It’s all a matter of perspective…

What we say is important, but how we say it is equally (if not more) important. One of my relatives sent me this story today, and I wanted to share it with you. As artists, we understand the importance of telling a story. You can’t just state the facts, present the data, and expect people to commit to your cause. Well, maybe some people can, if the data is really convincing. But usually people need to have things explained to them in a compelling and interesting way.

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: “I am blind, please help.” There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.

That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”

The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way. I wrote: ‘Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.’”

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

We want to think of ourselves as rational beings… but the truth is, we make many of our decisions based on emotional cues and gut feelings. Why not go that extra step to involve your clients on an emotional level, rather than simply expecting them to make rational decisions? Makes sense, especially when you consider that something artistic like photography isn’t a necessity for survival — it is, for all intents and purposes, a luxury.

Yes, those of us who value art are willing to put it up on the list of life’s “must-haves” …but it’s not food, water, or shelter. We could theoretically survive without art, though the world would be a less beautiful place, that’s for sure. It’s all a matter of perspective. You can’t just present the facts. You have to present things in a way that will make someone really want to have their portrait created. You can’t just say, “help me, I’m blind” — you have to cultivate compassion — “today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.”