Putting pen to paper

It's been almost two years now since I've jumped ship as a communications professional for a large (read: soulless) multinational (read: American) financial institution (read: Republican fundraising machine) and started working for a small national non-profit organization.

Tired of overly rigorous approval processes, micro-management mindsets and suffocating creative limitations (Apparently the status quo in most large corporations and government departments) I found myself yearning for something more than just a paycheque and the promise of a potential bonus at the end of the year. So I took a leave of absence, buggered off to the pristine wilderness of Lake Temagami to work at a summer camp and came back to the city in the fall of 2006 reinvigorated and ready to change the world, or at least fix it a little bit.

While I'm still far from that lofty goal of changing the world, I like to think that I'm close to fixing it a little bit. In addition to my new role as the communications manager for a national non-profit organization, I've started working with other organizations, community groups and individuals interested in engaging people, sharing knowledge and driving social change through the written word. Whether it's an effectively designed and implemented communications strategy, meaningful campaign messaging, a thought-provoking public address or the introductory text on a webpage, words are at work. And let's face it: well-chosen words, well they work even better.

My intent is to use Social Semantics as an online discussion and forum for deliberation on the power of words and their meaning. Whether anecdotally or more profoundly, I hope to contribute posts at least on a monthly basis, zeroing in on a particular idea or theme and hopefully sparking a dialogue with like and not-so-like minded people. So please, feel free to put pen to paper, or fingers to keypads as it may be, and share your ideas, thoughts and perspectives.

Regards,

Lee