch of business cards in my whole life. Don't get me wrong: I've long had business cards for my paid jobs. I even have a collection of those, keeping one from every job throughout my career, a little flip book of where I've been, the professional ups, the professional downs.
But these new cards are just about ME, what I do, who I am, not for the money (yet) but for love.
No More Hedging
With the first batch of cards back in September I was still hedging. My descriptor was "writer, beekeper, yogini." The cards were mini and super cute, my photos printed on the back, bees and flowers and birds all taken in our backyard. As soon as I received the cards, one hive died and I injured myself so I couldn't practice -- hah, very funny. But that's not why I had new cards made, new cards that just say Writer. The new cards say only Writer because that's the only thing I really want to say now. That's what really matters.
So I got these cards in time for this coming weekend's conference with Frances and also, because I had them in hand, in time to hand out to my classmates (selectively) at last weekend's death camp (i.e., death midwifery class, more about that coming soon, promise). Last Saturday, as I was dishing out cards, almost every single recipient asked me, "what is your blog about?" And each time I was asked this, I stumbled on my answer. Personal non-fiction, I said to some. Whatever, I said to others. None of these answers did much to erase the blankness on the asker's face (which might have been the residual stultification from hours of poor instruction, though I digress, oops).
Handing cards out at death camp was great practice, since now I know that I need an answer to "what's it about" before this weekend's conference while I have the time to devise one. ALSO, because this is how things appear to go, I am simultaneously needing to put together a 40-word description of The Force Expansive for the BlogHer network, a relationship that has the potential to bring me ad revenue. The whole application process for BlogHer has so far been fantastic -- it's provided the opportunity for a few serious steps forward and up, first in terms of attribution of photographs used (I have to go back through the last month of posts and make sure all the photo credits are present and accounted for) and now in terms of clarity of purpose.
What is The Force Expansive about?
If you have a blog, I challenge you to come up with 40 words that describe what it's about. Wait, scratch that: if you have a life, I challenge you to come up with 40 words that describe what it's about. It ain't easy, but I am convinced that everybody can benefit from this crucial distillation of purpose. This is precisely what I loved about taking an obituary-writing class years ago -- the way it forced a person to look back and characterize an entire life. What was it, what is it, about? And even though I go through an annual process of goal-setting and vision-making, still I have been having such a beast of a time putting together the right 40 words to write the mission statement of me.
Because let's be honest -- The Force Expansive: c'est moi. And what I'm being asked to write is, indeed, a mission statement.
This is what I've got so far. It's still a draft. Twelve words are still available.
The Force Expansive is me living my best life, making it as beautiful as possible, devoting everything I’ve got, right now, to the only thing that matters: happiness.
People -- my sister Martine, my husband, some friends -- have been good enough to offer more words, to nominate candidates for The Twelve. These words include: smart, clever, funny, trenchant, curious. Another friend reminded me that The Force Expansive is also about balance, about taking risks, about reflection and discovery and inspiration. Another reminded me about the focus on beauty, devotion, and happiness, about being outward-facing, open and sharing with others.
I'm sitting with all of that and thinking about it.
I think about every mission statement-crafting session I've ever been in with non-profits I've worked for. There have been a lot of those sessions in my long career in this sector. They're typically long uninterrupted stretches of off-site time, outside of the normal day-to-day setting and To Do lists, in a more creative space designed to take the lid off the transactional mindset.
And yet I'm trying to write my own mission statement with a few minutes here or there, in my Fuck Yeah Early Early morning writing time, between tasks at work -- in short, trying to make magic in between everything else.
I need a whole day off to do this. And that ain't happening, not this week at least.
But I also need to just manifest this damn manifesto, already.
If you have suggestions, if there are words you'd like to see included, or themes, or what-have-you, comment below. I do want and need help. Even though I'm writing about me and my life, I do see this, in lots of ways, as a team effort. So help me out if you've got help to offer.
Pretty please, sugar on top.
I swear I'm having this done by midnight tomorrow night. On normal days, that would really mean 9pm since I never, ever -- with a 4:30 am wake-up time -- see midnight. But tomorrow is special. I'm going to see a movie at midnight, which means I'll really and truly be awake, and have space and more time to complete work.
Add your comments below so other people can see 'em and possibly be inspired to do the same. Thanks bunches and so much love, as always.
Yeah, it's about me, but I can't do it -- it's not worth doing, really -- without you.
XX
Reader Comments (2)
Love it, Arianne. Will you post a picture of your card?
H
Yes, and if I could see your card, I might not spell your name wrong next time. :) Sorry!!
H