November 16, 2009

Mindcrushes: Unfiltered.

Nice to see you again. Follow me, @SydneyOwen. Thanks for being here!

Seriously, this mindcrush thing is blowing my mind. I totally ganked the term too – so don’t go rushing me with praise about how accurately it describes your feelings… I can’t take the credit.

First of all, let me be crystal clear – I’m not talking about the mind crushing they do in anime or whatever cartoons you’re watching (really Urban Dictionary – get WITH IT and update your definitions). I’m talking about mindcrushes in the context that a mindcrush is when you meet someone that totally GETS IT and all of a sudden, your mind wants to have babies with that other person’s mind, even if said crush is a woman, it still wants to have her babies (thank you, Jamie, for the definition).

Okay so maybe mindcrush is the new “blogcrush”, because I’ve heard people use “blogcrush” before.

SIDE NOTE: How awesome slash nerdy is it that I’m devoting an entire post to this?

I didn’t really know there was a word for this until last week-ish. I think mindcrushing is something us bloggers do. How does that translate to real life though? Is it safe to mindcrush and then alert said mindcrush about the fact that you’re mindcrushing them? Hmm. That almost scrambled my brain – are you still with me here?

But really, now that I’ve identified a term for what I’m feeling when I read posts and comments and content created by some of the people in our little circle, it makes me wonder what the line is. Being Unfiltered and all, I don’t really ::do:: lines. I don’t like standing in them, I don’t like reading between them and I certainly don’t like walking fine ones.

What I do like? Feeling giddy like a teenager when I read good content. Reading comments that take my breath away because they are so SPOT ON. And of course reading into everything assuming it’s about me and that somewhere out there, there is someone who is drooling over my posts the way I do over theirs.

Back to the line thing (give me a break, it’s Monday), what is the line? How do you define mindcrush? Do you have one? Is it something you take past reading blogs/comments/tweets and explore offline or is it just a fun little thing you do in your brain?

Because I’m new to this and in the spirit of being “old-fashioned” I’m going to leave you all with this:

Hey mindcrush, ASK ME OUT ALREADY.

  • I recently found your blog and enjoy your writing and content. I don't know if it's a mindcrush experience...but still glad I was led this way. Keep up the great writing.
  • The fact that you thought about whether or not it was a mindcrush experience is enough for me. Thanks for being here David :)
  • Don't you just hate clueless boys? (heavy sigh)

    I want to apologize on behalf of my gender. We were just bred dumb.

    Keep dropping hints though. Perhaps your fish will bite and catch on...hopefully soon. :)
  • First of all, so I don't get speared through the gut, I'm going to make sure everyone knows that @foiledcupcakes deserves credit for the 'mindcrush' term. She's feisty and might hurt me, so I had to clarify.

    The definition of mindcrushes definitely changes for everyone...we're all 'into' different mental stimulants. Bloggers tend to be uniquely equipped to identify intelligent thoughts through the written word, so it's no surprise we all run around with a list of writers we would have mind babies with.

    I will say this...if you have to draw a line somewhere, draw it high. Heighten the threshold and really go out there and connect with the real deals. This medium gives us all a unique opportunity to surround ourselves with incredibly smart people and conversation. Insanely funny, meaningful, useful, instructive, or compelling...it's all out there with real people behind it; usually people you could really get to know and learn from if you tried.

    That's my thing...I think people out there saying things the way you'd like to have said them, or writing in ways you'd like to have written, or doing things you'd like to be doing...those people are people to know. They (could) show you pieces of yourself you don't realize are there. They could make the next step in your growth (whatever it is) that much closer.

    Reach out. Tell them. Make them human and make them your friends.
  • Yes. What D just said. Those people DO show you pieces of yourself. Absolutely. And I love Jamie's "mindwhore" term.
  • I don't think Mari would actually spear you - but then again, I may be wrong. Better safe than sorry, yes?

    "I think people out there saying things the way you'd like to have said them, or writing in ways you'd like to have written, or doing things you'd like to be doing...those people are people to know."

