whatchelseasaid

Part of a cover letter that I wrote for a job application. Turns out a lot of it rang true in general, without being job specific. 

I decided to go into advertising because more than anything, I wanted to tell a story. Not just frivolous stories, but stories with a purpose. Stories that sold you an idea. That’s what inspired me as a writer, and continues to inspire me as a Creative. 

I found that going through Ad school at the exceptionally creative Miami Ad School taught me many things, most of them having nothing to do with advertising. I found that I love telling stories, but more than that, I love listening to them. I’ve developed myself as a speaker, but even more so as an engaged listener. 

One of the most inspiring things that I’ve ever heard as a Creative was Ira Glass speaking about The Gap Between Our Taste And Our Work. He told the story of beginners, and how, as young Creatives, it is exceptional taste that gets you into the game. He speaks of how it’s difficult to create things as your talent is developing knowing that “it’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not.”  Those words flipped a switch for me. They made me realize that you can always teach talent, but as for passion and stellar taste…those components either exist or they don’t. 

paper hearts worn weary

like that letter that you wrote

folded. unfolded. 

over and under.

and all the words we never said sitting in the creases.

unspoken while spoken.

ink is blotted all over that paper heart

the smudginess of it all.

rubbed in tear stains and torn edges.

and it holds us together by threads of fiber

the very pores of it lets me breath it in

because it still smells of you

of us

of the things we had and never had

and wanted but never really wanted

of the contradictions and outbursts and angry lines.

your words were jagged in some places

and soft in others

and you held my paper heart in your pocket

for the days of us were long and weary,

like that letter that you wrote.