I can’t stand the rain.

Another week, another post! Backpats for this petite but no less significant an accomplishment!

(2008)

This week’s post is inspired by Ann Peebles’ 1974 hit, which is helping in this rainy Atlanta summer.* I will take that over “Heatwave!” any day. It was nice last night to be out in Atlanta in August, wanting a sweater. I’d just returned from my agency’s headquarters in Hilton Head, SC, where I sweated and huffed and puffed but was able to celebrate a year with the company in a more formal way. Then I freaked out some squares on I-16 screaming along to X on the way home to Atlanta. Deal with it!

(This post is also a tiny bit about growing up without realizing it. At the time of its occurrence, I didn’t necessarily ~cherish~ my adolescence in the way that is culturally popular; I was never the kid who didn’t want to grow up. Now that I am considered in some circles (… my parents, maybe?) to be An Adult, I’m finding myself struggling with a case of Impostor Syndrome. It’s almost as though I cannot believe I have fooled enough people into thinking that I can take care of myself; perhaps more pressingly, that I could be considered any kind of expert on anything. I haven’t moved past a kindergarten-era fear of beets, people. I drink PBR when there are “better” options available. It’s a learning process, every day, these concepts of ability and competency and heroic confidence.)

In short, sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. But, as the French might say, “Aucune réussite n’est si petite qu’on ne puisse la fêter.” 😉 I’ll write more in coming weeks about how I’m going back to France in January (not ForEver, unfortunately … at least, yet).

Without further ado, some bits of a curated Internet:

• I’m subscribed to Miranda July’s Monday emails from persons of note, and I have to say that Gawker has it right: Kirsten Dunst totally wins.
• The top photo in this post is inspired by one of my new favorite Tumblrs, “I’d Croque That Madame.”
• It’s no secret that I love Edith Wharton and late 19th-early 20th century history. I’m currently reading two books, one about the Curzon sisters and another about Gladys Deacon (here’s a good blog post on her. The botched cosmetic surgery! WAX in the jawline! It’s funny how novel those things seem in the 21st century when vanity has always been around). Anyway, naturally I was drawn to this piece in the Smithsonian’s blog about the American “takeover” of British society so well-chronicled by Edith and co.!
• Who came up with the chicken nugget? This is important. I regret nothing.
• I love mostly everything about this NPR piece on photographing famous food scenes in literature. Mostly. Because I cannot help but smart from the omission of Redwall. And if you don’t know, now you know.

*Even if you just know this song as a sample (particularly in one of my favorite music videos of all time), it is so, so good.

On Mondays, self-awareness, tzatziki parties, and the Internet.

Another Monday is nearly over — but this one’s different; it’s my last Monday working on the 15th floor of the Equitable building (I can say with all certainty). It’s been a hard year, but a good growth experience. The whole thing could be summarized as “character-building,” but overall, I’ve acquired a new skill set and a few wonderful new friends. I’m thankful for the opportunity and inspired to move on, having become slightly more self-aware, at least in terms of my professional life. I’ve taken this time to learn what I really like doing, what I don’t mind doing, and what I would rather stab myself in the foot than do anymore. The overall goal being, of course, that I’ll end up doing mostly the things I really like doing, with but a smattering of ambivalence (and not much foot-stabbing), for longer than 1-year contracts allow.

I’m looking forward to the next step. With a little bit of luck, my next big adventure will be in a place that celebrates collaborative creativity, hard work, and the desire to grow and be better and never stop learning.

In other news, to break up my navel-gazing about a quarter-life crisis: for the past several weeks, my best friend, boyfriend and I have been holding a “Saturday Night Supper Club” on the porch balcony of my house. This weekend our friend Skyler was visiting from Tampa, and we made a gorgeous spread of fresh vegetables, brie, and lemony tzatziki while listening to my favorite kitchen music. Here’s a slightly grainy picture I took to commemorate the occasion:

I track what we make every weekend with #SaturdayNightSupperClub on Twitter, if you’d like to read about what we eat, or invite yourself to dinner.

