Limited Palettes — Catskill Cottage Seed

: Image by ken mccown via Flickr

A quick thought popped in my head driving home last night in response to some questions I’ve been getting about the 140 character limitation in twitter: when folks “complain” twitter has only 140 characters, I’m reminded that great painters had no difficulty working with a limited palette.

From a triad of colors an artist can mix the spectrum in such a way that the color field will have unity and the world that is projected onto the canvas will hang together.

If you were to study your micro-blogging on twitter, how would you define your palette. What are your three colors?

This is a question I wouldn’t have even asked before attending sxsw, but one of my takeaways was the value of twitter search. I recognized that it is possible to use twitter search more effectively. It’s an amazing database of every tweet ever typed and the manner that it can re-display conversations is very powerful.

Do you spend time reflecting on the micro-stream you are creating?

Screwed Up Texan

I agree with Henie in that the limited space is a springboard for creativity. I may not always tweet useful information, but I have learned to get to the point when I am tweeting because the 140 charector limit forces me to.

<abbr>Screwed Up Texan´s last blog post..Screwed Up: Change</abbr>

sid parham

I have always loved epigram and that is certainly part of my twitter palette. The fun though is picking up another's palette and playing with it. For instance, Lilpecan's fiction she is a guinea pig allows a whole range of expression not available to her or her followers otherwise.

<abbr>sid parham´s last blog post..Social Life, Social Media, and Business</abbr>

Henie

Hi Richard!

I love what you have posited here! Personally, I find the 140 character limit as a springboard for creativity! Though I am in love with words and the study of them, I much prefer "berevity" in what I write and likewise in what I read...I find brevity to be more cogent as you have to choose wisely.

And as an artist, there is no such thing as a "limited pallette"...within the primary realm perhaps but with the secondary, there is tone, value and endless shades of hue.

Excellent post...enjoyed this very much...thank you! :~)

<abbr>Henie´s last blog post..Somewhat Of A Whole Hole</abbr>

Mike Argiros

I am personally attracted by the challenge to hone my communication skills and I like the analogy of the limited Palette. This can be difficult however for the novice "Social Media" participant; at least it is for me. While Twitter may seem less of a hurdle then blogging, all Social Media platforms have for those like me, an inherent hurdle that we must overcome. I am a verbal oriented communicator and I sort out my thoughts verbally. I may tell a story in my head or out loud several times before I get in focus what I wish to communicate. Then it has to be typed and narrowed down to somewhat of a directed point. To have a meaningful Tweet as you ask in your question - that level of focus may require more effort or time then some have. However, in the spirit of developing my communication skills and for a desire to be involved, I am and will be present and accounted for in the world of Social Media. See you in "Tweetsville".

<abbr>Mike Argiros´s last blog post..Family</abbr>