Gracie Communications

The word bumble has gotten a bad rap.  In fact, I didn’t even know the word could be a verb until I read Tom Hodgkinson’s article on being idle in the August issue of Real Simple.  

Bumbling means “wandering around without purpose.” And guess what? Not everyone who bumbles is an idiot.

As Hodgkinson notes, “Children are good bumblers.”  Poets and plein air painters are natural bumblers. I personally think graphic artists are good at it too. As a recovering workaholic (okay, maybe not fully recovered), I have a real appreciation for those who know how to enjoy a good bumble.

Contrary to what you may be thinking, bumbling isn’t a euphemism for procrastination. It’s not about slacking. It’s more about finding ways to recharge the batteries and then taking that energy and putting it back into the work.

I worked in a boutique design agency a lifetime ago, and the graphic artists kept a much different schedule from us account managers. I was young enough at the time to be tweaked by the lack of respect for the normal 8 to 5 day.  One designer explained that being out of the office was an important part of the creative process.  It was a time to explore the city, take in colors and shapes, and find new styles and faces that ultimately influenced their work.    

Another good friend of mine, who is a partner at an innovative agency, carries a camera wherever he goes. He is always snapping pictures, experimenting with lighting and lenses and fiddling with exposure and editing. It is a hobby that allows him to see the world from a whole new perspective.  The results are sometimes lovely, sometimes haunting. Oftentimes, they make me look twice at the ordinary street scenes that others rarely stop to see.

Like these creative types, communicators need to get out of the office and experience life from time to time.  How can you write about an experience if you haven’t tried it? How can you connect with an audience if you haven’t stood next to them, wherever that may be? How can you convey human emotions if the last time you laughed was while watching a rerun at one in the morning after burning the midnight oil?

I don’t think you can. So let’s banish the guilt and become better bumblers.  Who’s with me?