Context & Meaning
Have you ever watched a movie or read a book where, suddenly, a shift in context changes the entire meaning of everything that’s happened so far?
It could be a character’s motivation or words they’ve said in the past, it could be clues that seemed to point in one direction but now appear to point somewhere else entirely.
Usually, it all culminates in some kind of plot-twisting, perhaps even mind-boggling ending.
I love that kind of stuff.
It’s one of the things I loved about the films The Game (with Michael Douglas) and Memento. Then again, I guess I generally enjoy movies that make me question reality.
I don’t feel quite the same when it comes to real life of course.
More recently, YouTube directed me toward some concerts put on by Cercle.
One featuring Hania Rani in Paris. Another with WhoMadeWho in Egypt.
Both were fascinating and mesmerizing in their own way. First off, I love watching talented people working so hard to put on a great show while they’re also enjoying being in the moment and “flowing” at the same time.
Besides that, both settings in which these concerts took place were stunning to say the least.
The mystery, the rich history, the beauty of the surrounding area added a new kind of context to the music—a beautiful layer which would have been completely absent otherwise.
I can’t even quite put my finger on the specifics of how it changed the experience. I’m sure it would have had an even greater effect actually being there to see it live.
In any case, it’s given me plenty of food for thought.
If you’re up for it, I’d like you to bring to mind whatever creative thing you’ve been working on lately. Then imagine what a shift in context could do to change it. It may be working on it in a different place, changing the subject or setting it focuses on, or shifting your perspective on it in some way.
Explore some possibilities and see if you can come away with some new insights or even a new direction to your work.
I believe this can be especially helpful if you’re feeling particularly stuck in some area of your work.
Allowing yourself to loosen up your expectations and giving yourself freedom to introduce a new context might just be the thing that inspires you back into productivity.
