כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים יְגֵעִ֔ים לֹא־יוּכַ֥ל אִ֖ישׁ לְדַבֵּ֑ר לֹא־תִשְׂבַּ֥ע עַ֙יִן֙ לִרְא֔וֹת וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵ֥א אֹ֖זֶן מִשְּׁמֹֽעַ׃

מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙ ה֣וּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֔ה וּמַה־שֶׁנַּֽעֲשָׂ֔ה ה֖וּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין כָּל־חָדָ֖שׁ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

“All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye is never satisfied by seeing, and the ear is not filled by hearing. That which is, will be again, and that which has been done will be done again, for there is nothing new under the sun.” - (Book of Ecclesiastes)

We live in an age of creation and content. So many people now have the ability to do something, make something, say something or share something.

As someone who is now paid to “say stuff” to other people, I sometimes wonder what’s the motivation behind posting thoughts online, writing a joke, a book, a sermon or making any other form of content or art?

Why do we create? Are we Sharing from joy or Shouting for attention?

Sharing can be quite life giving, whereas Shouting is often draining and joyless.

SHOUTING

Shouting is rooted in a feeling that the world around us is filled with noise. People’s attention is pulled in many directions through the course of a day or week. To cut through all the voices we must shout and shout above the noise. We must shout consistently and with color and slick messaging. Only then can we move to the top of people’s attention and feeds.

Shouting can also be seismic. Shouting is trying to be different and special, say something that’s never been heard before. Do something that’s never been done before. Be unlike anything we’ve ever seen, a unicorn, an anomaly, a generational talent.

But ultimately, Shouting feels so futile. Regardless of “success” or “failure” we are all bound to end up in the same place. We obsess over our accomplishments and credits which are beautiful sandcastles bound to be flattened by the tide.

Shouting is an unconscious attempt to opt out of death and all it entails - an inevitable journey to total obscurity. If we can somehow leave behind a piece of our sandcastle, maybe we can be remembered and all won’t be lost.

Shouting has greatly proliferated in the past fifteen years. There is more information available about the thoughts and desires of our generation than any generation in human history. One wonders if all of it - the internet, social media, the outward expressions of our internal worlds - is just one big collective death note. Like we all know, on some level, this is going to end soon so we’re leaving as much evidence as we can, to say we existed.

SHARING

Sharing, on the other hand, is not bound by the rules of Shouting. For Shouting to achieve its aim, what we make must be remarkable and widely praised. Shouting lends itself to metrics and buttons, trends and monetization.

But creation for the purpose of Sharing does not require so-called “success” to be successful. If the act of creation brings us joy, then by Sharing we are inviting others into our joy. The number of people Sharing our joy is immaterial. Whether it be one person or one million, the experience of Sharing feels profoundly different from Shouting.

In theory, the process of making something could even bring us joy without anyone receiving what we’ve done. We could write poems that we stuff in desk drawers or write novels we lock away in vaults. But something about knowing someone will be there to take in what you’ve done gives the creative process momentum. This would be otherwise lost if we created in total isolation.

Another way Sharing can be different from Shouting is that what we do is beneficial to someone else. We take originality and artist freedom as important priorities, but they can sometimes come at the expense of others’ needs. When I first began preaching sermons I’d often ask myself “What do I want to say?” But as time has gone on, and I’ve learned more, I try to ask instead “What needs to be heard?”

The finished product can look exactly the same, but the motivation behind it could be Shouting or Sharing. Writing this blog has brought me a lot of joy over the past four years, as has Sharing it with you. If I’m honest though, there have been times when it’s been Shouting. No one can completely avoid the trap, but I’d like to think you can tell the difference.

It’s obvious to me anyhow.

Sharing or Shouting?