Should you have a manifesto? And if you do, what should it look like? Should it be short and pithy. A simple list, a complicated book? Could you turn it into word art that you could hang on your wall? I searched the web for some examples and here is what I came up with.
What Is a Manifesto?
Wikipedia says: A manifesto is a published declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer. Most of the other online dictionaries say pretty much the same thing, often with the very same words. However, Urban Dictionary goes on to say that a manifesto is, “Associated infamously with the ramblings of a fanatical zealot or crazed madman.”
I’m pretty sure I am not a fanatical zealot or a crazed madman, however, I still think I need a manifesto. So I decided to search the internet and see what others had done. The results were quite entertaining.
For my first example, I found this template, Titled Manifesto Manifesto by Kim Mok.
So that was good for a laugh, but at the same time, it is a pretty good template. I could use that format and write a pretty good version of my own.
And if you like being Passive Aggressive you might enjoy this one by Michael Schechter
I love the ending “Get back to Work!”
Manifestos Don’t Need To Be Funny
The Expert Enough Manifesto by Corbett Barr is one I might actually hang on my wall someday.
Manifestos Can Be Books
There are some awesome manifestos that you can download for free. Here are a few of my favorites.
Chris Guillebeau wrote a great little ebook called 279 Days To Overnight Success you can get for free here.
Leo Babauta wrote 121 pages on Focus and Simplicity
And Sometimes, A Manifesto Can Just Be A List
Frank Lloyd Wright wrote a simple manifesto in list form, that could apply to just about any topic.
- An honest ego in a health body.
- An eye to see nature.
- A heart to feel nature.
- Courage to follow nature
- The sense of proportion (humor)
- Appreciation of work as idea and idea as work
- Fertility of imagination
- Capacity for faith and rebellion
- Disregard for commonplace (inorganic) elegance
- Instinctive cooperation
So what do you think? Would your manifesto be word art, a book or a list? Or maybe something else? Please let me know in the comments.