Opportunity taken. Outcome outstanding.

This is a parking sign in the lot behind TheaterWorks in Hartford, CT, where I performed my solo show this summer and last week in “Matt and Jeni Are Unprepared.”

I love this sign. I love it for obvious reasons, but I also love it because when we choose to communicate in any form, we make a choice:

Will we be utilitarian, ordinary, and forgettable, or will we attempt to be different, daring, and memorable?

Most opportunities are missed or, more tragically, ignored because of fear. As a result, most communication – written, spoken, or recorded – tends to be round, white, and flavorless because that is precisely how it is designed. Rather than being different, creative, and unforgettable, most people choose to be tragically typical and ultimately forgettable.

Rather than breaking from the pack, they prefer to travel with the herd.

This parking sign demonstrates the opposite. It represents a willingness to be different, amusing, and memorable. It demands to be noticed. It was a small opportunity to do something different, and whoever designed it took advantage of that opportunity.

It also matches the ethos of TheaterWorks:

A place for creative people to produce wildly memorable, keeping moving, and occasionally experimental entertainment. It establishes a mood and a vibe before the audience member even arrives at the front doors.

Whenever we communicate – in any and every way – we have an opportunity to do something different and special. We have an opportunity to send a message, establish a vibe, and speak to our core beliefs.

Most people do not, which happily makes those who do even more noticeable and memorable.