Happy B-Day: Logic + Emotion Turns One

February 12th, 2006:
My wife had taken the kids to Michigan to visit family.  I had the weekend to myself and decided this was going to be the time and place that I would launch my blog.  I had no idea what the heck I was doing—but a little voice inside my head said “why not?—let’s see what happens...”  What I did next is the same thing that over 55 million people now do on a regular basis.  I clicked this innocent-looking button:



Over time, this seemingly insignificant action would alter what I do for a living as well as how I live.
If I were asked to come up with a slogan for blogging, it would be this:

Blogging is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you’re gonna get.

In many ways I approached personal publishing the way Forrest Gump approached living.  I didn’t do a lot of research studying the space other than reading a handful of blogs—and I certainly didn't overthink things.  At the time, I didn’t subscribe to feeds or even know what Technorati was.  I had never heard of the Cluetrain Manifesto, Naked Conversations or Creating Passionate Users.  I began blogging with what Roger von Oech calls a “Beginners Mind”.  And perhaps this is what has served me most faithfully over the past year.

Blogging, much like life—is a big box of assorted chocolates.  An international collection of different shapes, sizes and flavors ready to be sampled at any given moment.  We’re sharing ideas, creating, co-creating, mixing, mashing, interacting and even forming lots of chocolatey communities along the way.  I didn’t expect this part of blogging, but have been very pleasantly surprised that true community exists and is a tangible thing.  I’ve connected with many of you over the past year.  Some I’ve met in person and others through e-mail and even over the phone.

But there was another take-away for me through this whole experience.  A validation of a theory which I had no idea would go this far.  To be frank—I’m shocked (and delighted) that Logic + Emotion has picked up this much momentum in such little time.  I thought I would be communicating primarily to creative/design professionals but what ended up happening was that the audience here began defining itself.  Planners, Librarians, Marketers, Anthropologists, Technologists, Businesspeople, Entrepreneurs,—folks from all different kinds of bakgrounds (and countries) which I never expected would care about the content here started showing up and coming back.  Below is a simple visual which summarizes the current state of L+E if you go by the “numbers”:

Though it’s not just about numbers of course.  My theory was that the social network just might be the ultimate manifestation of a “free market of ideas” meaning that anyone had a shot at being heard.  But with 55+ million blogs out there, chances are still slim that you will be "heard" by a sizable audience.  However, as I’ve said before—something funny happened on the way to the blogoshpere.  An average Joe like me—someone who has never written a formal whitepaper, nevermind a book can also have a say in things.  And neither permission nor a PHD is required.  This in my opinion is the true power of social media.  If you have something valuable to add to the conversation—you will be heard.  It's that simple.  And once you are heard—it then becomes your choice to either stay connected to the communities who live in this space, or participate from afar.

To some extent, I’ve chosen to stay connected because it feels right.  It’s meaningful and adds value to my life.  Though it doesn’t replace physical relationships—our digital interactions are all still very human.  And speaking of humanity, blogging has been a very human experience—at least for me it has.

No doubt many of you can relate to the story I am telling on this “birthday post”.  That’s the glue which holds participatory media together—we all go through similar phases though maybe at different times.  If you are reading this story as an “observer” rather than participant, you may only be grasping what I'm saying here with your head.  I’m confident you are an intelligent individual, so none of this is news to you.  But the core distinction between observation and participation is this: 

Unless you experience something for yourself, you will only understand with your head and not your heart.

That’s the impact of participation through experience, and this brings me to the irony of the blog title—Logic + Emotion.  Initially, the title came from a blurb on my personal site.  I used that blurb as broad statement which applies to good design principals.  The hammer on my personal site represents an object which functions very effectively but is also appealing at the emotional level.  Logic + Emotion now has a entirely new meaning to me—as I’ve been influenced, educated, inspired, and touched in significant if not emotional ways through participation in this thing we call Social Media.

In short, 2006 has been a monumental year in many ways.  I can only say thank you to everyone who’s taken the time to read my words (and pictures), while sharing both their thoughts and hearts.

Gump was right.  I never knew what I was gonna get.

So if it's is a Birthday Party, here’s a little party favor.  I’ve gone through the bulk of my visuals and put them on PowerPoint slides which you can download here.  They’re ready to use in your presentations.  I only ask that you do the right thing in return, and provide a credit in some way that you deem appropriate.  And a special thank you to everyone who has used a visual and linked back here.

I have no definitive plans for 2007.  If the past year has taught me anything, it’s reminded me that blogging, like life has a way of working out differently from how you plan it.  It’s always good to plan, but you also need to improvise.  The magic happens somewhere in the middle.

In conclusion—thank you for a memorable year.

