WORDS MOVE HUMANITY
I’m Going Word Shopping
How much does a new vocabulary cost? Grabbing new words to simplify the message.
Music. Laughter. Solitude. Kindred spirits. Green shoes.
Published January 6, 2014, proving with 1.3 million views, words move humanity. The fewer the words, the more powerful. In this entire video, there are 13 written words and 15 spoken words.
Does the music set the scene? Absolutely. Do the characters enhance the contrasting lives being lived? Definitely, yes. We cannot skip lightly, though, over the cinematography and use of color in this video. Muted tones, specific uses of points of light, the two red jackets drawing the eye in and the green shoes. Green for the viewer, but distinctive in sound for the blind man.
The words. Simple and direct, delivered with empathy and compassion. These are the words that move us. These are the types of words I’m shopping for. Words that breathe life.
I have words. I have notebooks and journals, documents, napkins and sticky notes filled with words. They’re good words. Nothing shabby or embarrassing about these words.
I could argue its not the words that are an issue it’s how they are strung together. Do they make a pretty garland all stretched out across a paragraph? Most of the time, yes. I can use these words to decorate entire spaces colorfully and succinctly. I want more.
The Price of a Good Word
When was the last time you went word shopping? Have you noticed the price of quality words lately? I suppose they’ve always been expensive, certainly the increase of culture and inflation are to blame.
Words are expensive. You won’t find words rich with meaning and integrity on the clearance rack. You’re familiar with the clearance section, right? Those sections filled with words but very little depth. Social media platforms, sales pages, emails with the latest and greatest hack… Once in while you discover a gem buried within one of these. Once in a while.
The expensive words, their purchase price is calculated in time not dollar signs. Your time. Our culture is burgeoning with, culture. Never before has humanity enjoyed such diversity in living! All at our fingertips… Literally.
Our time-to-living ratio is quite thin. Time inflation ( a general increase in activity opportunity leading to the depletion of time) ravenously gobbles up our attention.
Words with intensity require an investment of time. Collecting those words, hunting down the articles, books and essays, acquiring complementary meanings and selecting appropriate packaging and storage involves time and dedication.
The Goldilocks Approach
Remember the words you used as a child? We all indulged in gibberish and mispronunciations as children. You blurted out big words, inappropriately, while trying to sound grown up.
I remember when I was about seven and wanted so desperately to sound adult -ish in front of one of my friends. I bounced out an F Bomb. I had NO IDEA what it meant but I knew it was a favorite word used by grown ups. My mom, however, was not impressed.
This is the epitome of the Goldilocks Approach. Trying on words to see if they fit. The F bomb clearly did not fit my seven year old self. Honestly, it doesn’t fit my adult self either.
Some words are beautiful, perfectly poised but don’t fit the genre. Others are clunky, bumbling, they feel almost like you’ve put your shoes on the wrong feet. In the right context, though, they sing harmoniously with their contemporaries.
Taste lots of words! See if they’re too hot, too cold or just right. Nibble on hors d’oeuvres, desserts, main courses, every word delicacy you can find! The smallest bite may bring the most flavor to the feast your creating.
Vaynerchuk VS Godin
Could any two individuals be more polar opposite? Gary Vaynerchuk and Seth Godin are never at a loss for words. Both are brilliant, well spoken businessmen.
The words they use are powerful. Godin employs strong words in a short, concise, to the point manner. Vaynerchuk can be all over the place in his delivery but thread it all together “spitting truth” in an audacious memorable way.
Vaynerchuks’ word bank is stuffed with expensive words and clearance rack slang. How many people sling the F bomb followed by perpetuity?
Go shopping for words that express who YOU are. Work to share YOU, not some premise of what you think you should be. The words you use are how you communicate. If you’re Hip Hop you probably don’t want to jump into the country music vernacular. Shop for words that work for YOU. You can always add a few spicy words to jazz up your writing without sacrificing your message.
Let’s Go Shopping!!!
This is retail therapy for creators. The best thing about it is you may not even need you wallet. The internet, gift to the creative, is happy to supply words and thoughts and phrases to your hearts content.
So. Where do we start? Let’s begin with a short list of options.
- Peer Reviewed Articles and Journals
- Online Ezines
- Blogs (outside your typical reading list)
- Historical Books Online
- Art History Sites
- Classic Literature
- Fairy Tales
Shop for new words with passion. Search out the most remote writings and unlikely sources for inspiration. Words fall into view with startling accuracy once we begin the hunt.
Care and Storage of Your Newly Purchased Words
A shopping trip leads to a purge session. An opportunity to remove things you already own so you have space to integrate your purchases.
It’s no different with your newly acquired words. I’m not suggesting you stop using the words that have been your friends for years. In this case, it’s more of finding where and how the new words complement and harmonize with the existing ones.
Your building a larger vocabulary. Broadening your writing horizons. Choices!! Always a good thing.
I’ve just recently found this practice. I will admit I’m totally taken with the general idea. I’m using the concept for far more than it originally was intended. One of those uses is for logging my newly found words.
I’ve found an index card system with half size index cards is working great for this! I log the word. I record where I discovered it and a brief definition with synonyms and antonyms. Since I’m just beginning this cool thing I’m still deciding how I want to categorize the words.
I’m shopping for words. I’m not a word snob. (Wink!)
I shop second-hand! Got any words you’d like to share?
