For change to take real effect it needs to be personalised.
Sustainability is a word you’re not going to hear too often on this blog. Why? Because it's generally tarred with the narrow brushes of environmentalism, meaning too many people are swept under the carpet. And who wants to be ‘sustain-able’? Big yawn!! The world needs an aspirational narrative everyone can relate to. From the pioneers of the green movement to the president of the United States, it must be in tune with society as a whole and it must transcend categorization. I believe that if we can capture the essence of what’s required on an individual basis (and develop a strategy which reflects the distinct link between happiness and sustainability) we can achieve the wider necessary impact. Or to use an inspirational quote by Saatchi & Saatchi, “To sustain the world, we must sustain the soul.”
I think the problem lies in the magnitude and complexity of the problem, and the inability to involve those crucial people who don’t understand (but probably want to) because in most cases they are being barked at by those who do – or think they do! People don’t respond to orders. Desperation has never been an attractive quality.
Campaign thinking and personal sustainability programs have to go. To make sustainability truly irresistible it needs to become an instinct not a chore. We need to stop treating it like a disease and we need to throw out the scaremongering, after all Martin Luther King did not say "I have a nightmare!".
Despite the blistering pace of technology, this alone won’t get us out of the mess we're in. It’s just a tool kit to dig our way out – or as we prefer to call them, our Secret Weapons! Mark Zuckerberg’s mission is “To make the world more open and connected.” A rhetorical question we’ll continue to ask here is, “Does that make the world a better place?”. The overwhelming answer is no, in fact some argue it's making things worse. As Bruce Mau's incomplete manifesto suggests "creativity is not device dependent". And Kevin Roberts adds fuel to my thoughts when he says "ideas are the currency of the future"!
I believe that with the right language we can change the world, together. One team, one dream! Nothing is impossible. Or as a fellow revolutionary from the North West of England would say, "and the world will live as one". Imagine...
You're probably thinking “What makes you an expert?”, and you’d be right! I’ve been asking myself the same thing for the last couple of years – in my quest for what I hear they call self-actualization! Before I embarked on this personal journey developing the Secretly Famous idea, I had very little understanding of sustainability (it's fair to say I've only reached this spectacular view by standing on the shoulders of giants) and things of a more enlightened nature. But this is what makes me an expert! My experience as a brand consultant has taught me that in a lot of cases, the closer you are to a business or project, the more likely you'll get lost in the details and lose the ability to see things clearly. The result; direction is based on the symptoms rather than the underlying problem. This is not a strategy for sustainability.
I'm from the Steve Jobs school of thought in terms of 'less is more' and my background in graphic design (here's a great video of Steve Jobs talking passionately about my favourite designer of all time, Paul Rand) means I’m never satisfied until I feel the perfect solution has been found. Although I sometimes wonder if Secretly Famous found me! Like Hoagy Carmichael on writing 'Stardust'.
I still (and always will) have lots to learn, but I've decided it's time to come out of the closet! To quote Adlai E. Stevenson, "It's hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse!". Making the world a better place is something we all have a stake in, so please feel free to contribute with your Classified Inspiration! And help us improve our plans to turn the world inside out. Yeeha!!
Sustainability has an identity crisis, incremental change is not enough to inspire the mass movement we need right now. Unless we re-brand this thing soon we’re going to be too late. But that’s enough of my scaremongering! Here’s a real solution...
Whether you’re green, blue or pink with orange dots, it's time to start using the language to change the world! As Bob would say "We'd better start swimming or we'll sink like a stone", or in this case, The Boss.
Your Secret Mission (if you choose to accept it!) is to think of a person who has made a positive difference in your life, to whom you've never fully expressed your thanks. Write them a letter (it can be in the form of an email or on Facebook... or why not do a real one!) and tell them why they're Secretly Famous. Go on, see how good it feels! And if you're happy to do so, come back and tell us what happened.
I hope you enjoy reading this blog which will include regular posts about our progress, observations about the roots of the idea (prepare for some revelations) and a story about the night The Wizard of Oz inspired our strategy!
Isn't it strange that, in order for us to be free, we must be captivated? Here's to the crazy ones!
This post will self-destruct if you don't pass it on. It’s good to shhhare!!!