Yeah. It’s a buzzword, but it’s our job (yes, you and me) to make it meaningful.

I’m tired of hearing leaders write-off a concept or a word just because it’s overused (and perhaps even sometimes wrongly used). Recently in a meeting, a leader wanted to abandon concepts of “creative community” because another top leader in industry said that it’s was a “tired concept”. 

This shot a pain through my stomach. 

Community is what saved this election. Community is what held black individuals and others of color before the world began it’s collective reckoning. And if you think “creative community” is a tired concept, well, you’re doing it wrong.

Let’s pause.

I also find the core concept of a buzzword annoying and often tired as well. They often reak of trying to hard to be relevant. Often, a brand or company or individual (sometimes these are all in the same), wants to gain relevance and attention.

So, what’s the alternative?

A commitment to authenticity in your copy: Find its real relevance to your businesss and don’t write about it if you can’t.

A real investment: don’t say you’re building a community, when really you’re just building an audience….to consume your stuff.

From buzz to bona fide: 

A few lasting thoughts.

To flipantly throw away the cornerstones of society or poignant concepts just because it’s overused isn’t a solution. That just makes you  an early adopter to the next buzzword. Instead, I want to take a critical eye to the word—and see for myself and for the brand I might represent, take the responsibility of making it meaningful.