Clarity
It drives me nuts when things are not clear. -Except when it’s not supposed to be clear. I’m OK with that.
Clarity is what happens when what you say is what your audience hears. It, therefore, always demands dialogue -for how can we know what our audience hears if we do not ask them? Like creativity, clarity by-and-large requires community to exist – even if it is an internal dialogue – imagining what they might be thinking.
My first memories of what clarity is came from learning what it was not. I have very distinct memories of my older brothers arguing with mom over this or that. Each determined they were correct. Each determined to prove the other was wrong. My observations at the time? They were both saying the same things in different ways. There was an absence of clarity.
Clarity requires understanding who you are speaking to. If you wish to be understood you must understand. Then, you must allow your creativity to span the gap between what you are saying and what they are likely to hear. This creative process produces clear messages. Then you must ask what they heard. Let them tell you. Then you are free to retool your message and try again. This process creates clarity and understanding.
We may never completely understand one another, but we can bridge many gaps with creative, clear messages and healthy dialogue.