The field of professional communications is all about guidance … helping direct the audience toward something. In short, it’s all about vision, but it’s probably not the “vision” you’re thinking of. Successful communicators see the viewpoint of their audience and either magnify, filter or augment the sender’s message to the needs of that audience.
Professional communications aren’t focused on “telling your story.” Rather, we’re looking to provide an audience with the timely information they need or want in the manner in which they demand it.
Creative communications are about sharing an emotion, a perspective or an experience. Photography, literature, art, etc., all provide a framework to achieve these deliverables.
As a professional communicator, I often get asked, “what do you do?” And I often answer with the “things” that people can relate to: editing, writing, ghostwriting, presentations, magazine design, etc. In reality, though, it’s much more than that, and I try to avoid getting mired in the executional details. My role is to understand the organization, internalize the strategy and objectives, and then help my team demystify and deliver engaging content that’s within that strategic framework. It’s incredibly rewarding work, and I’m fortunate to be making a career in a field I love.
- Eaves, Chris (March 28, 2017). You Are Here [Photograph]. New Orleans, Louisiana. Shot on a Canon 6D at 50mm, 1/500 sec., f11, ISO200