What I’ve been reading on the Internet this week:

• Reinventing Cities With a New Urban Language: I like thinking of ways to characterize Atlanta that would lead someone to say something is “so Atlanta,” a ‘city-turned-adjective,’ according to this piece.
• Speaking of self-awareness! You know how people always complain about how kids these days don’t know how to have a face-to-face conversation? That type of crotchety remark can be annoying, but holds weight in terms of how we think about (and prioritize) our IRL relationships: “Before we could ever think of being ‘offline,’ we had to know what it meant to be online.“
• You drive cars. You drink espresso. You could do both AT THE SAME TIME. (Before anyone beats me to it, at the same damn time.) Also: I can’t tell if this is a terrible idea or not.
• “We’re no longer changing the shape of the physical world or even of society. We are altering internal states, transforming the invisible self or its bodily container. Not surprisingly, when you step back and take a broad view, it often looks like stagnation—or decadence”: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as they apply to our current state — an ongoing obsession with the “tools of the self.”  Here’s a handy graphic of author Nicholas Carr’s proposed “hierarchy of innovation”:

If you’re interested in seeing other pieces of the Web I enjoy on a more frequent basis, add me to your Google+ circles.

Heatwave! Heatwave!!

Blame it on the insanely insane hot weather here in Atlanta, but I’m feeling pretty optimistic on this blazing Monday afternoon. (A lot of that, to be honest, is due to being in an air-conditioned office building and no longer cooped up in my rather stagnant, un-AC’d house.)

What’s been cool on the Internet this week?

• Who’s Your City?: “Too many places…market themselves as if they are some sort of mini-Brooklyn instead of as who they really are at heart.” I think this lends an interesting perspective to Creative Cities/Class/Economy theories, in which urban renewal/economic development can be reflected by the number of creative entrepreneurs in a metropolitan area (while we’re boiling things down). (LOL.) Should we be relying on sheer numbers of hipsters to define the brand perception of where we live? If so, is Atlanta defined by bearded twentysomethings in East Atlanta Village? Or rappers? Is it gross to say “brand perception” in regards to cities? Questions!
• Speaking of the Creative X theories, this article on “The Fall of the Creative Class” has been making it around my Internet circles. There are lots of good points to be read here, even if I don’t necessarily agree with all/most of them. I mostly squinched up my face while reading the article because the whole thing smacked of privilege and inconvenience. Which is always an enthralling angle.
• Why Weird Experiences Boost Creativity: “With your brain re-shuffled, you’ll be in a better position to be creative.”
• So, I’m someone looking to build a career in social media listening and community-building. This article at Get Sponge discusses how great community managers aren’t necessarily those who’d call themselves “experts” (where’s your self-awareness?), but people who understand how to adapt to needs, grow, and perform accordingly. You do your best work when you’re empowered to be creative and do great things! That’s that.
• You’ve likely heard about the passing of Nora Ephron this past week. I loved this snippet of hers. What does it say about navel-gazing and blogging and storytelling? Food for thought. (H/T The Awl)

Stay cool, y’all!

Life in the Ebony Tower and Internet things of note.

There has been no shortage of excitement in the Equitable building.  As of Friday, my supervisor has left our organization for a new position, so the past week has been something of a scramble to ensure that nothing will explode this morning. So far, so good.

In the midst of the scramble, I created the inaugural social media strategy for my place of work, all by my lonesome (maybe someday I’ll obtain the clearance to post it to my kraftwerk page). This kind of exercise is of clear mutual benefit for me and the organization; now that it’s done, I’m pleased with what I’ve written — even if I won’t be around to see my words and ideas in action. The process showed me that crafting digital strategy combines the things I’m good at doing (writing lists, conceptualizing, pontificating on the Internet) with the things I really like doing (talking about social media, taking charge of projects, stretching my brain to solve creative problems; also, writing lists). Identifying this intersection of interest and ability seems pretty instrumental to growing up and figuring things out. The job hunt is going as well as it can at this juncture; as I round out the last month here on the 15th floor, I’m eager not to jinx things. So, on track, then.

