Small Circles

I find interviews irresistable. The best capture honest reflections that provide a peek behind the unblemished facade people present. It's the same reason I enjoy one-on-one conversations.

I particularly enjoy musician interviews because the craft is such a mystery to me and the artists tend to be more unguarded than most.

In this interview, Radiohead's Thom Yorke  alked about the need to take a break from touring and recording in order to recapture the energy and excitement of it all. It's the way he described it, though, that stuck with me:

It's like anything. You start to go in small circles, so you've got to stop when that happens.

We start with broad brushes and infinite variety, but as time goes on, our horizons narrow and we begin to mine familiar territory. Our filtered feeds transform the diverse web into an efficient delivery system for who and what we know and like.

When I find myself going in small circles, I try to remember to take a break, reach out to someone new, be willing to be bad at something, read and listen to the unfamiliar, and otherwise push the boundaries of my circle until I can breathe again.

The extra room provides space for new ideas and new friends. Make room for the unexpected.