This may seem like an odd thing for a person who has been blogging for well over 10 years to admit, but the truth is this:
I really don’t enjoy writing.
I thought I did in high school when my papers would earn me high marks. I thought I’d enjoy it so much that I decided to major in journalism in college (eventually). What I discovered was that like most other forms of exercise, working and stretching my writer’s muscles bored me so much that I switched from a print journalism concentration to broadcast production.
When I was a graduate student the first time around, I wasn’t exactly in love with the act of producing scholarly works, but I absolutely loved research. I gladly spent hour after hour in libraries, pouring over primary sources and formulating my own theories. When it came time to put these theories down on paper, that little light that shone so brightly would always burn out as I trudged toward my 10-20-30-page finish line.
I’ve just submitted my first article to a professional library journal, and while I wrote about as subject I know intimately and well, the process of writing was utterly unenjoyable, thanks in no small part to the chronic pain in my hands and wrists, but also because I just didn’t enjoy writing the piece. I’m afraid my attitude will show in my writing, and that’s unfortunate. It’s a subject I that I think is of great interest to many librarians these days, and one that is already starting to gain traction in many libraries. I fully expect to have the article sent back to me for extensive rewrites, although that may just be my insecurities talking.
One night, after holding court and pontificating about user experience, libraries, and studying people, a friend told me that I’d make a fantastic technological evangelist. He said my wide range of experience was important, but that it was my attitude that made me seem like a natural fit for that kind of role. I thought about what he said and there’s a fair amount of truth to it. Public speaking is, for me, very much like theatre and I love performing in front of an audience. I can tell stories, talk with my hands, emote with my face and body and can easily get people to pay attention to what I’m saying when I’m speaking. But as soon as I try to capture even a fraction of that same spirit in essay format, all of the life bleeds out of my words and the text ends up dry and stilted.
Why does this bother me so much, you might ask? Well, as quiet as it’s kept, I made a decision a while back that it was time to give back to this profession that’s given me so much. I want to contribute more to the professional body of knowledge, and even though public librarians aren’t bound by the same requirement to publish as our academic counterparts, being published, conference presentations, and professional service all count a great deal when it comes time to compete for promotions. And yes, I really do believe that user experience is a natural for librarians and information professionals, and I’d like to share what I know and have learned about UX to help others in the profession make the commitment to introducing UX strategy into their organizations.
But I’m hoping the next time I’m asked to produce something, I can contribute via interpretive dance.
Photo by έŁέ¢τяøиί¢ έγέ – http://flic.kr/p/6ML2iP