    There are a lot of people in our little circle here that always seem to be one step ahead of me. Like they comment and I'm thinking "ZOMGWTFBBQ that's exactly what I was going to say next!" Those are the people that make me get out of bed and go to the networking things here. Those are the people I search for on the "attending" list on eventbrite or whatever.

    Everyone who has commented on this post is one of those people.

    There are some regular people here that when I get the notification email telling me they commented - I get super-pumped to read what they had to say. I know Jamie will have something hilarious to add. I know Tim Jahn will probably play devils advocate and make me think of the subject in a whole new light. I know that your comment will be the one that makes me incredibly happy yet undeniably frustrated that you're always a step ahead.

    We were talking earlier and you asked why everyone thinks that there was one person that I wrote this post about. Maybe, maybe not. Okay probably. Point of the whole thing is - you're right, Jamie's right, everyone's right - it's all relative. And whether or not my call to action was directed at one person or to anyone who reads this shit isn't all that relevant. At the end of the day - I want to be friends with the people I want to have mind babies with. So let's all be friends. And hang out. For real.
  • I basically have mindcrushes on any person that is funny. I'm a mindwhore, if I may.

    Then again, I can't distinguish between mindcrushes and real crushes anymore. Which, is either a big issue or totally awesome. We'll see.
  • LOL A mindwhore. God I love you. But really - um, yes. Hard to separate - awesome or disastrous - that's the question. I'm probably going to pull a Jamie and start living for the blog - that's where the good content is hiding. :)
  • Totally awesome, hands down. Mindcrushes are real crushes quite often:)
  • Yes, I totally have mindcrushes! My passion is in human rights, social enterprise, so whenever I find interesting and GOOD, smart blogs by young people on these topics, I totally end up having a crush on them. And their blog, of course. It's definitely hard to please me...because living up to my standards is hard! :)
  • Well...I definitely have blogcrushes. :)

    I totally get where you are coming from, I think a mindcrush is much more than just an appreciation of another person's blog/comments/content. I mean, that might be where it starts, but once you start wanting to have mind babies with people then you know it has come to a totally higher level!

    And there are a couple people out there I want to have mind babies with. I love any ounce of communication I get to have with them, whether it be reading/Tweeting/commenting/Skyping/phone/carrier pigeon/etc. The dangerous thing I've already learned with mindcrushes, however, is DAMN they are a quick way to get unrequited feelings. And then you just feel like a schlub. And you listen to a lot of Fiona Apple while writing bad poetry in a dark room like your 14 year old self.

    Or maybe that's just me... :P
  • EEEK! Well that would be no good. Maybe I need to tone it down on the mindcrushing - or refine Jamie's lovely definition to not include brain babies.

    But I'm totally with you on everything re: Fiona Apple and bad poetry. Wait. Hang on. You too? :)

    Thanks for being here!
  • It's about time you used this blog to advance your love life.

    Mind crushes. Work crushes. Phone crushes. These things happen all the time and are totally natural. Doesn't make them any more confounding, but absolutely.

    Even though I was lucky enough to marry the biggest mind crush I'll ever have, I still get them every now and again. I've been in meetings where someone from another agency will say something and it's like a light from God is shining on them as they talk.
  • mindcrush-that's my new word. It happens to me all the time. It's why I'm here and why I go to other sites regularly- because of the beauty of the mind. My mind must be gay though, cause I got a thing for a few dudes.
  • Alright, this post is adorable and "adorable" isn't a term I throw around loosely. In fact, it's ReTweet worthy, something I don't do often either but will now. A mindcrush sounds like a more intimate version of a blogcrush...and waaay better than a brainfart.

    A sexy mind is right up there with a sexy butt to me. And now I'm wondering if anyone wants to have brain babies with me like I want to have brain babies with them!

    Does one need to wear a cap in lieu of a condom in making brain babies? Nevermind, I think the cap would prevent the brain baby making (not to be confussed with baby brains) similar to the condom. Ahh, deep thoughts.
  • "Nevermind, I think the cap would prevent the brain baby making (not to be confussed with baby brains) similar to the condom. Ahh, deep thoughts."

