Welcome to Litsy!

A fast-paced, insightful read on how to be relevant to your service communities aimed at those in the cultural section (museums mainly, but also arts organizations, libraries, historical sites, etc). But there is a lot here that could be of interest beyond that - a theory for why people like and do what they do and how to build connections outside our normal spheres of influence. I wanted more theory, but I‘m a theory nerd so that‘s relevant to me

“When I see a church with a sign outside that says ‘Sunday‘s Message: Jesus said, Bring me that ass‘ or ‘God‘s favorite word is Come,‘ I smile. But I also know they are wasting their time. Sex may be attractive. It may be arresting. But unless it will help people make meaning at church, it‘s irrelevant.”

I am a fan of Simon's work. While she writes mostly about museums, her work and thoughts apply equally across the arts and across ther nonprofit sector. This book is very conversational, filled with stories and imagery and ideas, but it's also very engrossing and grabbed me from the beginning. I recommend it to anyone who is thinking about inclusion and community and the dreaded it-word "relevance."

"At its heart, building relevance is about living in the creative tension between evangelizing for the things you care about and listening with interest to what others care about. It's about radiating the inside out, and inviting the outside in."