The other day I was directed to a slide show of a presentation that Jane McGonigal did at South by Southwest this year by Julien Smith. I had heard that this was an excellent presentation, so I was happy to be able to see the slides. The topic was “A Game Designer’s Perspective on the Future of Happiness.” While I scanned through the slides, there was one that resonated with me, and really sums up WHY I am involved in new media.

1. Satisfying work to do.
2. The experience of being good at something
3. Time spent with people we like
4. The chance to be a part of something bigger

Satisfying work to do

One of the things my wife noticed when I left broadcasting was that I had lost the sense of satisfaction I had in my job. Before, I rarely even thought that what I was doing was actually WORK. Outside of dealing with the chaos of a news organization, I loved everything about it. It was my dream job. When I lost my job after 9/11, I missed that daily passion, and it showed in my life.
Then, in February of 2005, I found out about podcasting. Suddenly this passion that I had set aside in 2001 was reawakened. I now had a deliberate way to continue to do that thing I loved so much: Forecasting the weather, and telling others about it. Over these last three years that passion for the weather and my weather podcast continued to evolve into a broader passion. New media. There is a REASON why I have the drive to podcast every single night. To me, it’s satisfying work. My wife has been gracious enough to deal with the late nights and trips to conferences so I can follow my passion. I love almost everything about new media, and being a part of it gives me untold satisfaction.

The experience of being good at something

It’s amazing to me when people approach me with various questions regarding new media and all the things I do. Through the eyes of others, I am an authoritative figure on all sorts of things. People point to me as being one of the best meteorologists in town. I have people email me frequently about when the next edition of Looking Out The Window will come out. People are touched by the insights, thoughts, and music shared by the artists on the show… and they tell others about it. A fact of which I am deeply humbled. I get questions about new media as a whole frequently as well. In at least the eyes of a few others, I am GOOD at something. I am a valued member of the community.

Time spent with people we like

This is a huge component with me. You have seen me preach the value of community in new media on several occasions here on this blog. This is because I know that this is the biggest thing that sets apart new media from traditional media. But my thoughts run deeper. I personally place extremely high value in my family and friends. New media has given me the opportunity to develop and grow new friendships with people around the world. People who’s opinion I value, who’s friendship speaks volumes to me, and those who have the same interests as me. There are few things that can replace time spent building friendships. For some of these friends… if I had the means, I would jump a plane at the drop of a hat just to comfort one who was hurting or of they needed help with a project. Moreover, I crave opportunities to help them. People matter. Friendships matter. YOU matter to me. It doesn’t matter if we talk daily or if you’ve sent me a single @ reply on twitter. The fact that I matter enough to you for you to involve yourself in me and my projects means the world to me.

The chance to be a part of something bigger

Having been one of the podcasting “pioneers” of sorts, it’s been amazing to see how new media has evolved. We’ve moved from a small group of people to a springboard for a new way of thinking about what kind of media you consume. While traditional media sources Presenting at Podcamp Midwest - Photo by Elisabeth McLaury Lewin are not going away, what we are doing in NEW media is changing the world around us. It’s recreating RELEVANCY in your media choices. And it’s still evolving. It allows you to engage in two-way conversation verses the one-way communication of traditional media. The ability to be a part of the media revolution is an amazing thing.

I can also engage in all the other things going on that make me a part of other people’s lives. I can help encourage new found friends, participate in things like Frozen Pea Friday and Good People Day, I can not only hear about things going on around me, but be a part of those things. I can definitively say that because of my participation in and creation of new media, I am a part of something big. THAT makes me smile.

Why are YOU involved in new media. Why do you consume it, create it, or share it?