Is Subtlety Better Than Crude Or Blatant?

You know when you hear or see something, and it comes back at you? I have a lot of things like these, quotes, books, shows, etc. And sometimes I don’t realise that this was in my backlog until I actually see that item again. So, the Peaky Blinders show was one such thing. I have had my eye on it for a long time, but the timing never seemed right. It does have a fair bit of violence, and I was in the ‘cosy mystery’ phase, so it never made it to the top of the queue.

And in the last week or so, it bubbled up in my consciousness, so the previous two days I finally gave in and watched season 1. It is an excellent show - the one which has integrity. The character that resonated the most with me is Thomas Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy (a brilliant actor). It is about an Irish mafia gang in Birmingham post-WWII. He is so good that you don’t even know he is acting - he is very subtle. That brings me to the main point of the blog - explore the art of subtlety.

Some actors act over the top, and some actors hardly do anything - and they both can have an impact. The impact is determined by the intentionality and the circumstance - if the character, scene and the story demand it, then you change your style. A good actor can stretch between both extremes - now, work in some ways is a bit like acting because you are trying to get a message across to an audience under specific circumstances defined by budget, schedule, and scope. And also, the audience is a significant input into what style to choose - if the audience is experienced, then regardless of your style, they will get the message. If they are new, then subtle might not cut it. If they are used to this, then over-the-top will be a waste of energy.

Growing up and, even as a woman in a predominantly male-driven technology industry, I am, in some ways, proving myself all the time or trying to make myself heard. And it is only recently that I have become aware that my default style is over-the-top drama at times. Subtlety is an underused muscle for me, but it has its own place in the repertoire of tools. One, you don’t waste energy, and second, it is more harmonious at times. It also assumes that the audience knows what you are talking about, and that is a sign of respect in some ways. It is always better if you can get a message through a sentence, or even better, through silence, than repeating the same thing in many ways until you are hoarse. I am beginning to realise that some messages are more powerful when delivered silently. You know that ‘aha moment’ when you say something subtle, but it resonates like a loud crash in the listener. That probably has a bigger impact than bludgeoning them with the message. Just because my style is over-the-top does not mean other people cannot get subtle. So, it is essential to modify your message based on your audience - if nothing else, you are working on your acting skills. Who knows what kind of audience you will get - so better to practice when the stakes are low.

In some ways, I feel like I am defining who I am again - we are constantly changing, but there are certain times in our lives when these moments are very clear. And maybe I am going through that phase right now - we will see if that phase lasts. In the meantime, still basking in the afterglow of watching a terrific show - Peaky Blinders.

What does this blog make you think of subtly?