Wednesday Words
To Go Where Your VisionPoints, a few inspiration points for you and your business.
It seems as if an age of genius must be succeeded by an age of endeavour; riot and extravagance by cleanliness and hard work.
—Virginia Woolf
We’re well into the second phase now, I’d say. There are far-reaching benefits to cleanliness and hard work, and I really don’t think a business model in any age would advocate riot over work ethic. It’s worth noting, though, for those of us with our noses too much to the grindstone, that a little riot may lead to the moments of genius we need to have great success.
By all means, get with the times and endeavour. Just don’t forget to cut loose and make room for the flashes of genius.
Grow and be well,
Kelly Erickson
If you enjoyed this post, please Subscribe (it's free!) 
Comment 
Share
Trackback 
9 July 2008, 8:14 am
Riot is definitely a necessity! Ordo ab chao and all that. Great ideas come from crazy brainstorming sessions.
A little red wine (or a lot), a pen and some paper has launched many great things…
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…a cog.
9 July 2008, 9:01 am
Kelly
Again, with that sneaky link about cleanliness and housekeeping..?
You CAN’T convince me to clean my house during summer time. You just can’t (I won’t I won’t I won’t I won’t I won’t).
Well, mabye just a little.
(My Mom’s cover to visit overnight, so I reluctantly tidied up).
9 July 2008, 9:35 am
Brett,
Ha ha. Grindstone by day, father of four at night. You need wine to induce your chao?
Friar,
Yes, dear, it IS all about you.
I was the lady behind you in the drive-through, the day you decided not to buy me breakfast. Now I’m torturing you with subliminal messages about cleaning (try your workstation, it was more to the point). A little ordo from the Friar’s chao.
Regards,
Kelly
9 July 2008, 9:37 am
Kelly,
Nah. It just tastes good, and if I have enough, I can’t feel the bugs biting me in the back yard
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…a cog.
9 July 2008, 9:38 am
LOL!
9 July 2008, 10:25 am
HAH!
My work station is beyond just plain “chao”
It’s more like “Cluster Fuh-chao”
Friar’s last blog post…More Things Old People Like
9 July 2008, 10:31 am
@Friar,
Then just put up a sign reading “ordo ad chao” instead (order to chaos, rather than order from chaos…)
Make sure you print it out on the back side of a cover sheet from the multifunction printer
that’ll get you bonus points at review time.
Brett Legree’s last blog post…a cog.
9 July 2008, 10:35 am
Friar,
Then you knew on Monday that the post was for you. You’ve just been hiding behind the “clean the house” smoke screen.
We want a happy, productive Friar here at MCE. Doesn’t it say that in my tagline?
Later,
Kelly
9 July 2008, 10:42 am
@Kelly,
I can help with the “happy” part of the Friar by bringing a six-pack of strong Polish beer to his house tomorrow.
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…a cog.
9 July 2008, 10:46 am
You guys are hilarious! B and F, that you work at the same place is aswesome. Who’s going to be handing the other a card that says, “Shit, I was supposed to leave this place first?”
I liked this post. This morning I woke up thinking I might have an idea for my story (last night I tossed three of four pages!!) and the first thing I did on coming in my office was clear off my desk so I could be free from distraction. I don’t do well with chaos, not even a little bit, although chaos seems to characterize my thoughts quite well. It’s why I write: to try and order things.
By cleaning my desk (and sort of at the same time mentally sweeping my brain) I am trying to make room for those flashes of genius so I can follow up with endeavour!! I think the gods are with me: my next job got delayed till next week, leaving me time and therefore no excuse.
steph’s last blog post…Get Out of Your Own Way
9 July 2008, 10:56 am
Steph,
Regarding B and F, it’s a closely watched race in and out of the Widget Factory.
I’ve been writing madly of late (not just for work) and like everything else with me, I need a little of each. Ms. Woolf got it right about the era (Arts & Crafts followed industialization, etc.), but on an individual level—oh, dear, it’s all about balance again! Or is it the pendulum?
I think we can see the big-picture trends are toward a new Craftsman era, though. Goodbye, email. Hello, thank you notes. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
Glad you liked!
Until later,
Kelly
9 July 2008, 11:08 am
@Steph & Kelly,
If you read this quickly, it looks like B & E as in Bert and Ernie. And yes, at times the Widget Factory does resemble Sesame Street…
Hey Friar, you okay with being Ernie? I’ll work on the angry Bert eyebrows thing today at lunch.
-Brett
9 July 2008, 11:14 am
\ /
. .
^
o
(Angry Bert Eyebrows emoticon)
Brett Legree’s last blog post…a cog.
9 July 2008, 11:45 am
——
. .
^
o
(Wasn’t Bert a unibrow?)
9 July 2008, 12:48 pm
***
*********
* O O *
* O *
*******
Okay..that’s a really SHITTY looking Ernie!
(but I tried!)
Friar’s last blog post…More Things Old People Like
9 July 2008, 12:49 pm
OMG…!!!
ROFL!!!
I’m just seeing how my Ernie got butchered.
(Really, it didn’t look THAT bad when I submitted it!)
Friar’s last blog post…More Things Old People Like
9 July 2008, 12:53 pm
@Kelly,
I like yours better
@Friar,
As Homer says:
__
_ ,___,-’”,-=-.
__,– _ _,-’_)_ (“”`’-._\ `.
_,’ __ |,’ ,-’ __) ,- /. |
,’_,–’ | -’ _)/ `\
,’,’ ,’ ,-’_,` :
,’ ,-’ ,(,-( :
,’ ,-’ , _ ;
/ ,-._/`—’ /
/ (____)(—-. ) ,’
/ ( `.__, /\ /,
: ;-.___ /__\/|
| ,’ `–. -,\ |
: / \ .__/
\ (__ \ |_
\ ,`-, * / _|,\
\ ,’ `-. ,’_,-’ \
(_\,-’ ,’\”)–,’-’ __\
\ / // ,’| ,–’ `-.
`-. `-/ \’ | _,’ `.
`-._ / `–’/ \
,’ | \
/ | \
,-’ | /
/ | -’
-Brett
9 July 2008, 12:53 pm
(Now how’s that for WP butchering a perfectly good ASCII piece? It really did look like Homer…)
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post…a cog.
9 July 2008, 1:11 pm
Ah hahahaha! Hysterical here on the post!
Both are perfect in my email, though.
9 July 2008, 1:25 pm
@Kelly,
Good! I’d hate a good ASCII picture to go to waste.
^ ^
. .
^
o
(That one I can do.)
-Brett
9 July 2008, 1:59 pm
@Brett
Hahahah!
The jumbled ASCII Homer makes more sense than the stupid document I’m working on right now.
I’m goin’ for coffee…..(or to go walk in traffic). Dunno which yet.
(And later, when I get home, I’m goin’ fishing).
Widgets be DAMNED.
Friar’s last blog post…More Things Old People Like