Narrative aircover

After Tom Critchlow. Any project or initiative that provides cover and context in periods of transition or uncertainty, esp. when freelancing, etc.

A sense of directionality, of vectors. A tool for identity formation?

Needs to be something completely within your control, that you can work on independently. Ideally non-revenue-generating, so its success or failure is relatively open-ended. It should be interesting and enthusiasm-driven, related to your interests. A protective niche, providing ‘shelter … to the emerging identity while it’s still incredibly fragile.’ (Critchlow 2024)

True, but aspirational. Supplying you with cover for networking, experimentation, conversations. Should open up possibilities, rather than closing things down.

Starting out in a new field, you don’t yet have a stable identity or clear positioning for the kind of work you want to do. Narrative aircover provides you with something to discuss and lean on while you figure things out.

In a blog post this week, [Andrew L-B] draws an analogy between WWII-era high-frequency direction finding (HF/DF or “huff-duff”) and the information asymmetries inherent to the challenge of building (assembling?) a career. Like a submarine, he argues, we “transmit” our skills and contributions, hoping to be “detected” by allies and would-be collaborators. But this analogy raises some tricky questions: constant transmission can be exhausting, and risks reducing us to a narrow, distorted slice of our capabilities. This challenge is being compounded by the erosion of mass-userbase social media platforms, with our “transmissions” fragmented across digital spaces. Perhaps the goal isn’t to be a perfectly detectable submarine, but to cultivate a network of trusted huff-duff stations: allies, mentors, and collaborators who can appreciate our evolving mix of skills; helping us navigate, even as we change course. ‘Logical piano: 2024-W25’ (23 June 2024)

• [?] How long should you rely on narrative aircover before shifting to a more grounded identity? Is there a risk of getting stuck “performing” an identity that’s no longer true?
• [?] Can narrative aircover become limiting, boxing you into others’ perceptions? How do you retain flexibility, and avoid being typecast?
• [?] Can narrative aircover scale beyond the individual freelancer or consultant?

• [?] Are there times when “narrative dazzle camouflage” would be valuable, i.e. being harder to pin down and define? Or is it always better to have a story, even if it shifts?

• [&] See also: working or building in public, side-missions, etc.

Backlinks

: Vital conjunctures