THE WORLD’S LONGEST BUSINESS CARD 

Do you remember in the seminal classic Christmas film, The Santa Clause, when Tim Allen reads the fine print on Santa’s business card?

If you haven’t seen it, Tim Allen holds a business card he found in a Santa suit up to a magnifying glass and discovers that there’s literal fine print all around the perimeter of the card describing the legally binding job requirements of being Santa! (Home Improvement Ughuughh noise)

I love the idea of a business card that has everything about you embedded within it. When it’s hard to sum up exactly what you do on a few tiny lines of a business card, I say, use tinier font!! Or, do this exercise. 

Asking yourself, “Why me?” is crucial in exploring the facets of yourself as a Creator that will make you stand out. Standing out is important because in a busy marketplace you’re creating a product and you’re looking for a customer. Or perhaps the more tolerable and accepted verbiage for creatives - you’re creating a piece of art and you’re looking for your audience. And that audience needs to be able to find you.

In short, we need your voice out there. Look around, if you don't see it, make it. If you see something similar, make sure to make it yours.

Here's an exercise to help you determine what makes your point of view unique.

What you need: 

2 pieces of scrap paper
A pencil ideally so you can mess up with low stakes! 

You could use one piece of paper but you’re going to reference a list on one piece of paper to do the second part and you might seem crazy to the person next to you at the coffee shop who is deciding whether or not you look trustworthy enough to watch their laptop while they go to the bathroom. But if you hate watching people’s laptops while they go number two, go for it! 

How to:

Take the first sheet of paper and draw a vertical line to make two long grocery-list style columns. On one side, write “I am a…” and list every “role” you have in your life. Don’t be afraid to state the obvious and also to really get in the weeds. Maybe you’re a caretaker for your aunt. Maybe you’re a ringer at lawn darts. Feel free to include former roles or experiences, too. Maybe you’re recovering from an addiction or made your way out of a difficult place. 

Make the list as long as you want and don’t worry about the order, it just shows the things you prioritize and care about the most! Just kidding, I just wanted to call out that the way we think of ourselves is something worth simply exploring as a creative. If you’re stuck, try writing the word “Aspiring”or “Amatuer” before certain roles or characteristics. You can also write adjectives that describe you and then add the word person. For this list, leave out what you would consider your “professional” credentials. 

Here’s some from my list: 

I am a:
Human (not alien)
Mother
Wife
Daughter
Aunt
Friend
3-time Maid of Honor! (WOW Woo!)
Neighbor Library Volunteer
Karaoke singer
Feminist
Reader
Birder
Los Angeleno
Buffalo Bills Fan
Middle Child
Creative person
Public School kid
Voter
Coworker
Catastrophic Thinker
Whatever the Opposite of a Catastrophic Thinker is (is that a ‘manifester?)
Amateur astrophotographer
Home cook
Former grad student
Current student loan borrower
Journaler
Aspiring watercolor artist
Lunch Lady’s Daughter
Trader Joe’s Enthusiast
Walker (I love walking)

When you’ve completed that section, on the other side of the list put the titles and roles that you might write on your Linkedin. You can label this “Technically, I am a…”

Creative Executive
Creative Consultant
Comedian
Writer

Now, in the center of the fresh sheet of paper write your name and add your “Linked in” titles underneath. Go ahead and also list your best email address just in case somebody ever finds this and wants to hire you or give you money. 

Starting along the lower left hand corner, put an asterisk and list all the other roles from “I am a…” in smaller letters, rotating the page to continue the list until you’ve got everything on your list. 

Take the piece of paper and put it into a shrinking machine so that it’s the size of a regular business card. Just kidding. But hold it up and take a look at it. This is a representation of many of the things that inform your perspective. They are parts of you that shape your outlook and your expertise, and they are things that make your viewpoint needed and valuable. Within each identity you've written, there could be a potential audience who relates.

Fold up your business card and keep it with you. It’s a reminder of who you are and all the ways that your opinions, insights, ideas, advice, and imaginings are valuable and valid. Guess what? There is no other business card like this one - so if you ever need a reminder, take it out and look at it.

If you found this exercise helpful, share it with a friend and follow my Substack, Next Gen Jen for more helpful insights and exercises!