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Download logic_emotion.ppt

Comments

[Mack Collier]

Congrats on the 1-year anniversary, David. The rise of Logic+Emotion is a case study for how anyone, even today, can join a very cluttered blogosphere, and still find a unique voice that stands out, and attracts a crowd. You just might be the first A-Lister 2.0 ;)

[Matt MacQueen]

Congrats and keep it coming, I'm not as regular as I should be, but whenver I pop by, you get me thinking immediately. And eventually formulating my own opinion about the topic at hand, which leads to me wanting to write my own post, which leads to others to maybe read, and the cycle goes on.

I've always thought the best thing a blogger can do is inspire others to write, because when we do it's the gift that keeps on giving ;) The only way I can really get in touch with a new or vaguely innovative abstract concept, is to write about it and see where it I ends up. Usually for me it's not the final output that is important, but rather how I arrived there in my own thought process that I learned the most from. cheers

[Mark McGuinness]

Congratulations! L+E is one of a handful of blogs that shaped my idea of what a blog can be. It lives up to its name with the combination of fresh thinking + the lively buzz of discussion around it.

Many happy returns...

[Roger von Oech]

Greetings from Berlin, David! (We're here for the Berlin Film Festival).

Congratulations and happy birthday. Your blog has made a huge difference in my enjoyment of the blogosphere. Thanks especially for taking me under your wing in my early days.

I wish you much success in your second year. May your neurons continue to fire!

Roger von Oech

[Nedra Weinreich]

Happy blogiversary, David! Here's to many more years of great posts.

[Leisa Reichelt]

happy blog birthday David! hope the second year is just as exciting as the first!

[Tom Asacker]

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. - Pablo Picasso

Happy Birthday David!

[russ stalters]

Congratulations and happy birthday. My Blog is coming up on its first birthday in April. I too have been amazed at what has happend in less than a year.

Thanks for sharing your visuals. There are definetly some that will be useful to me and will be appropriately attributed. I always look forward to your posts with anticipation that there will be one of your fantastic graphics that communicate ideas so well.

It is always great to see folks walk the walk (sharing vs. hoarding). Here's to another great year!

[Ann Handley]

Has it only been a year? More support for my theory that every blog year is like a dog year... that's a LOT of momentousness (so to speak) for a single calendar year.

Sincere congrats, *old friend*!

[Gavin Heaton]

One whole blog year? But you still have such a baby face! Congrats!

[Drew McLellan]

David,

Let me add my voice to the chorus -- happy birthday! For all our sakes...may there be many more!

Drew

[Matt Dickman]

Congrats on the one year David. Keep up the great work and helping to prove that anyone can have a voice through hard work and dedication.

[CK]

Bravo, friend. What a wonderful year and great post. What a difference a year/blog makes, eh? Funny to think it's been a whole year and probably even funnier to think there was a time you blogged not at all...the industry and the 'sphere is better because of your contributions and share.

And yes, life is like a box of chocolates. Keep running, Forrest ;-).

P.S.: Thanks for the goodies/slides.

[Maura Welch]

David - Congratulations and thanks for diving into blogging - we all benefit from your creative, inquisitive, incisive open mind! I'll keep coming back for Armano chocolates.

[Lewis Green]

David,

Multo bene,l'amico. Keep up the great writing and story telling. You are a natural.

Arrivederci,
Lewis

[Cam Beck]

Congrats, David. Keep up the good work.

[Valeria Maltoni]

Congratulazioni, Davide! The filling in the chocolates is what we put in our conversations. Even when we select at random, we can always decide to like what we find. And you, my dear friend, have been wonderfully rich and tastefully generous in your flavors. I have no doubt that the box is heart-shaped, the mind is sharp, and the spirit is true.

[DA]

You guys bring a smile to my face. If "restroom guy" had any facial features, he would be grinning from ear to ear.

Of course that means he would have to have ears too.

:)

[Eric Kintz]

Happy birthday, my friend! I cannot believe that I still have not met you.... I even thought about you while writing my last post - it talks about choppers....
Cheers- Eric

[B.L. Ochman]

Happy Blog-versary David! Logic+Emotion is a unique voice among a sea of sameness. I promise to read you more regularly from now on!!!

I actually have no idea when I started my blog. Will have to look.

I do know that i can't imagine not blogging, and can't remember what in the world i did with all that extra time before i started my blog.

Thanks for the PPT gift! I always love your artwork.
BL

[gianandrea facchini]

in Italy we say: 100 di questi giorni. Take care,DA, and keep going with this great place

[Pete]

Congratulations! If your blog were Korean, you'd actually be 2.

[Tim Jackson]

What a great year it has been friend. Thank you for the continued efforts to share and be such a great voice in our community.

I thought it was pretty cool to get emails from you while you were sitting on the beach during your vacation- continuing the conversation. I was pretty flattered at that. Thanks again. Who says you can't have a human connection through the blogosphere?

Congratulations and keep'em coming!

[Karl Long]

Yeah, great job David, my hearty congratulations. kudos on keeping up such great work and the blog at the same time.

