Will You Meet Me in the Field?

"Out beyond ideas of right doing and wrong doing there is a field. I'll meet you there."

Hung on the wall in my home library, this first line from a 13th century poem by Rumi has quietly inspired me with its sheer beauty and only recently has taken on a new life for me. It's hard to explain how this has come about and what that new life feels like. It's part having met with inspiring people, part meditation, part simply the journey I am on. What really matters is that I've had an overwhelming feeling about the importance of humanity and, on an individual level, our ability to see what we have in common with other people rather than what makes us different. At a core level that commonality is simply our humanity.

I've noticed the language of our culture has become increasingly divisive. (Or perhaps I've only become more aware?) People despise others based only on differences and how those differences make enemies.

I believe that if you put away those differences and look into the eyes and heart of your fellow human being, you'll find much in common to celebrate. You'll find love and compassion. That seems like a pretty good platform for dialog and peace.

The whole poem (interpreted into English) says:

Out beyond ideas of right doing and wrong doing,
there is a field. I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each other
doesn't make any sense.

(from Essential Rumi by Coleman Barks)

My Heart Belongs to Indianapolis

I've spent many years convinced that I belong somewhere else, geographically speaking. I imagine myself living in places that I've visited and many I haven't. Vermont, Maine, Chicago, Portland (OR), Sedona, Flagstaff, Big Sur, and so on. I can't quite say why I've felt driven to leave Indianapolis. Sometimes it's that the state feels pretty conservative. Other times it's that we don't have the right energy or enough culture.

Recently my family and I made a 10 state drive to Maine, with a stop in NYC on the way out and coming back through Vermont, upstate New York and Niagara Falls. I loved my walk in Central Park. Maine and Vermont are beautiful. Niagara Falls is spectacular. I've been on a lot of plane trips and road trips. When I head home, I'm always looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and seeing whatever family I left behind. But I'm never all that excited about Indianapolis itself.

This time, something different happened. As we crossed from Ohio into Indiana, the word home drifted happily through my mind. And it was home in the big sense, not the house where I live sense. Home this time meant a feeling that I belong in this place. Passing through downtown Indianapolis, I was irresistibly drawn to the skyline, imagining what was happening on Massachusetts Avenue or on The Circle. I felt love for my city. My home.

The next morning, I took my daughter for brunch in Broad Ripple before a stop for groceries and the kennel to pick up the dog. Petite Chou, where we sat outside on a beautiful July morning, was its always wonderful yumminess. At Fresh Market, a woman from the floral department walked up to my daughter with a pretty pink rose in her hand and said, "Madame, a rose for you?" And, the people taking care of Daphne at Good Dog Hotel were delightful. In a very short period of time, I was given plenty of evidence that Indianapolis has much to offer.

There are plenty of bright, creative people right here to provide my need for connection and intellectual conversation. The arts community is vibrant. We have richness and diversity. Culture is there. (You just have to look outside the chain restaurant and mall zones.) Really, about everything I need is right here where I already am. What isn't, well, I can visit those other places. I guess my heart does belong to Indianapolis. (I cannot even believe I just typed that!)

Use the Proper Perspective When Judging Names

When presenting name ideas, your audience of clients or colleagues are going to have their conscious, logical brains working. They'll be thinking, "do I like it?" This behavior doesn't match the actual experience prospects, customers, investors, employees, donors, users (and so on) will have.

Only people in the branding and marketing industry spend much time picking apart the pros and cons of a name, unless the name is truly bad. Then you might find Joe Consumer having a little sarcasm party. But if your name fits your brand, the average prospect doesn't spend a millisecond on logical critique.

The reality is that people experience names on a subconscious, emotional level. Let's say your elevator speech goes something like, "Hi, I'm Bob Smith, a search engine consultant with Gazillions. I help people navigate the web when they're in search of the right kind of information." The listener isn't thinking "Do I like that name? Does it makes sense? Does everyone love that name? Does that name tell the whole story of this company." No, the listener is processing all of what you've told him (and probably scanning you for clues that he can trust you all while running through a list of 20 things he needs to do later that day.) Your business or product name is just one tiny bit of information. When the brain catches it, it goes to work scanning internal files for what the name might be like (or different) and the associated emotions. The brain might register quick hits like, "Gazillions. That's a lot. Sounds kind of fun. Not ordinary. Maybe risky. Must listen more."

I'm by no means saying the name isn't important. In fact, I believe it is a critical part of your brand signaling system. The name sets a tone or provides information or both. Like a logo or any number of other touch points, a name is an entry point to the images and feelings people will form around you, your company, your products and services.

My point is really about the artificial environment of the creative review. Whether you are doing it yourself, working with a consultancy or are a consultant, you must frame your feedback from the perspective of the message receiver. I'm assuming, of course, that you've also evaluated the ideas to make sure they match the thorough brand strategy you've written. The one driven by your brand essence.

Lesson here: When judging name ideas, remember the reality of the actual future experience, not the pseudo-experience of creative presentations.

Now please, go out and make a great name for yourself.