it’s not fancy or eye-catching. it’s not suave or the latest catch phrase, social media induced buzz shcmutz. it’s nothing fun like strategery. but strength is where it’s at for 2010. if this isn’t making sense you might want to check the previous post or catch seth godin’s challenge.

the strength i’m talking about is not about power or the guventor’s muscles. we’re not thinking along lines of sheer brute or blind energy. i’m talking about strength in line with tenacity. strength in the power of together. strength with the connotation of creative freedom, the energy + ideas to do what you know needs to be done. and do it your own way.

strength to not only correct what is skewed but better what is good, elevate what is strong. it’s not a lack of spine that necessitates what we’re talking about but rather a deep desire to change what’s in our power to change. to live up to your potential. to take risks + move beyond a status quo. in the words of william bernbach, “those who are going to be in business tomorrow are those who understand that the future, as always, belongs to the brave.”

this past year has been thrilling + heartbreaking in many ways as the world’s had ups + down that no one could have predicted 365 days ago. with the future as uncertain as it’s ever been now is not the time to pussyfoot around. it’s not the time to slink off into the background or rest on your laurels. i think that we need strength to get out + get beyond.

on a personal level i lost a friend to cancer last week + have seen several people i’m close to in the industry lose their longtime jobs. i’m already digging into that strength.

as an industry, our visual media realm has taken a beating with smaller budgets, shorter timelines + increasing pressure from micro stock, point + shoot + the 16 year old down the street. we’re going to have to get up our strength for this. and if we have even remote plans of using video + hybrid material to it’s potential we need to push so much harder.

in the macro view, the strength applications are almost limitless. dive in, choose a cause, find support + start flexing your muscles – creative or otherwise.

is that sterngth part of our makeup? is that strength within our social fabric? that i can’t honestly tell you. i’m no cheerleader for positivity. but i can feel a change is needed + i think that a quiet, relentless strength just might do the trick.

more inspiration.

we’ve dumped a bazillion dollars into this project now + we just need (fill in the blank) to finish it up now. we want it professionally done with (blank) + (blank) ….. by tuesday.

sound familiar? this isn’t a photography or visual media only phenom as i’m seeing it more + more on all kinds of projects. touched on design previously here but i’m always curious how projects/careers/brands get rolling either at or reach a high level + maintain that… but only to a point. then somewhere along the line it’s like another person takes over entirely. why would you establish yourself + work hard to get a rep + then opt to undercut yourself or your client but taking a lower road on design/photography/etc?

i personally don’t deal with hypocrites often at all though i’ve seen my share. just more in a frame of mind of truly seeing the worth in everything entailed with a particular piece of work. with that in mind, uber well conceived subway stations via designboom, near photographic digital art (check out Flight Patterns by google’s Aaron Koblin) + one helluva sweet film making contraption. you can feel the polished symmetry of thought + final product in these pieces that, unfortunately, is far from the norm.

can’t say enough that once that bar is set you have to keep it there. (if i could draw this would be a stick figure going for the high jump – think hugh macleod).