Cheers,

Karl

[Paul McEnany]

"Unless you experience something for yourself, you will only understand with your head and not your heart."

So perfectly said, DA. We actually just had a pitch yesterday, and I had a little rant about the importance of participation in understanding. I wish I had read this before, that would have summed it up much, much better.

Congrats on making it a year, and thanks for providing all of this with your wealth of knowledge and experience. You've definitely helped to make me a better thinker, and improved the quality of my work.

You kick ass.

P

[olivier blanchard]

Joyeux anniversaire, L+E! :)

[DA]

Thanks again everyone. Hey Eric, I hear there is a Marketing Profs conference coming to Chicago in the fall.

Paul, I think that "You kick ass" is possibly the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.

Pete, so if I were Korean I'd be 2? I'm already aging faster than I want—and this blog isn't helping!

BL, thanks for stopping by and thanks for that compliment. My wife thinks I have a "unique" voice too, though I think it annoys the hell out of her.

:)

Maura, I think you may have a business idea there... "Armano Chocolates" hmmmmmm...

[CK]

Being that I'm working on a project that involves researching all the scientists (don't ask!) and being it's your birthday...here's some Einsten for you:

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere." (your "emotion" is your imagination :-).

And here's my fave quote by him:
"I want to know all Gods thoughts; all the rest are just details."

P.S.: Should you want any Darwin, Newton, Smith, etc. I'm your man.

[Natasha Robinson]

Wow!! Awesome. I agree with Mack 100%. I still remember the day I came across this blog and sent the link to everyone at my last company and spent that weekend reading the archives. I can't believe it's only been 1 year. Here's to many more -Cheers!

[Marianne Richmond]

David,
Happy #1...such a short time to have such an impact on so many!

You always seem to hit the right note with your words and then capture the thought so perfectly in your visuals...to bring in pieces of a thought from your Anna Nicole post, this combination makes the complicated seem easy to understand.

And you know, then to make the point in the middle of Anna Nicole is a sticky idea, that she was a real person with a mother and father was so right...and the other side of the spectrum with the same point from Bill Clinton at Coretta Scott King's memorial; pointing to her casket and reminding everyone that there was a real person "in there."

So glad to have met the real person in Chicago!

Congrats,
Marianne

[Aldana]

Congrats David on a full year of insightful comments and playful thoughts.

Thanks for letting us "in"! and here is to whole new year with L+E!

Aldana

[Mario Sundar]

Quite an eventful year, DA. Congratulations!

I look forward to many more years of marketing conversations!

As Eric mentioned, I'm hopeful, this year will be the year, I get to meet all my blogging buddies. Look forward to that.

Mario

[Asi]

congratulation on an amazing year. L+E is absolute delight!

keep up the great work!

Asi.

[Adam]

Happy Birthday!

Now will you please stop gushing - you'll make me puke.

Adam

[DA]

Adam! You're still around.

You know... I said earlier that Paul's comment of me "kicking ass" was probably the nicest compliment I could get, but I take it back.

Knowing I can still make you puke tops that.

Keep puking
-David

[Ron E.]

Happy Blog-B'day!

Thanks for the amazing reads, the interesting data, and especially for or all the mind food you give us on a daily basis :) Amazing blog!

Ron E.
http://www.brandcurve.com

[Lori Magno]

Happy Birthday/Blogday Pet!

I look forward to another year of Armanoness and fabulosity. Totally going to work some of the slides into the next New Biz pitch I get roped into.

xoxo
Magno

[Mike Sansone]

Happy Bloggiversary David! I have yet to find a piece of mind/heart candy that I didn't like. Thank you!

[Robin Wauters]

Congratulations!

[Ana Roque]

Congratulations David for Logic+Emotion! I've became very recently a regular observer of this blog, and it is truly inspiring! Today I cease being just an observer to a participant in the true spirit of sharing as you have for this last year !! Thank you for Logic+Emotion !!

[DA]

"Today I cease being just an observer to a participant in the true spirit of sharing "

Music to my ears.

[mindblob]

David,
Sorry to be so late on this one.

FELICITATIONS, dear David!

L+E is the very first blog that I read and made me think about launching a blog myself. This I will never forget. Thank you for all the positive insights you shared and still share with us all.

Agree about the box of chocolates. If you ever want to taste the best ever, come to Brussels and leave it to me my friend! But I must warn you on this one... you might want to stay forever in Belgium. ; )

You rock... and you rule!
Viva L+E !

Kind Regards.
Luc.

[Phil Gerbyshak]

I realize I am WAY late on responding to this one, but thank you for sharing all you have the past year. Your PowerPoint deck is just one example of why you are an amazingly successful individual (as judged by me, the average number of comments per post). Congrats David. I can't wait to meet you at SOBCon.

[Steven C.]

Great stuff. The PPT was almost like a chronological timeline of your blog. =)

[dumont jeremy]

are you famous ?