Communication is one of the major third house themes. In two posts (inventory three and four) I took stock of all its aspects: ideas, data, language and the various means of sending and receiving information.
When I got to the means I use to communicate, I decided not to go into great detail, but simply write them down and further explore them later.
This list below includes all the forms and platforms I use for both my personal and professional communication. At this moment, part of the latter includes supporting cultural organisations with their communication, hence the press releases, posters and such.
- meeting up in person
- video calls
- phone calls
- What’s App
- sending phone messages
- newsletters
- press releases
- flyers, posters, brochures
- Facebook and Instagram
- blog
- website
- sending post cards and letters
The purpose of this extra exploration was to discern what does and what does not energise me. I can then use this knowledge and awareness to make different choices. Although I might not be able to cut out certain means of communication, because I am bound to use them for work, I can still see if there are other ways to go about it.
The model I used is, again, the starfish. You can find a more detailed description of this tool in the second house section. The questions I was asking myself while looking at the list above were: how does this way of communicating make me feel? Do I enjoy communicating like this? What is the benefit?
In listing my answers, I will specify the three different areas in which I use the type of communication:
- personal
- for my own projects
- for one of my clients
It is necessary to differentiate because I might, for instance, want to keep using a certain way of communicating in my personal life, but no longer spend time and energy on it professionally. This is what I scribbled on the starfish:
Stop
- Facebook and Instagram (all)
- LinkedIN (all)
- newsletters (projects/clients)
- press releases (clients)
- flyers, posters, brochures (clients)
- website (clients)
- sending letters (clients)
Do less of –
- What’s App (projects/clients)
- sending phone messages (projects/clients)
- email (clients)
Keep –
- video calls (personal/clients)
- What’s App (personal)
- sending phone messages (personal)
- email (personal/projects)
- blog (projects)
- meeting up in person (clients)
- phone calls (clients)
Do more of –
- meeting up in person (personal/projects)
- phone calls (personal/projects)
- sending post cards and letters (personal)
- video calls (projects)
- website (projects)
Start –
- sending post cards and letters (projects)
The next step is, of course, to ask: what does it take for me to create these changes? What small actions should I take and in what order?
Actually, the change I wish to see, is what I described when looking at talents, assets, money and resources – the themes of House II. This year I want to see a shift in the type of work I do: less ‘operational’ tasks, more ‘helicoptering’.
At the moment I am training various people so I can stop doing those practical things such as writing and sending press releases and regularly posting on social media. I am not taking on any new publicity work, so in a few months from now, I should have freed myself from those responsibilities (and from a few work email addresses too).
In the mean time, I am creating my own website (separate from this blog) where people can read about the three types of projects that are most in alignment with my talents: (1) one-on-one coaching for creative entrepreneurs and artists (2) team coaching and consultancy for organisations in the arts (3) public interviews with creative entrepreneurs and artists. I will refer to my website on my LinkedIN, Facebook and Instagram accounts, but that will be it. I had already stopped using these social media for my personal communication and cannot imagine myself being very active on either platform in the foreseeable future.
Most things I want to do more of or start are related to those three types of projects I just mentioned. I will be using them to find new clients and communicate with them. With the arrival of spring and the release of many restrictions to slow the spread of the pandemic, in person communication will become much easier than it has been. Which is wonderful, because the way I picture myself building my business, is via referrals and actual live meetings rather than via news letters or emails.
In the month of May my sixth house of work and health comes into focus. This is ideal, because it is exactly when most of my current projects finish and it will be time to acquire new ones. In the mean time, I will keep a screen print of this post on my desk, next to the stack of postcards to be sent to friends and loved ones. More in person, less digital communication – except of course for this blog.
My rising sign 