TMI? Or is it exactly enough?

I just watched an ad on LinkedIn that was ‘humorously’ promoting some kind of content creation system whilst simultaneously tearing users apart for being oversharing cringe-lords on LinkedIn.

I reflected for a moment.

Is this me?

Which category do I fall into?

Are my posts too personal? Do people only want to read about my software choices and how many bananas and calculators I produced this financial year?

I’m sure there is some truth to the roasting in the ad (there almost always is), but I think it’s probably more helpful to examine the complex reality that is being over simplified within it.

The truth is, we are human beings first and workers second.

Our personal lives, can, should and will be a source of growth and learning for us, and at times, even inform our professional work/choices, particularly if we work in creative spaces.

We are not machines.

And what separates us from machines and AI, is precisely this messy humanity.

As usual, use your judgment and discernment; but if your divorce or illness led to you start some a high impact organisation or taught you how to navigate profound difficulty more effectively, I’d much rather read about that than what kind of indemnity insurance you took out last quarter.

Work is done by human beings, and they are human beings who have feelings, failures and personal difficulties from time to time. Naturally this is going to show up in their work at some point.

So yes, by all means share your work, but also, don’t be afraid to share your humanity.

 "Every good painter paints what he is." — Jackson Pollock

"Wherever you go, there you are" - Jon Kabat-Zinn,

Stay classy ✌🏻