That’s all my news fit to print.

Internet things that have recently grabbed my attention: 

• “Art Boot Camp” will run at Atlanta’s MINT Gallery through July. From what I gather, it’s a month’s worth of thinking about art with artists, without the pre-requisite of an art history major — if you have an interest in the visual arts, it’s a way to expand your horizons and learn about cool things! For free! I’m thinking of registering to get myself out of my summer rut of métro, boulot, dodo … into doing meaningful things that make me think differently (and more creatively).
• Facebook: The Psychology and Creativity of Sharing. It must be nice to attend an awards ceremony over on the ol’ Croisette. So what have I learned from reading the debriefs from Cannes Lions, the “world’s biggest” advertising awards show? According to Facebook’s head of brand design, a lot of what we can take away from the “why” of social sharing is more genuine insight into human behavior and interaction (it is, unsurprisingly, capricious and guided by emotion). “Building stuff around people rather than content offers a better experience … Our research indicates that the theory of ‘influence and influencers’ is false.”
• What does a dog day (literally) feel like? Okay, this is kind of strange but has interesting implications: a camera that “records images according to changes in the animal’s feelings.” I’m really conflicted as to how I feel about this, leaning towards “this kind of technology is too too” over “I’m really interested to find out what my dog is thinking.” In the interest of disclosure, I will note to the reading audience that I created a Horsebook account for my horse during the one summer I lived in New Haven (I regret nothing). Still!
• “Why Spotify Didn’t Exist in the ’80s.”
• “How Chris Mohney Creates the Storyboard of Tumblr.” I’ve gone from using my main Tumblr as more-or-less a dumping ground for cat GIFs and pictures of macarons (yes, I know) to making it more personally edited; in turn, using the platform has become a lot more personally interesting. IDK. LOL. I miss Tumblarity every day.
• I’m always looking for new train commute reading. I found this infographic that details what you should read based on your favorite TV shows. So far, these titles are on my 2012 summer reading list: Middlesex; The Heart is a Lonely Hunter; The Basque History of the World. Open to further recommendations!

Happy Monday!

On qualifications, job applications, and a certain job posting.

If you’re familiar with my blog content territory as of late, you’ll know I’m looking for a new job. I’m not going to spend time complaining about writing cover letters or the job market (I don’t believe in beating horses, dead or alive). Additionally, “job hunt advice” posts have become about as novel a concept as sliced bread — that kind of status quo content fits in nicely with the stock-and-flow concept I mentioned in my last post.

Anyway.

So, the job application process. The act itself is nothing particularly exciting, or even all that interesting, but I’m choosing to (contrary to my nature?) take a positive outlook on the process. Twitter followers of mine may have seen the checklist my boss and I drew up for rounding out my professional lifeplan:

Now, the “retire rich” part is, perhaps, a moot point (hi Dad hope you’re not reading this). But making a checklist like this has actually made me consider my strengths, my personality as it would apply to my potential hireability, where I can work to improve my skills. All of this introspection, coupled with a ver-r-ry private survey I’ve been conducting on the language of job postings, assessing their expectations versus my reality, how to get my application to stand out without resorting to document borders or animated cats. This study is, as of yet, inconclusive.

An interesting job posting comes from BFG Communications, a Hilton Head-based agency looking for a digital content manager in its Atlanta office. All applications must be submitted via Twitter. So, they’re not looking for resume screencaps, or link to a LinkedIn profile … only fewer than 140 characters to show your worth as a potential content manager. Makes sense, for an agency that’s ostensibly searching for creativity, ingenuity, possibly a modicum of insouciance in its job candidates.