    Um. HILARIOUS.
  • ::speechless:: Thanks for the laugh and POV on the whole sitch. Your blog kills my blog at awesomeness and I'm doing a happy dance seeing that you're here. So thanks for being here :)
  • Oh please. Sydney Owen is like a household name! And I'm more like David who?

    I'm such a nobody that your blog didn't even want to paste my face (avatar) to my last comment. Not to worry though, I virtually wrestled your DISQUS software and won! Mmmwahaha.
  • YES! I love this. And it's fun when your taste in mindcrushes changes a little and you keep hopping around and finding great new connections and idea freaks and all of it. Awesome sauce. I get to see a few of my fave mindcrushes in your town this week and am SO SAD I'm going to miss you!
  • Wow, that comment had so many words I use regularly I seriously thought maybe I wrote it:)

    Favorites: ideafreaks, awesomesauce, mindcrush....where is KILLER??
  • Maybe because we've spent too much time falling all over KILLER peeps we're
    inspired by? Should I have thrown iCrushes in there too? :)

    Better?
  • I wish I was going to be here to experience the shenanigans that is you visiting Chicago but alas, I have to drive down to Florida to hang with the parents. Soon my love, soon!
  • I've got about a dozen mindcrushes right now, but pretty high on my list is the rotation of writers over at Copyblogger (http://www.copyblogger.com). It seems like every day one of them writes a post that makes me say "Man, I wish I'd thought of that first." Another guy managing to do that lately is David Spinks (http://www.davidspinks.com). He's writing content that makes him look like a 15 year veteran of the industry while I'm usually just happy when I manage to get out one coherent post. I'm being slightly self-deprecating there, but it's not too far off the mark.

    On a less industry-related note, it's at least once a week that the writers over at Cracked.com make me wish I wrote for Cracked. It's rare that I read a Top 7 list from them that doesn't make me laugh out loud, hard.

    Great topic Sydney. Look forward to hearing who your mindcrush is if you decide to throw it out there.
  • Wow thanks a lot Mike. I am truly humbled. I wouldn't expect anyone to have a mindcrush on my blog ^_^ I agree completely about copyblogger. That place is a goldmine of blogging/writing tips. Everything I read over there makes me a better blogger.

    Sydney... You're hilarious and awesome and hilariously awesome. Thanks for this post. Fun read.
  • I love it!! I can say this on your blog because my parents and grandma don't subscribe: my ex-boyfriend used to call me a "brain whore" because I was always so busy blogging, emailing, coaching, tutoring, etc. Now I realize why I love this post so much! I love mindcrushes and similarly get them all the time for other bloggers - it's amazing to have so many people sharing so many thoughts, feelings, laughs and connections. Drooling over here. Thanks :D

    Oh - and I'll second that: mindcrush - ask her out already! ;-) (preferably via blog post so we can all swoon vicariously over it).
  • Woohoo! I agree with the last part. That would be totally ballsy and mean that you can read my mind - which is also a quality I seek out in potentials. I LOVE YOUR FACE!
  • My blogcrush/mindcrush? Probably Amy Mengel's or Valeria Maltoni's blogs/ideas. In a plutonic way, of course ;) Both women blow my mind on a consistent basis. And I routinely look to them both for ideas and inspiration.

    @arikhanson
  • LoRunShield
    I think you need to share, possibly secretly, on who your mind crush is. I completely understand what you are talking about, especially since I have a few blog/twitter crushes myself. Yes it is dorky, but true, when you realize that if you were to ever actually meet this person, they would be totally awesome and the world would benefit with your being together.

    Can we send these signals to our mind crushes by osmosis?
  • Here, let me beat everyone to it: WHO IS THIS BLOGGER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT?

    Link please...or if inappropriate send in secret code
  • Oh girl, I mindcrush so hard it's not even funny. Girl bloggers, guy bloggers, basically anyone who consistently writes things that make me scream, "GAH! YES!"
  • Mindcrush ^^
  • I love that I googled "mindcrush definition" to get a clue as to what you were talking about in your tweet so I could develop a decent definition of my own, and guess what search result numero uno was.... Your blog... Thanks for being a pioneer of sorts. :)
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