Finding Fertile Ground for Your Contribution

[DanielBrenton]

To all --

This is simply an observation -- I'm not really clear what to do with this yet, but I wanted to share it.

I've been writing and posting material about UFOs on my blog pretty steadily for the last few weeks, and have gotten some pretty flattering feedback, but I've come to a juncture. My sense, based on my admittedly limited experience of the on-line UFO audience and the folks who get the most attention writing about it, is that the larger audience isn't a reflective one, that they are, by in large, attracted to it out of curiosity (as am I) and are drawn to the newest stuff, and have little interest yesterday's thinking, as valuable as it may be. It's a form of entertainment to most of them, really -- something that fills some kind of void.

The material draws a number of similar subjects to it -- crypto-zoology (bigfoot, Nessie, and other oddities), conspiracy theories, paranormal (not hands-on, but more sensationalistic material), and "Fortean" kinds of subjects (as in Charles Fort, who wrote about all the subjects I mentioned, and odder things like fish falling from the sky, and so on). What I see is a bunch of folks intrigued in or getting themselves all excited about a range of stuff that has no direct application to their lives.

Now I could feed that market, and probably do pretty well at it in the long run if I so chose, but I don't see that I can add any value to that crowd. I don't see that I would be making a difference, because that's not what they are looking for. (And, honestly, I don't want to see my older material dismissed simply because it isn't brand spanking new.)

Please don't get me wrong -- I am not dismissing these folks as human beings. I do think there's an opportunity being missed here by most of these people, and I feel hesitant to contribute to keeping the circus in business. If you get to know the crowd, you'll see that the the Big Names are also mostly Big Egos, which says something about the scene ultimately, doesn't it?

This is a valuable experience to me in that I recognize that I want to make a difference, and I want to contribute in an area where I can.

And I again applaud Steve and Erin for having found how they can do that in their own lives and being so successful at it.

[Liara Covert]

Hi Daniel.

I admire your tenacity. Spacey and other unusual subjects subjects don't appeal to everyone yet, you clearly have passion in these areas. You may wish to reflect on whether you aim to 'preach to the converted' of the field or whether you would like to evolve to appeal to individuals who may be less informed than the experts yet have a growing interest in your passions. There exist a group of people who are perhaps more academic and interested in the subjects you mention.

For example, the space youth advisory council (SGAC - Home) is comprised of a group of your people the world over who are interested in space issues. Many of them are science fiction enthusiasts, trekkies, thrill-seekers and unsolved mystery enthusiasts too.

Among these space enthusiasts are SETI supporters as well as invidividuals who have diverse interests in extra-terrestrial life. These people include scientists, policy students, teachers and others. Once you decide whether your blog is best suited for multi-disciplinary, scientific or some other group, it may be easier to re-orient your focus, if that's what you choose to do.

check out
Home - SETI Institute
ESA Communications Portal
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
International Space University --International Space University (ISU)
and other agencies which have youth groups and web links

Let me know what you find out and whether or not that's of potential interest. I've been affiliated with such groups and may have other ideas to offer you at a later stage.

[DanielBrenton]

Liara --

I appreciate your response. (I really wan't expecting one, and my note sat for a while with no one responding anyway ... )

I've been evolving these thoughts over the last few days, and I think I'm clearer on what to do. My "difficulty" with the field, as fascinating and valid as it I think it is, is that the people who are genuinely serious about it are interested in it as part of the puzzle of how the phenomenon works or how reality works, as opposed to the mystery of their relationship with reality. I hope I've conveyed this clearly enough so the distinction here is apparent.

The people who are in the second category are witnesses and experiencers/abductees. In one of my more recent postings I point out that in order to be of real help to experiencers/abductees it would require years of schooling on my part, and then a willingness to explore the cutting edge of Psychology as it applies to the phenomenon, and endure the professional stigma of being associated with it. I feel confident we can understand the phenomenon ultimately by going in this direction, but getting meaningful data is going to be a while.

I personally don't think this is "other people's spaceships." That's too pat an answer, and doesn't even remotely cover all the aspects of it. Not to deny the possibility of an some "otherworldly" intelligence as part of this, but I don't think it's from something as mundane as another planet.

My take on the subject is a personal thing, really: how can I add value to the world now -- as a writer, as opposed to many years from now (and approaching retirement age, honestly) as a scorned psychologist.

I recognize there's an audience, and a big one if I wanted to "market" myself to it, but my bottom line is to add value to people's lives, and I don't see that I'll be doing it there with the level of rigor it demands for some time to come.

[AndyMartin]

Daniel,

Another possibility I'd like to throw out and see if it resonates with you. Is it possible that you have something to contribute that even you don't see yet; you can only feel the shadow of it around the corner?

We spend so much time playing chess with our life, trying to see where any given move will lead, and if we don't see mate a few moves out we question whether we should even be in the game.

Go is an interesting game, because you can't plan ahead. There are so many possibilities that you can only react to what is on the board at that moment.

I think when it comes to living out the inexpressible higher intention of our life, we don't get the indulgence of seeing how it's going to play out. We either get in the game or get out, and we do it with only a hint of where it's going to lead.

As I see it, a chance to bring reflection -- higher awareness -- to a segment of society is a huge opening. Maybe somewhere in your future there is a message or a teaching for that group of people that will change their perspective and their dialog.

I think the real question is this: is your heart pulling you in that direction? You've been writing about this for a couple of weeks, does the idea of really digging deep and writing more about it get you excited and passionate? If so, you already have your answer. And if not, well you might also have your answer in that case.

At any rate, I appreciate you bringing up the question; it's similar to what I've been wrestling with for a while. And yes, I had my answer.

Best,
Andy

[DanielBrenton]

Originally Posted by AndyMartin

I think the real question is this: is your heart pulling you in that direction? You've been writing about this for a couple of weeks, does the idea of really digging deep and writing more about it get you excited and passionate? If so, you already have your answer. And if not, well you might also have your answer in that case.

Andy --

I appreciate your input. The UFO "thing" has lost "heart" for me, which I think is your second "wisdom" there. I've had a few days to think about this since I started the thread, and I believe my answer is coming into focus.

There are kinds of material I've written where the light comes on inside and I know I'm tapping into real inspiration. I'm going to listen to that, work with it more than I have till now, and re-point my blogs in that direction. (Actually I'm going to consolidate the three blogs into one, danielbrenton.com, and the tone of it will change considerably.)

I don't know if I'm as clear about my direction as you sound like you are, but it seems like I'm heading in the right direction.

I knew I could air this kind of thing here, and there would people who would understand, or at very least empathize with the quandry.

A great group here.

[Liara Covert]

Hi Daniel.

If your heart is pulling you in the direction of a writing genre, you may develop your own niche. Sometimes networking with different kinds of people helps you listen more closely to yourself and what you already know inside. Writing enables you to give your core a voice. You gain insight into yourself whether or not writing becomes part of your career path.

Think about Stephen King's life story. He struggled for years teaching and taking other jobs to support his family while they struggled in a trailer park. During the evenings, he decided to write horror fiction for magazines because he acknowledged this genre was his true passion. When he was offered a much needed raise linked to increased work that would've cut into his writing time, he decided to turn down the extra work. Making that choice led him to market his stories more and develop a following. His life evolved to define unexpected success as a writer based on his priorities. Early on, he hadn't predicted exactly what he would become. He followed his instincts and they took him places he hadn't initially dreamed of.

Best wishes,
Liara

"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself.” -Alan Alda