Velvet Evolver

I used to be an ad man. Associate Account Director. Worked my way up 2 international ad agencies in KL.

Like a psychologist that comes to their clients offices, I would sit patiently, take notes. Poor souls. Marketing Managers or Executives. Some of them have no idea how they even got there. But I was a good listener. I was a good deconstructor.

I deconstructed everything. What they wrote on their Agency Brief. What they said. What they said behind their bosses back. What they said behind my bosses back. What they said behind my back. What they wore that day, what ties they were wearing, what bra color and type they were wearing. What they smelled like and even what they ate before the meeting.

I deconstruct their competitors ads : What their layouts were like, what colors, which talents, what slogans, what nonsense.

I deconstructed my own Creative Briefs : What strategy, which art director, why so, why not?

I now deconstruct my wife's actions : Why'd she do that? Why'd she NOT do that? Why'd she say that? Why DIDN'T she say that?

And as I sit here 8 years after my first advertising job, and 3 years after leaving it to commandeer a family business...I seem to feel that deconstructing is deconstructive.

I was trained to question. Now I am forced to answer.

My staff needs me to. My wife needs me to. My family needs me to.

And soon, my child will need me to as well.

But I don't think I should stop deconstructing. I just think it should be immediately followed up with my own answer now. And if I don't have it, it's OK. It'll pop up somewhere someday.

Right God?

Hello? U there?