Little, Scary Things

I’ve written about the BIG, SCARY THINGS, but what about the little, scary things? Things like changing an e-letter format. Adding a Creative Commons license. Focusing on growing the subscription base to the monthly e-letter (Have you subscribed?). Giving credit to the artwork used with the posts. Little things. Things that aren’t all that scary but are in some way. They indicate change – a change in thought and in actions. They indicate movement toward something bigger.

Addressing the little things can have longterm effects, often more longterm than the big things. Little things have a way of rippling. A large stone may make a big splash when tossed into the pond, but it’s hard to skip it across the water. It won’t go very far. A small stone, though? A small stone can skip for a long time before plunking to the bottom of the pond. The effects of the large stone are felt immediately; the small one’s effects take more time to be felt, but that doesn’t make those effects any less real or strong.

Small things can be any number of things. My immediate example is my e-letter because I’ve reworked the design for what seems like the umpteenth time. I’ve streamlined it. I’ve rid it of many of the extras such as the “favorite things” and “inspiration.” I don’t know if that was right or wrong; it’s something I want to and have to test. I know that the e-letters I enjoy receiving are simple – minimalist may be the better word – in terms of the layout. The content may not be simple, but it’s presented in an easy-to-read format. I like that. I want to emulate those things with my e-letters. Only time will prove whether choosing the minimalist route was the right one.

What little, scary things are you addressing?

Photo: anna gutermuth (CC BY 2.0)