Public relations people have to switch gears throughout the day. It is very rare that I have the luxury to work on one project without having to switch to another. Sometimes because the phone rings and crisis ensues and sometimes simply because I have to step away and let my efforts come back to a simmer. Bottom line, for me, it helps if I am in the right mood to work on a project. Sometimes I have to turn to external forces to help me.
Everyone has their tricks for doing this effectively. For me it is music. Thank God for Napster! Working on a issue that you want people to take up arms about – Rage Against the Machine (Terror rains drenchin’, quenchin’ tha thirst of tha power dons – makes me mad just thinking about it). Working with an angelic group – Leonard Cohen (Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord that David played, and it pleased the Lord). Just need to be creative – hmmm, so many to choose from. Muse is my immediate favorite but don’t get me started surfing through the recommended tab. (confession time – I am forever stuck in the 80′s and 90′s music scene)
Here is the irony… When I read a well written press release, message point, article, etc. – I hear music. Not real music, but the sense of it. Read something poorly written, I cringe as fingernails are run across a mental blackboard and the mic spews forth screeching feedback. Not pretty to say the least.
Nothing stirs the soul like music and I am forever grateful for that.
What works for you?