trans•par•ent  | tran'spe(É™)rÉ™nt; -'spar- |
adjective
(of a material or article) allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be distinctly seen : transparent blue water.
• easy to perceive or detect : the residents will see through any transparent attempt to buy their votes | the meaning of the poem is by no means transparent.
• having thoughts, feelings, or motives that are easily perceived : you'd be no good at poker—you're too transparent.
• (of an organization or its activities) open to public scrutiny : if you had transparent government procurement, corruption would go away.
• Physics transmitting heat or other electromagnetic rays without distortion.
• Computing (of a process or interface) functioning without the user being aware of its presence.

    I've provided the precise definition above so that we might share a true appreciation for the meaning of the word transparent and understand the importance of applying it to the business of living.

    There are few things I believe in so wholeheartedly as the necessity for us to abandon the old idea that who we are as individuals and what we do for a living should continue to be two separate and distinct realms of our being. It's precisely the sort of self-entitlement embraced by individuals who seek justification for intentions that knowingly seek to avoid responsibility, accountability and, financial liability.

     While we can't change the fact that there will always be greedy and selfish human beings on this planet, we can deconstruct the foundations of their old paradigm by which they have been reliably able seek comfort from their guilt and assuage themselves of any regret or remorse having resulted from the consequences of their own actions. This hidden agenda has been tearing at the fabric of our families, our communities and our civilization for centuries and, like so many other archaic ways of thinking, our society cannot continue to sustain itself with such intentions. Its time to embrace the change for ourselves.

    Can we individually usher in a new era of collective transparency? What do you think?

     Over the past several months I've spent immeasurable hours discovering, uncovering, editing, publishing and showcasing the unique stories of some truly incredible small businesses here in Greater Victoria. Never before have I been surrounded by so much youthful, hopeful and contagious positivity. I can safely say that's certainly rubbed off on me. My radar has become focused like a laser beam; a red-hot laser beam of local-loving intensity. I've entered a new hyper-reality where my neighbourhood is my backyard and my city is my universe. Sure I love certain things about other countries and other towns but nothing holds a candle to this town - my town. At least not as far as I'm concerned. 

Read the rest of this post »

     Looking at the minimal success of my post last week (Stop. Collaborate & Listen) I got to thinking that maybe the old me was still getting in the way of the new me - scratch that; of the ever-changing, ever-growing me.

     I remember when I was nineteen years old I read Ishmael, a little fictional tale about a man and a silver-back gorilla that fundamentally and irrevocably changed the way I would view the world and mankind's place in it. I recall a feeling in my heart and mind, simultaneously heavy and light at the same time - a paradox of shifting paradigms trying to find their place in my persona. (Try saying THAT ten times fast!) I felt on top of the world for the possibilities of wonder that were whizzing around inside my newly minted mind whilst suffers unimaginable lows as I discovered time and time again through conversation trial and error that really, ultimately, nobody else gave two shits. I was beside myself with inspiration and stressed to anxiety by the future global apathy as I was surely doomed to endure.

     That was 16 years ago, and while the global exchange of information has certainly made it far easier to explore in the ideas and passions of my earlier years and ally myself with like-minded passionate individuals from every corner of the globe, I've come to find that local is the truest desire of my growing heart and mind. Yet while I have changed and slowed the brow-beating fervor of my former younger self into a more focused and experienced perspective on such matters, I still find the waters around me to be tepid to the touch where local passion meets local purpose. Through my free weekly newsletter, The Sunday Evening Post, I have the incredible opportunity to explore, learn and discover the tales of amazing local men and women with unimaginable depths of passion seemingly ready at the call yet while there's a slight flutter of activity when the stories are published,  it's not enough. It's not nearly enough.

     Maybe my fire burns too hot and my expectations continue to be unattainable but I believe in with cell in my body that we are capable of a deeper and richer community. I'm convinced that you and I can collaborate and work together to build it - one new brick at a time. I wholeheartedly feel that without you none of my own dreams are possible. I'll do whatever it takes to bring more greatness and to share more inspiring tales and insightful information to your eyes and ears for as long as I can - but I need your help.

Here is where passion meets it's purpoose; uniting those around you and fueling the great abilities of one another with a supportive network of positive possibilities. It's not just sharing that shows caring, it's lending your voice to the conversation that matters most.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you as we work toward a greater Victoria.

     Inspiration comes to me in many forms. Sometimes through the sounds of the lake lapping at the wharf beneath my childhood, other times it comes like a dream, escaping my words and flailing my grasp the moment I awake. The profoundly sad crescendo of music during a film; the reverential intricacies of the community of life that surrounds me; the unencumbered joy of a child's ways - these just begin to scratch the many surfaces where inspiration comes to find me. My muse is a varied and often thing yet regardless of it's origin, one thing's for certain: inspiration has changed me.

