When I started my career in marketing communications, I did graphic design in the printed realm – brochures, posters and corporate stationery. The final product was limited by the number of ink colors I could use.
Really big-budget printing would use metallic foil embossing and eight or ten different inks.
But an experienced older designer told me that I could actually be more creative on a tighter budget. When the constraints were greater, my creativity could also be greater. If I didn’t have unlimited choices, my ability to come to a better and faster solution would be increased.
In this new era – however long it lasts – we’re all living under a lot of constraints. Simply smiling at someone is harder with a mask on. We can’t give a hug when it would be very helpful.
But stop to think with me about ways we can reach out now – in this time when human connection is needed more than ever. Here are a few ideas I came up with, and maybe you can add more in the comments.
- Spend extra time talking with the neighbor you encounter on a walk. Don’t think about your own schedule.
- Once this week, instead of watching TV, write a letter.
- Arrive at your Zoom conference early. You might have a little extra one-on-one time with the first arrival.
- Call up a friend you haven’t talked with in a few years.
- If you see your delivery person arrive, say a heartfelt word of thanks for their hard work and for keeping life moving forward.
Paul Merrill writes here every First Friday.
300 words a day 