Talking of loneliness

How to be alone
By Tanya Davis

In no connection to my last blog post at all, but I just like this very simple poetic video by Tanya Davis about how to practice being alone. I like the animations too.
We are quite afraid of it, aren´t we? I like going to the movies alone, but I don´t like eating alone at a restaurant, not even having a coffee by myself, unless I look extremely tied up doing something massively important - like checking my Twitter account. I really don´t like having a drink by myself. Spending far too many years as a blond single woman in foreign countries, the repercussions have been too severe.
I do like being alone. But I don´t like feeling lonely.

I share, therefore I am.

The innovation of loneliness, by Shimi Cohen
Living through Social Media

I think this is the most exciting time to live in ever really. We have everything we could ever ask for. As well as nature, simplicity and friends, we can choose to live with an abundance of exciting technology and efficient electronics. How easily we can get in touch with each other now, how simple it is to stay connected with family abroad, friends in foreign countries and how cheap it is to communicate! We love it! Because if you didn´t - you wouldn´t be on here, reading this!

Unfortunately, a lot of people keep complaining about all this. They think we´ve stopped talking to each other and become lonely. But wait a minute - who has? Have you stopped talking to your friends? Have you stopped your own thoughts and adapted to some sort of general Social Media mass brains, where you only copy and paste whatever is coming in through your own personal account, without any selection, without any connection to your own thoughts?
Or are we actually just streamlining our own personality, identifying what our true interests and passions are, and finding a great way of expressing this by sharing it with our friends?

I would suggest if someone is feeling lonely due to social media, it´s because they´re outside the network, they don´t actually use it as intended, they don´t want to share their thoughts, taste and identity - and therefore - you would be lonely, because you won´t have anyone "talking to you!". You make yourself a social media outsider, an observer, a loner without your own identity. To gain from social media, you need to give. It´s in the word, from the Latin "allies" - you become part of an allied force that will communicate by giving - and taking.

I can assure you that I don´t repost most of the posts in my accounts, because either I disagree with them, or they are naff or they are of absolutely no interest to me. But when I repost something - it´s because it´s something that has resonated with me. Something that has drawn my interest, something that has made me laugh, got me curious or something that has helped me understand the world a bit better.
It´s by choice I do this - not because of group pressure. 
I post a lot of my photos and of course I don´t post the ones I don´t like or aren´t happy with. But I don´t meet up with my friends without having a shower and doing my hair very often either. It doesn´t make sense to say that it´s bad selecting the way we want to present ourselves online to me - it makes the same sense as choosing a specific top when we´re meeting someone.
I haven´t stopped seeing people because of my activity online. I´ve made more friends, made more connections, and met with more people I would ever have met, if I had been sitting at home, waiting for someone to knock on my door to ask if I wanted to have a coffee with them.
Being connected online is for me - as a foreigner abroad, as a small business owner, as a busy mum - a marvellous way to stay in touch and get connected. It doesn´t change the way I am - I´d like to see it as it verifies the way I am! Never has it been easier for people to express their inner feelings, taste and identity - we are free, our minds are liberated, our identities are stronger and we are NOT lonely!!

Helen Reynolds Style Advice video

Helen Reynolds Style Advice
Marketing video 2013

Helen wanted a video for her website, for potential clients to understand a bit more about what she does, who she is and the way she works. It was such a pleasure to work with her and also very interesting.

For anyone interested in giving the right impression, a style adviser is the key to get it right. 

With a soft, guiding approach, Helen will improve your appearance and allow you to find new inspiration in your own wardrobe so you can create new outfits without having to throw everything you already have away.

www.helenreynolds.net

William Orbit World - trailer

William Orbit World - Trailer

Loving William Orbit world - and a reminder of a most amazing show I photographed at Shunt, London, with Anna-Mi Fredriksson and Pauline Amos dancing and painting. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/williamorbitworld

The one thing you need to succeed

Kevin Daum on the foundations of a successful business
(Photo by Mi Elfverson)

So what is the ONE thing we need to have, to succeed with our business. This is what we all ask ourselves as start up companies, entrepreneurs, mumpreneurs, dadpreneurs, anyone who´s running their own business.

Some people say "it´s passion!" you got to be passionate to drive your business forward. Some people say "you´ve got to work hard to succeed". And some may say "you´ve got to network".

Well, Kevin Daum just taught us the only true thing you´ve got to have if you really want your business to succeed. And it´s none of the above.

You need a good business model. If you don´t have your business model and structure in place, none of the above will help.

But the good thing is, that when you have your business model in place - all of the rest will come automatically. You will find the passion, enjoy working hard and go out networking and make your business a very successful one.

And on the way, it may help if you tattoo "New York Times Best seller" on your chest back to front, just as a little bit of an encouragement when you see yourself in the mirror every morning, for the rest of your life...

www.kevindaum.com

Great design should empower, amuse and delight!

Aral Balkan: Great design should empower, amuse and delight

TED Talk

I really like Aral Balkan, he´s just got it right. And he lives in Brighton, a hub for design and creative development. So I hope he can shape the future a bit for us, better than the ticket machine designers in Stockholm.

Design should be helpful and fun, not a struggle and frustrating.

No-nonsense is the business

Kevin Daum - Speaker, marketer, Hit Inc.com columnist, Bestselling author of 5 books...

So after almost a week with Kevin, I feel like I´ve been on some sort of a brain marathon. He can´t stop talking and I can´t stop listening - what a bloody good combination!

Much appreciated talk at The Quadrant in Brighton, ROAR, where 14 local businesses also couldn´t stop listening to this crazy no-nonsens American.

Not everyone was happy about having to take three minutes to prepare a pitch, but all were turned to appreciation, when Kevin guided us back to the right path and the perfect pitch.

We met with several people in the days to follow to talk through their business models and marketing strategies.

I now need to do something just hands-on rather than brains-on for a while.

And then I will return with some tips from the week.

www.kevindaum.com