Recently I posted this to Twitter:

Been a #schizomedia kind of day. Social media blog post, in studio for radio spot, finished TV script.

It was a momentary, kind of throwaway comment on a fragmented day, but a couple of people responded to the idea of “schizomedia,” which made me think a little deeper about what it really meant. Many professions, mine included, suffer from the twin myths of technology:

1. “Everybody” owns a computer now, and all I need to do that (Insert your service here) is to buy a program that does it for me. Think graphic design, layout, photography, marketing, accounting, tax preparation, legal advice and even medical advice.
2. OK, so I’m not a marketing whiz, I’ll pay for that service… but since it’s done by computer now-a-days, it should cost less, right?

I really wish I had an “insert brilliance” or “project plan outcome” button resident in my Photoshop or InDesign programs. Even better would be a “market overview” button that would instantly illuminate every pertinent detail in a given marketplace so I could skip all that pesky research.
But (stepping off the soapbox now) the truth is that what I do every day is hard work… mentally if not always physically. I love it; I wouldn’t want to do anything else, and I’m blessed that clients believe in the results and choose to hire me to continue to do it. But it’s still demanding and schizomedia has made it more so. I don’t believe in mediocre work. That means I need to be excellent in every form of marketing or advertising that we offer our clients, or know someone who is.
The number of disciplines, mediums and marketplaces I need to know…. really know… has expanded significantly over the past three years. I think this is true for many service/knowledge professions. I am excited about the future of my profession and enjoying the challenge of becoming excellent in more areas. I don’t think radio, television and newspaper are going away anytime soon, if ever, and they are still a vital part of the media mix for some of our clients. So I think my world will continue to be schizomedic for a while. And I’m OK with that… just don’t tell me you think it should all cost less now that we have computers

Feeling dry? Try some quality professional development for inspiration.

I attended the half-day Tulsa Print Show today, put on by CPSolutions in Tulsa. I almost didn’t go… so many deadlines and projects that need attention right now! But I did… and I had a great time. I learned many tips and tricks to put to use in the Adobe CS4 environment (when I get it… but that’s another story). I also brought back new paper sample books (always a great source of inspiration) and other useful stuff like envelope templates, letter openers, and a way cool combo pen/highlighter.
The most important thing I brought back, though, was a renewed excitement about my chosen career and appreciation for the talent and innovation out there. I love what I do, and today helped me reconnect with why I love it… and that was definitely worth the half-day I devoted to the cause.
The bottom line? If you have the opportunity for quality professional development, take it… yes, you’ll get up that morning feeling pressured about looming deadlines that you have less time to meet, but you’ll go to bed that night inspired to take them on in new and exciting ways.