#188 - A Suggested Guide for Surviving the Noise of Modern Life
Seeking quiet
This is Adventures in Storytelling your weekly note with resources, insights, and actionable tools for better communication through storytelling. I’m taking a different approach over the next little bit. Let me know what you think.
I have been actively and diligently ignoring the state of the world. Specifically and especially what’s happening south of the 49th parallel. As much as is possible without ignoring myself into ignorance.
That has meant limited social media, short media checking and ignoring all of the outraged texts and messages related to the land beyond the 49th parallel and their leader. Not because I don’t care, but because I care more about my sanity and wellbeing.
But I have a good friend who is very angry. They’ve been very angry since about November 8th 2016. For good reason. Their anger is tinged with hopelessness and sadness. Their anger shows up as outraged texts and notes with links to the latest article about whatever fresh hell is brewing on earth that day.
I passed first year statistics in University by the skin of my teeth. It was a desperate effort to hold onto concepts that were way over my writer’s brain. I got my first C in that class I believe and I was grateful for it. But there’s this concept I learned then that has stayed with me throughout my career in communications. Signal vs. noise. The signal references the most important and relevant data points–the ones that bring to life the story. The noise is all the extra–often irrelevant and distracting–stuff that takes our focus away from the signal.
The leader south of the 49th parallel and his minions are good at creating noise. But the thing about noise is it’s distracting. It makes us lose focus and forget about what really matters. What matters to me right now is maintaining my mental health, supporting the rights of the most vulnerable in the small ways I can, and finding ways to respond to the signals. And not wasting my energy being outraged by the noise. I am a Black woman in North America, I could be outraged all the time for good reason if I let myself. Instead I choose to take walks with my puppy and let him chase me around the house and laugh with unadulterated delight when he is an utter and complete lunatic (because he’s cute while he’s doing it).
I’d encourage you to do the same thing . In life and in your stories. I’d encourage you to not let the noise defeat your sense of purpose and vision. (nb: puppy not essential for success just a bonus). I’d encourage you to unearth the signal in your story and in the world around you and focus there, letting go of the rage-inducing, hope-disintegrating noise.
We live in an era where between social media, traditional media, and modern methods of communication, we are essentially inundated with information. All day. I’m choosing to step back from that. To seek quiet. Not to sit in my privilege but to preserve my energy. That’s what I’m going to be doing over the next few years of upheaval. What’s your plan?
A Story Well Told
Speaking of joy, though I never once said the word. Poetry has become a balm for me. I read it right before bed and when I wake up. I have even begun to attempt to write it as part of my creative practice. “The Ultra Black Fish” was introduced to me at a workshop I attended recently and I have sat with it and others poems by Victoria Adukwei Bulley with reverence and gratitude. You can read it here (it’s the third one down).
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