Ben Brooks on Negativity

Speaking of Spoken (hmm), I have to give Ben Brooks kudos for sharing this story about the impact of negativity on his life and work, and how he's still recovering from it. It's one of the best things I've heard on Spoken yet.

I've transcribed my favorite bit (it's about ¾ the way in):

There might be different people reading my site now. I'm sure there are, and I hope there always will be. But those people simply replaced the people who left because the negativity left, and that, I am fine with because I'm happier now, and I think that shows in my writing.

Spoken.co

A few days ago, Cameron Moll — the guy behind Authentic Jobs and Structures in Type — unveiled a new service he co-founded: Spoken.

As they say in their intro post, it's “Like Instagram for audio.” You record and publish short audio snippets (up to 4 minutes each), ideally to share stories and experiences using that most intimate form of communication: your voice. I was immediately intrigued by this idea and rushed to nab the /chris handle, which I can tell you is the first time I've ever been able to do that. I look forward to being able to post from my iPhone and iPad, since those are my primary devices. (I've heard an app is in the works.)

Until then, I've been enjoying many of the posts (snippets? shortcasts?) I've come across so far, including:

• Shawn Blanc telling the story about how he started writing full-time.
• Tina Roth Eisenberg on how she requires jokes with job applications.
• Sean "seanwes" McCabe on free-form writing in the morning. (Sean also gave some handy advice for anyone wanting to do well on Spoken.)
• Suzanne Moll sharing a cute story about off-roading with her son.
• Cameron Moll on balance vs. priorities.
• Benjamin Brooks on recovering from negativity

And that's really just the beginning. I hope the Spoken network takes off, because I think it has some serious potential. If you're already into podcasts, it's a natural fit. Go check it out.

P.S. I recorded my first track earlier today, but I'm not 100% happy with it. Might scrap it and do another. Either way, once it's done I'll link it up in a follow-up post.