Dabble In Magic Early And Often

If you
don’t believe in magic on some level, your art is going to suck.

And
when I say magic, I’m not referring to supernatural enthusiasms or ancient
mythologies or occult practices or bewildering godspeak, rather, those moments
of virtuosity and mystery and meaning, those acts of human moral beauty that
provoke the kindred and start a conversation with something much larger
than yourself.

In
short, awe.

That’s
what we mean when we say magic.

In the
landmark study on awe, researchers defined it as a moral, spiritual and
aesthetic emotion. Something has the power to transform people and reorient
their lives, goals and values in profound and permanent ways. Making awe one of
the fastest and most powerful methods of personal change and growth on the
planet.

And
that got me thinking.

How do
we create moments of awe for our customers? How does the street performer or the
landscaping company or the charity foundation embed the experience of awe into
their daily work?

According
to aforementioned research, awe is the intersection of two moments:

Wow and how.

Wow,
meaning you’re in the presence of something sizable and powerful and
prestigious, and the sense of vastness overwhelms you. Holy crap. This is amazing. Where’s my camera?

How,
meaning you can’t comprehend the mechanics behind that thing, and the desire to
accommodate that experience into your worldview overwhelms you. No effing way. How the hell did she do
that?

That’s
how you create awe. Wow plus how.

It’s
not a proven formula. It’s not a predictable construct.

But if
you dabble in magic early and often, eventually, it’s going to stick.