Context is King

Creating context deeply interests me and is something that I've been trying to create recently through all of my actions at this point. The reason being is because context translates to how we are perceived by viewers/readers who are engaging with our content on a much deeper level. The far majority understand the importance of content creation, production, or things of that nature, but give very little thought to the context of a given situation. What often times eludes people is the fact that in so many instances, context controls the conversation and it is the default to how we consume information as human beings. The difficulty is that we contextualize information more intuitively than anything else. We make split-second decisions based on feeling very frequently, so for the content creator, the question then becomes; "how do I leverage that?"

What I've found to be helpful is to first create some type of manifesto or mission statement as an exercise. Depending on how you organize thoughts, you may even want to outline this and get it down on paper. For others, you may be wired differently and feel this to be unnecessary. In addition, you may find it extremely useful to periodically revisit this manifesto and see how you may be contributing towards that goal or not through the different actions you take throughout the day.

Now that you have a foundation, it's important to be flexible and open to new ideas. Don't be rigid. There are always multiple ways of getting to the same destination and different lessons along the way. As we grow, we change. It's only natural that our goals change too. You may find that what you had envisioned all along is not pure with your intention or true to who you are.

Lastly, figure out the why. When you know the WHY, everything begins to fall in its place. You may find yourself spending much less time theorizing and much more time enjoying the process and accomplishing more. We perform best when we truly believe in what we are doing, not just in theory, but fundamentally. All in all, the importance of context is tried and true and when we start to develop what we want more precisely, our message and content begin to reflect that philosophy and tell a much more concise, compelling story.