Stay hungry; Stay foolish. ~Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

I’ve been quiet lately on the blogging and social media fronts–attending to a number of  matters, including over-due computer tune-ups, an intensive job search, and in between, some well-earned self- and family-maintenance.

But it’s impossible to hear the news of Steve Job’s passing, without marking it here. If I ever questioned the value or purpose of blogging and social networking in my own life, I think it became clear to me last night, when I was able to vicariously share online the outpouring of sadness over Steve Jobs’ death and the admiration so many feel for the legacy he leaves behind.  Last night, I keenly felt the gift my blog and social networking presence on Twitter remain to me—by being able to avail myself so quickly to such an immediate public platform—lifting up my own voice, within such a connected, often vibrant community– in praise of such a sheer creative force. And in so doing, to do my small part to observe and carry on, all that legacy means.

It was a moment where whatever our differences, many of us came together to salute the spirit of innovation, which Steve Jobs represents. And more than that—the courage and dignity by which he faced his own failures and mortality—how he saw these conditions, as the best drivers to making our time here mean something…and as a challenge to each one of us, to continue to live up to our own personal gifts.

For me, Jobs’ life and work represent many of the themes I’ve been exploring personally  and at this blog, especially on transformational leadership, to date, mainly from a technical writer’s vantage point, but with implications for whatever paths we respectively travel.

I take as a strong inspiration, Jobs’ integrative vision:

It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough—it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing, and nowhere is that more true than in these post-PC devices.

Until last night, I’d never heard in its entirety Jobs’ 2005 Commencement address at Stanford University, but I ‘m glad I can refer to it, as a writer, and much more so as a person, for those times which inevitably arise for all of us, when we need the reminder to remain true to our own voices.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

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Contacting the Author: Content for a Convergent World – Peg Mulligan’s Blog

In my last post, I mentioned how Steven Johnson (in Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation) explores the recurring patterns in environments that are most likely to stimulate creativity and innovation.

He describes these environments as open innovation systems–that is, fluid networks, where we meet with others from various backgrounds, share hunches, and ultimately combine our respective ideas, in new ways.

I can’t think of a better example of this kind of dynamic environment, than the Boston Linchpin Meetups, which gather monthly, at the Burlington Public Library, followed by a post-meeting beer and wine drinking tradition.

Inspired by the book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?, by Seth Godin, the Meetups offer a mastermind roundtable, where participants can discuss a project and contribute to the success of others, through the direct exchange of ideas.

Everything discussed is confidential, in a supportive atmosphere.

On May 3rd, the Eagle Tribune newspaper will take a look at the future of the publishing industry, in a brainstorming session.

Special thanks to the event’s organizers.

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Contacting the Author: Content for a Convergent World – Peg Mulligan’s Blog