Go Forth And Create!

For the last week, I have been excited by all the creative content and also overwhelmed by possibility. I have two different thoughts that are at odds with each other and each of us has to find the right balance for us.

On the one hand -- Go forth and create.

This is an exciting time for creativity. I see great ideas coming from all over--from hilarious observational tweets to the sing-a-longs in Italy, from Ellen DeGeneres’ Instagram feed to A-lister at-home concerts. Creative people are rising to the occasion for all of us. If this is you, it’s time to step up. Take chances. Put yourself out there. Do what you do best, in new ways. If you have a vision for how to grow your brand right now, awesome. Go for it. Have fun!!

If you can sing, sing! Here are three songs to check out: Miguel & Holly’s Scotty the Body (Hot 101.5/Tampa) got on the local news with Bye Virus,Ace Burpee’s (Virgin Radio/Winnipeg) social distancing song/video, recorded in an empty arena and Josie Balka’s (VIrgin/Calgary) Disney’esque self-isolation song.

On the other hand -- Relax.

But if you’re not feeling it, if you’re worried about a loved one, if you struggle with anxiety, if you’re distracted with young kids at home, that has to be OK too. Because in a way, for us on the radio, and how we’re measured, it’s also kind of silly. It’s like programming on Christmas Day. You can’t ignore the day. You can’t just do normal programming. So you have to spend the energy and manpower to create something while most people are off. And yet listeners are preoccupied with their own lives and their listening patterns are different. And really, not many people are listening to our excellent December 25th holiday music mix.

For managers --

If your staff has ideas they’re excited about, do what you can to make them happen. What’s it gonna hurt? Creative people need to create (of course within boundaries). And if your staff is feeling overwhelmed, relax knowing that just doing the usual is satisfying for the audience.

I say all this to encourage you to find the balance that fits for you, your team, your station. Do as much as you can, be as creative as you can be, but not at the expense of being safe and staying healthy. Because the reality is that station listening levels will be down (just as they are on Christmas Day). With listening levels down, now is a great time to create excellent content that’s on brand for your show and station, but not time to be dangerously stressed.

Those that are, in fact, listening, are listening to their favorite station for a sense of normalcy and comfort. You are already doing that just by showing up. Don’t kill yourself trying to be more, do more. You are enough.