There I was, running back to my car. I was holding a shopping bag full of decorational stuff, holding my jacket to shield it from the pouring rain. This happened last Thursday, the day before the start of school. I’d picked up some fake plants, a plush owl (it’s like a teddy bear, but it’s an owl) and a motivational poster amongst others; all to decorate the classroom I’ll be spending much of my time in the coming year. It almost seemed as if the rain marked the end of the fun summer days, like the old man in the sky going, “Back to work again, you lazy sod!” But with the sun out again since this Saturday, I’m not too sure about that hypothesis, sitting in my favourite garden chair whilst enjoying John D. MacDonald’s The Long Lavender Look.
There’s no point to that story, other than the fact that there’s no point. I didn’t trip on way to my car, accidentally stumbling upon the secret to success. Nor does this story somehow showcase a stroke of genius, as I didn’t even think to carry an umbrella – full well knowing it was going to rain mind you.
Which brings me to my point. So I was watching this popular tv show. It has gathered together a handful of singers, sitting next to each other, waiting their turn to sing each other’s most popular songs. At one point, this one singer goes, “Oh dear, I forgot the lyrics to your song, let me check them on my phone.” One or two minutes later, he goes up on stage and delivers this complicated song, making zero mistakes in the process.
Now, I hope you get where I’m going with this: it was all an act. Sure, it made for good television, but it was fake. This guy knew the song inside-out all along, but this is precisely the type of story that people love to repeat to one another. People love to talk about extraordinarily gifted people, boasting about their magical powers, basking in the glow of someone else’s greatness.
This reminds me of this ad writer, whom I’ve mentioned before. He used to have plenty of those type of stories, many of them repeated by others. How many of them were actually true? Who knows. You know what I find interesting? In one sense he wanted to be portrayed as a genius, receiving his gifts from the heavens… in effect making him irreplacable for his clients, thereby justifying his huge fees. In another sense, he wanted to be portrayed as earning his gifts through hard work, telling stories in the classic rags to riches format… implying anyone could learn his ‘secrets’ for themselves – justifying his high-priced courses. Well, you can’t have it both ways, can you? It’s one or the other. Something to think about.
A big part of this, is the belief that personal brand prevails over everything, with many influencers going so far as to create a cult of personality. But I’m starting to believe it’s not everything it’s cracked up to be. Given enough time, people see through this stuff.
On that note, you might remember that I once wrote about Stephen King’s personal brand, and the importance of name recognition. But after reading his book 11.22.63, the story about the guy going back to stop the JFK assassination, let me tell you that it’s not just personal brand. He’s also a damned good writer and story teller. He puts in the work and delivers great entertainment – and has done so for years on end. And there’s no getting underneath that. There are no tricks. And that, my friend, is some food for thought.
Kind regards
Vincent J. Dancet