"no offense, but..."

People who know me personally will laugh when I say that I am shy. At public events I do not appear shy, but I certainly feel it. The written word is my medium. Conversation ties my brain in knots. I'm not dumb but the cleaners would have swept the floor and the guests all gone home and tucked themselves into bed by the time I had come up with a witty retort or well considered counter-argument to a topic of discussion. I want to say the right thing at the right time. And I have a fear of offending people. Yet I like to blog. And I like to be honest when I blog and say what's on my mind and explore my concerns and my dilemmas and a whole bunch of other stuff. And I have no control over who comes to visit and what they read and how they interpret it and what they think and what they take away from it. I write and rewrite my posts until I feel like they best express my position in the way that is least likely to be misconstrued. But I can guarantee it is 100% impossible to avoid misunderstanding. And it is 100% impossible to avoid controversy. I am in an industry that has grown up inside an emotional minefield. The wagons are circling as technology shoots flaming arrows at the fabric stretched taut over those wire frames. Its about creatives tenderly nurturing the progeny of their minds and sending them out unprotected into a cold harsh reality of the commercial world. But while I refuse to shy away from difficult topics I hope I don't offend anyone. I hate upsetting people. That's not how I roll. But then I don't want to avoid confrontational topics. You can see the problem here folks. This industry is not simple or without issues. It is not without difficulties and it would be fraudulent to suggest it is. Ideally topics are a springboard for discussion, an opportunity for differing opinions to be heard, a chance for greater clarity to emerge. I love how kids these days say "no offense but..." and then reel out something that is sure to offend. Saying 'no offense' first is not a free pass to offend people. And I don't intend to do that here, but folks if we as writers must be able to accept advice or review or a close and critical examination of the work we do, then so must the rest of the industry. Shouldn't we all strive for improvement? And if you think I've been rude or wrong or need to bark up a different tree please tell me :)