Leaving Out Information - The Creative Elegance Manifesto

Posted by Francis Raymond May 19th 09

What do In-and-Out Burger, the Mona Lisa and the Sopranos have in common? Not an easy one, eh? Well for one, they are all featured in ChangeThis' latest manifesto. They are also all consciously missing bits of information.

We're examining today a manifesto called Creative Elegance. This eBook written by Matthew E. May surprisingly examines how missing information and empty spaces can creatively tell a story and engage the reader into a thought process.

Conventional wisdom says that to be successful, an idea must be concrete, complete, and certain. But what if that’s wrong?

Indeed, what if this is wrong? It is certainly not common to include unfinished thoughts into a document, especially a white paper. You may wonder: Will my readers think I was too lazy to complete my project? Well this concern is a valid one. Leaving out information needs to be a conscious decision that was carefully thought-of by the creator. This is not a time-saving measure! Indeed, letting out information means that you have figured out somehow what the outcome of your thought-process is. Actually, you are removing information in order for your readers to come up with their own conclusions or alternatives. Still, it is your job to bring your readers to that point.

A great piece of art is composed not just of what is in the final piece, but equally what is not. It is the discipline to discard what does not fit—to cut out what might have already cost days or even years of effort—that distinguishes the truly exceptional artist and marks the ideal piece of work, be it a symphony, a novel, a painting, a company, or most important of all, a life.

The unusually simple yet surprisingly powerful nature of any elegant this or that gives us pause, and the impact changes our view of things, often forever. Elegance delivers the power to cut through the noise. It can shake markets. It can change minds, and mindsets, as you’ve just witnessed.

Matthew E. May cleverly explains throughout the manifestos how leaving out information is an effective way to capture and empower your reader. He examines the examples of The Sopranos' ending, In-and-Out Burger in California and the work of Leonardo Da Vinci among others. Ever wondered why the smile of the Mona Lisa is so captivating? According to May, the painting technique used by Da Vinci (called sfumato) blurs lines and edges, adding mystery and, well, life to objects and people. By consciously integrating vagueness and removing details from his work, Da Vinci created intrigue and fascination. The Mona Lisa remains a curious mystery still being studied and examined centuries after its creation.

Would you dare applying these techniques to your next white paper? Would this make any sense within your practice? Please comment!