Self Portrait

I took a little extra time with this blog post. Rather than write it all in one sitting, I‘ve spent hours in reflection and countless others in thought over the image that will serve as its subject. Now, as I put the pen to paper (I literally hand wrote this post before publishing it here), John Coltrane’s “I’m Old Fashioned” is playing on the turntable. I took an extra few minutes and recorded the song directly from that turntable and have converted it to MP3 below. As I venture into this post, I invite you to press play and experience this moment with me—complete with record pops and whispers. If you might, take a few moments to take a look at the photograph and then read the following reflection.

Self Portrait, Photo by Michael B. Maine

A few weeks ago I decided to take a day and walk around Vashon Island. Months prior I was taking a stroll over there and noticed an abandoned house marked with a sign declaring it unsafe and uninhabitable. It struck me as ironic that the human-made structure was decaying and labeled unsafe amidst the ever-renewing trees, grass, water, and the rest of the natural world surrounding it. To me, the house appears to be at peace, almost desiring to return to a state where it is the provider of life once again. At first sight I knew I had to make time at some point to photograph that scene. Making that photograph was a secondary goal of this later trip. The first was to enjoy a peaceful day away from the computer.

Although I did capture the house scene it was the image above that I feel I was destined to find. When I got home that night I posted the picture on Facebook with the title “Self Portrait” and was quickly asked by several people why I named it that. After staring at the print and reflecting at length, this is what the photograph means to me:

I feel this image accurately describes my presence in this world. More than a mere reflection in the glass, everything in this photo tells a piece of my story. Firstly, everything is apparent, but nothing is fully resolved and comprehensible. Just as you can tell the dark blob of a human figure is my reflection, the distortion and lack of detail keep you from  being completely  sure who or what it is. You know that is a newspaper, but what does it say? You can stand right in front of it, but even under close analysis you can only make out a few key pieces of information. I think those who know me might find that a fairly clear depiction—every now and then you’ll get a glimpse of the person underneath. But more often than not, you’re left without the entire story. Authentic, yet not fully understood. I’m working on that—working on allowing more of myself to be read.

Notice the blackberry stem. It is neither attached to the ground nor is it draped from the top. However, it is present. The decaying car represents the death of my old hopes and dreams while the grass represents the emergence of new ones. No longer do I find myself with grandiose dreams of succeeding in the corporate structures as it exists today, but rather finding creative ways to build the organizations of the future—the ones that exist with purpose beyond the bottom line. Even beyond the triple bottom line.

I could continue deconstructing this image further, but I’d like to leave at least some of it to your own interpretation. What do you see in it? What does it mean to you?

Why Ice Cube Is Not A Sell-Out

I’ve been listening to a lot of hip hop, jazz, and RnB lately. I forgot how much I enjoyed fully immersing myself in the music as the sound waves beat on my eardrums. My journey started with some of the newer pieces from the likes of Nas and Skyzoo, but soon went back to some of those who changed music forever: John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Wu-Tang, The Coup, Public Enemy, NWA, and Common. I then began to think about how times, music, and the people themselves have changed. When discussing and reading about these changes, I often come across such lamentations as “I miss the ‘old’ Common,” or “Ice Cube used to yell out ‘F*** Da Police,’ now he’s starring in family movies?” Many talk about how this transition from producing underground street anthems to living as mainstream celebrities as selling out.

What’s ironic about rapping about the trauma of the streets is that, once one finds success with their music, they are able to transcend the situations that cause that trauma. After all, most rappers talk about how much they want to get out of the hood, not go into it. What I would like to see is work being done to change the systems that create these negative conditions in the first place, rather than focus on how somebody has “sold out” because they’re no longer rapping about crime, drugs, and run-ins with the law.

I love this video because Illdoctrine is able to eloquently say what has been percolating in my head for years.

How To Write A Personal Bio in 8 Steps

Photo by Michael B. Maine

1.    Identify your purpose and audience. Before you begin writing carefully consider who will be reading your bio. Also, spend some time thinking about why are writing it and what you intend to convey and accomplish. I keep two general bios (casual and professional in tone) prepared in the event I have to send one right away. However, when I have the time, I always draft a clean one with a specific audience and purpose in mind.

