When I was in university, I was a DJ on our campus radio station. Yes, this was with actual turntables, and stacks and stacks of vinyl records to thumb through.
I loved crafting playlists of my favourite songs. If I had any listeners, they were the kind that didn’t bother calling in with requests.
The one-third rule
I couldn’t though just play my favourites.
The rule was that every DJ had to play at least a third of their set list, from the albums on the shelf labelled “New Music.”
Our station manager wanted record labels to consistently send us new bands and new releases for free. So, we had to keep proving that we were reliably playing everything that we received.
Hence, the rule.
And it applied to any genre of show.
Rotary phones and turntables in a room full of vinyl records and an “ON AIR” sign outside the door.
This was a challenge
I quickly grew to appreciate the challenge. And it was a challenge.
The “New Music” shelf seemed to me to always lean toward loud and angsty. I might listen to a snippet of every track on five albums to discover one that sparked some curiosity.
…with rewards
This weekly process though widened the breadth of what I felt open to while it affirmed the depth of what I really liked.
And it showed me that I’ll miss the joy of surprises if I only repeat what I’ve played before.
Metaphor for getting out of my comfort zone
So today, decades later, I use this metaphor of the “New Music” shelf to shake me out of complacency sometimes; out of staying within the bounds of what I know.
There is so much on the “New Music” shelf! That’s where things like ChapGPT show up; and new functionalities in communication apps; new books about remote work; and new features in LinkedIn.
I’ll choose to like some and to dismiss others, but I know I won’t find new sparks and perspectives if I completely ignore it.
Exercise
So here’s an exercise for you to also strengthen your curiosity muscle.
- Today, pick a resource. Perhaps it’s LinkedIn, or podcasts, or TEDTalks.
- Then every day this week, actively look for something there that you would normally have scrolled past, and give it 15 minutes of your attention.
- At the end of the week, notice what surprised you, what you dismissed, and how creative you feel.
