Throwback Blogs - The Death of Expertise

I am finally sitting down after a taxing day. Physically debilitating in some way, but more so emotionally and spiritually exhaustive.

I am trying to keep in mind the acronym HALT (hungry, angry, lonely, or tired) as I write this.

Basically, for those who are not familiar with this acronym - it suggests that we should not make any decisions or take any action when we are in any one of - or God forbid all those states!

For me, some of my best work comes out of these moments. Emotions and passions always fuel my most authentic, thought-provoking creations.

Writing IS a creation, make no doubt about it!

It is not easy to sit down at a keyboard and utilize the power of words to make a point, tell a story, and evoke an emotional connection for the reader. It takes command of the language (in this case English) and talent to pick the perfect words, arrange them clearly and deliberately, and tell a tale all the while trying to be entertaining and informative.

I tried to remember a quote I heard many years back about the writing struggle, but I could not recall who it was attributed to, so I did a Google search.

This search only led to more confusion and a spark of anger. This quote was now attributed to more than one writer and that is not possible. Plagiarism aside, we have now evolved from a society that respected the power of words and the author to an internet-based community that has no problem with twisting the truth and throwing around literary genius like grass fertilizer!

It was Ernest Hemingway who said, “There is nothing to writing, all you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” But it took me a bit of searching before I could find his attribution. Other names, most I had no idea who they were, for some reason garnished credit for this thoughtful and experienced-based quote.

I never have been a huge fan of Hemingway, but I respect his genius.

He possessed a creative brilliance only few can claim. His works and influence will forever be a part of the American literary landscape, and I bow to that.

All this brings me to the crux of my frustration. Today was an editing day. I spent several hours of my day editing articles and blogs written by other authors. I love editing. Rewrites, offering suggestions, encouragement, and picking up the occasional grammatical oops all fall within my professional wheelhouse. But I need to have something to work with, without that my soul suffers, and my ire takes flight. I spend too much time trying to make something out of nothing, and I realize it is not an isolated situation, but a growing reality.

Individuals are now donning hats that do not fit.

Expertise is dissolving, the respect for a craft or talent is falling by the wayside. Artists of all facets are springing up everywhere, supported by social media, and virtual courses that promise to turn you into this or that in only a few online modules.

This is all contributing to the dumbing down of America. Even more tragic is the rise of experts not backed by degrees, or real-life experience, but the number of followers they have managed to covet through clever IG and FB posts and aesthetically pleasing color palettes. Armchair psychologists, self-appointed life coaches, and more abound. Not only is this watering down any modicum of expertise, but can be downright dangerous to the society we live in.

I was first introduced to this dumbing down back in 2007 when I was lectured on my company’s spin on the financial industry’s 70/30 rule.

I was in a corporate communications role and was told by management that as long as my output was 70% acceptable, there was plenty of room for 30% of crap. I was primarily a writer, so it was fine for my words to fall drastically short. In fact, it was encouraged and rewarded!

And here we are in 2022 and it has only grown worse. Everyone is an SME, everyone can write, everyone can design, everyone can offer advice, everyone can teach and offer courses… everyone, everyone, everyone with no regard for those who possess a gift, a talent, or a measurable, quantifiable background of experience.

Don’t get me wrong we are all free to express ourselves creatively as we please, but when we self-appoint ourselves as a professional that is another story.

The value of creativity and solid work is undermined and as a result, experts are not paid what they are worth.

For those of us who write for a living, this is particularly worrisome. We have all seen freelance bidding sites and platforms where writers and other creative peeps are offering services starting at five dollars. A good writer, even a mediocre one is worth far more than that. But why would a company pay when they can get what they need for pennies?

Think about it - I worked for a very well-known and respected global advertising agency over 10 years ago that no longer cared about quality. This groundswell took root way back then and has been growing ever since. We have all been paying a huge price as professionals and as a society.

Take a moment and Google Hemingway. The first result is not the literary genius, but rather the app that will make your writing “bolder and clear.”

Wonder what Ernest would think of that!