2.    Curate your information. Be critical with the information you include. Allow your audience and purpose guide the information you share. Generally you should include something about who you are, what you're about, important accomplishments, hobbies, and contact information. Spousal information (if needed) should be included only after all of your personal details.

3.    Outline your bio. Create an outline of the information you plan on including. This will make writing your bio easier as well as provide you the opportunity to quickly see if anything is missing or doesn't fit. At the very least include:

  • Your name
  • What you're about
  • Claim to fame
  • Recent and important accomplishments
  • Contact information

4.    Write your bio. Begin writing your bio. Most resources recommend writing the bio from the third person perspective. This is preferred for most situations (especially formal ones), but I think the first person perspective also works well. This is my preferred perspective for personal websites and social media profiles. After all, you are a real person, right? My personal solution: write both versions and keep them easily accessible in a text document. To make things easier for you I’ve started one you can download here.

5.    Proofread and Revise. After you've taken the time to write your bio, make sure it's perfect. Check not only for grammar and typos, but also for flow, ease of reading, and content. A great bio will increase your credibility and provide a more professional appearance if it is free of common writing errors.

6.    Proofread and Revise. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Every time I proofread, I find something I overlooked the first time. Normally, I overlook something the first two times. Maybe you're better than I am, but I recommend being safer than sorry. I’ve checked this document three times and I’m sure I could still find an error. People often base their first impression on your bio, especially on the web.

7.   Get a third party to proofread it. Once you've checked for errors and content, try and have a friend, colleague, or trusted professional take a look at it. Chances are they will find something you missed or have some insights that could make your bio stronger. Besides, it's always good to have an outside perspective.

8.   Maintain your bio. Your bio, like your résumé, is a living document. As you progress in your career and life, make sure your documentation reflects those accomplishments and changes.

Additional Tips on How To Write A Personal Bio

1.    Keep (4) versions of your bio.: Twitter, Short, Medium, Long

  • 160 characters
  • One sentence
  • 100 words
  • 250 words

2.    Introduce yourself. There's a good chance that if someone is reading your bio, they don't know you personally. Lead with your name.

3.    State what you do. Let people know what you do. This may be a good place for you to exercise the 3 question activity:

  • Who are you?
  • What do you do?
  • Why does it matter?

4.    Include recent accomplishments. Let people know that you are currently doing good work. It's great to have important accomplishments documented, but don't allow people to think you are living in the past.

5.    Include your contact information. Ensure that people are able to reach you. Save it for the end, but leave out your contact information. If I see your bio out of context, I might still want to be able to reach you. If you are worried about having your personal information floating around on the Internet, get a Google Voice phone number if you don't have a business or professional line.

6.    Use both 1st and 3rd person. Most people say to write bios in third person, but I find it awkward to read a personal website in third person. It just doesn't feel natural. However, for professional bios you're sending with cover letters, workshop proposals, etc., keep it formal.

7.   Always get feedback on it. If at all possible, get a friend or somebody else you trust to provide honest feedback.

8.   Keep it up to date. You're always doing something new. Your bio should reflect that.

9.    Use your short bio in your email signature. Use your short bio in your email signature. It’s a good place to share a little about yourself.

10.   Write your bio in a text editor, not in Word. I always write documentation in a text editor. The free ones work well (Notepad for Windows, TextEdit for Mac). The files are smaller and it strips the formatting so that, when you send it, it's much easier for the recipient to use in their documentation. It makes copying a pasting a breeze and you’re not limiting your content to specific platforms or programs.

@RoxontheBox Wins The #MenrvaLabsInspires Contest Last Week

Last week’s winning tweet comes from Roxy (@RoxontheBox) who tweeted: “My Mother is my greatest inspiration. Despite cancer & a mastectomy she has lived her life full of grace & laughter.” Congratulations Roxy!

All of the submissions were warm and I thank every individual who participated this week. It has been beautiful to share in your experiences and shout outs. I sincerely hope that through the sharing of your inspirations, we all become and remain motivated as well.

We are now accepting shout outs for this week. Remember to tag your tweet with #MenrvaLabsInspires and a statement, picture, video, or link to your original work that shows who/what inspires you and why.