From Martin Luther King to Creators

Reading..

“Letter From A Birmingham Jail”

I notice something.. 

Something often taught by great creatives. 

“Write to one person.”

“Smallest viable audience.”

But..

We love BIG. 

We love LARGE. 

BIG house. 

LARGE bank account. 

We want to reach the masses. 

We want it to be for everyone. 

8 billion people on earth, and this is for them all. 

We swing for the fences. 

We miss the ball. 

We try to reach everyone and lose sight of who it’s for. 

But Martin Luther King did something different. 

He wrote “Letter From A Birmingham Jail” to eight clergymen. 

That was his audience. 

That was his home run.

But as it turned out..

He wrote so well (to his audience of eight), that the New York Post published his letter to the masses. 

King then submitted it to The Christian Century and it was ran in their magazine. 

In fact, the editor “asked King if he’d consider deleting the names of the eight clergymen“ to broaden the impact of your remarks as much as possible, since we are convinced they apply to all of us to a considerable degree.” 

King agreed. 

The letter was circulated to additional publications. “Churches distributed it among members, as it became almost instantly famous.”

And here we are, 60+ years later..

Reading..

“Letter From A Birmingham Jail”

Alongside millions of others. 

Not because it was made for them, instead, because it wasn’t. 

Made by one, (made for eight), eight to millions. 

But don’t overlook the middleman. 

Think about them..

The next time you are offering up your work. 

Your focus is a gift. 

For you & for others.