Could I go so far to say that any socially-minded agency taking the traditional route of resume-cover-letter-rinse-and-repeat … is out of touch? Would you believe I’ve now spent entire weeks considering what the ideal, stand-out application would be? I can’t say how many job postings have stuck in my head for that. long. I did some research on previous “winners” of this type of social media job application “contest.” It’s clear there’s no One True Path to Winning. Which I think is great — there’s no Platonic ideal of a Content Manager, or a Community Manager, or even a Blog Editor (as far as I can tell, anyway). We all write about different things, have differing opinions on the Oxford comma (mine: FOR), have differing strengths on different digital platforms. The Internet! It’s the great melting-pot.

… So here’s where the smarm comes in. Y’all know I don’t normally post things like this, but considering the top image, entitled EMILYS 12 STEP PROGRAM TO GET RICH QUICK coupled with BFG’s search for a Digital Content Manager (wouldn’t you think that’d be right up my alley?), I thought I’d list a few reasons I think I should be hired for such a post, at least per the qualifications listed by BFG.

• “An understanding and passion for the social media universe.” I am well-connected … well, at least on the Internet. I carefully update this blog, my personal Tumblr, my photography Tumblr (minus presently broken cameras); Facebook; Twitter; Foursquare; Google Plus (yeah!); Pinterest accounts on the regular (and, of course, this is not an exhaustive list), and am constantly searching out new and interesting ways to create, and curate, web content.
• “Excellent creative writing and communications skills.” You’ve gotten this far. I talk a lot, I write a lot. Sometimes, I do both at the same time.
• “Familiarity with best-in-class examples of brands in social media.” Community engagement is all about knowing how to approach conversation with your audience, engaging, and providing insight of value. So this is a broad qualification, and I’m going to address it in a specific example. My current favorite story of a brand using social (multi-) media in an interesting, provocative, perhaps unexpected way: Jaguar in Mad Men.
• Combo: “Ability to juggle multiple projects in a fast paced environment./Attention to detail./Ability to work within tight deadlines.” I work best under pressure, with lots of jobs to do. If I am not given jobs, I create jobs; I hate being bored. Ask anyone I’ve worked with — I am able to produce excellent work, across platforms, for different audiences, under aggressive timelines. Additionally, I am manic about immaculate editing. My #1 enemy is a typo. Right next to sloppy kerning.
• “Impeccable spelling & grammar.” See above.
• “Basic Photoshop knowledge/Audio/video skills a plus./Creativity.” I was once a Digital Design & Media Fellow, and helped students create visual aspects to their ePortfolios using Photoshop, but also created materials for promotional use with InDesign and Illustrator. I’m a writer, but I get visual literacy. Additionally, I co-hosted a live-streaming TV show (gone but not forgotten, “Phancy Pheast”) with my friend Neil on the best cat videos on the Internet. Creativity is a nebulous quality, but I’d say I’m a fairly creative person.
• “Familiarity with HTML and back end publishing operations.” Check out what I did for the Nonprofit Summit — the largest nonprofit sector event in the Southeast. I’m also comfortable using HTML to build mass email marketing campaigns, and can appreciate the efficient beauty of a closed tag.
• “Bachelor’s in Journalism, Communications, English or related field.” Will French do? I wrote 50 pages in French for my undergrad thesis. This means, among other things, that I’m fluent, am an excellent translator of francophone spam emails, and can communicate across a limited scope of Romance languages.
• Unlisted qualification: Forever I love Atlanta: Li’l Scrappy says it best. I’ve lived here for a hot minute now, and love every day of it. (Well, nearly every day.) (August is still awful.)

Those are the things I’m good at, and I’m stickin’ to ’em. This is the longest blog post I’ve ever written; if you know me, you know I love a good checklist. So, hire me! I’m yours. If you possibly need more information, you can check out my resume and a couple of samples of my work.