When It's About Me, You and Us

     It used to be all about me. Some of my closest friends (and perhaps even my lovely wife!) would say that it still is and I can't completely disagree with them. I do spend a lot of time and energy focusing on the things that interest me and projects that I'd like to work on. The point is though that it used to be ALL about me - I wouldn't compromise my vision or even consider bringing someone else in to work with me on anything - which makes it incredibly difficult, especially when you play in a band! But those were my passions and I didn't want to share them with anyone. In actuality, I couldn't understand how to share them because sharing would mean giving up control and there was no way my life could deal with such a devastating blow. Not then. In my mind at the time, not ever. But thankfully things have changed.

     Perhaps it's how human life evolves as we transition out beyond our adolescent adulthood (some, like myself, mature much later than others!). Be that as it may, I'm ecstatic to have arrived at this new phase in my personal growth. The prospect of sharing and building towards something that is greater than the sum of its individual parts is incredibly inspiring to me now. Where once I was obsessed with how to make the world notice me, I now constantly work towards showcasing the incredible creative efforts and struggles of others. It's not that it's the right thing to do, it's just that it feels good; far better than consuming myself with my own little world.

When All The World's A Stage

     I worked so hard and was so passionately blind to the words and feelings behind my youthful efforts. As a committed artist, I thought that saving the world could only come from screaming to the heavens, wailing into a microphone in front of a sold-out crowd or banging my fists against our cultural prison walls. From the perspective of time and distance between here and there, I have thankfully since discovered not just the essence of humility but the enormous personal benefits of true collaboration; the long-lost mythical art of fusing mutual passions and values in an concerted, honest effort towards working together to achieve a common goal. Aside from loving and protecting one's family, those common goals are the ones that matter most.

I Welcome You With Open Arms

     And so I reach out to you friends, neighbours and strangers of Greater Victoria. I reach out to you to share your creative passions, your unique stories and your honest human you. I encourage you to consider collaborating with me to help bring our community closer, to stand up for one another and against those who would seek to weaken our collective resolve and to work together to make Victoria even greater. We don't have to march in the streets to be heard, we can share our insights, opinions and concerns right here in the digital sphere. Here, our individual voices can be easily united towards a common goal. Here, we can collaborate from opposite ends of our city, from home offices, beachfront perches and bar-side stools.

     Here we can collaborate.

**************************************************

     This week I am I proud to welcome Jade Norton into the fold of The Sunday Evening Post, a free weekly newsletter custom-designed towards small business owners and local-lovers in Greater Victoria. Jade is a passionate food lover who has agreed to collaborate with me on the "Foodie Feed" section of The #SEPost. Her debut post this week, "Baguette, Je T'Aime", is an incredible piece that fuses her Parisian passion with local flair and I'm incredibly excited and inspired to have her on board. ANY other local-lovers interested in sharing their unique perspectives in The Sunday Evening Post, anyone interested in COLLABORATION, please contact me in the comment section below, on Twitter, through my Designs 20/20 website, email (connect at thesundayeveningpost.com) or directly by phone (250-507-7819).

     I'll be looking forward to working together with you all.

It was a great pleasure to take Off The Beaten Path down to the original Discovery Coffee in downtown Greater Victoria to speak with one of the local owners, Logan Gray.

I was introduced to Logan through a mutual friend, Shawn Soole (thank you Shawn!) and really enjoyed hearing the story of Discovery Coffee and the passion that has helped make it an incredible local success. You can also enjoy the story by listening to the podcast episode below or by signing up to recieve The Sunday Evening Post every week in which the podcast will be featured.

         With a not-so-subtle tip of the hat to the widely popular Saturday Evening Post of a world gone by, I have elected to create The Sunday Evening Post (and corresponding #SEP "hashtag" for any of you uninitiated Twitter users out there) in an attempt to establish a weekly ritual for sharing an eclectic collection of inspiring stories and insightful links from across the Web. While this unique online presentation is available for everyone to enjoy, it's geared toward local small business owners and supporters who might, like me, struggle to find enough time during the work week to catch up on some of the relevant information being shared across the ever-expanding array of social media platforms.

Read the rest of this post »

Hello Victoria.

I'm looking forward to sharing insights, information and inspiration with you and hope you'll feel encouraged to do the same as this blog finds its legs in the weeks, months and (hopefully!) years ahead.

I have a strong vision for our community; one that empowers us as individuals with a respected voice, unique outlook and shared passion for building success across all of our varied passions.

I look forward to connecting and exchanging ideas with you all.

Scott_Valentine
Creative Director
Designs 20/20