Happy New Fear.

That title was suggested by my good friend Tore Claesson, a brilliant art director and my ex-partner. Tore has traveled the world art directing. He has the uncanny knack of zeroing in on important things.

Happy New Fear.

I hope in 2014, we can lose some of our fear.  Our fear that "proven, tested and safe" is better than "new, funny and real."

I hope we can look at the chances Dodge, for instance, took with their Ron Burgundy spots and we can say, fear = best practices, and best practices = drivel. I hope we can look at creativity and innovation not as things to fear--because they haven't been done--but things to embrace--because they haven't been done.

I hope in 2014, we can lose some of our fear. Our fear that we'll lose our jobs if we speak our minds. 

I hope we can lose the fear which leads to acceptance, complacency and suck. I hope when we're confronted with some inequity at work--the purported wage freezes, or the 2% increase, or the "there are no bonuses because..." we can overcome of fear of unemployment, our fear of the shitty economy and say, "wait a second. Your financial calculus is bullshit." I hope we don't accept the beatings with equanimity because the job market sucks. I hope we can lose some of our fear and say, "well, that ain't right."

I hope in 2014, we can lose some of our fear. Our fear that we have to embrace every new trend lest we be labelled "old."

The internet has proven that most hallelujahs don't pan out, at least as marketing tactics. They come and gone, most of them. Facebook "likes," Google +, Xynga, Second Life, hashtags and more. I hope we lose the fear that compels us to herald the new, simply because it's new.

I hope in 2014, we can lose some of our fear. Our fear of calling people out for using jargon, hyperbole, and false data.

I hope when someone says 'social works,' we have the utz to say, 'show me a campaign.' Likewise, when they say 'TV is dead,' I hope we can either assail them with data or ask for theirs. I hope one someone blathers on, we have the presence to say, 'I don't understand. Explain it to me.' We should lose the fear of saying the emperor has no clothes.