After 8 months of working out of town, my wife finally showed up Friday night, driving over 3 days from Arkansas back to New York. I helped her bring lots of stuff into the house, as she has no concept of light packing.
One of the things she brought home from the road was a 32″ flat screen HD TV, which I convinced her to let me set up in the living room with the caveat that I’d donate the Sony blu-ray DVD player I bought while I was on the road. She’d agreed, so we set out to put it into our entertainment center, which was more of a project than you can imagine.
See, the TV we were taking out was also a Sony, a monster of a TV that was probably the best TV we had in the house at one time. It was a traditional 32″ but you know how Sony is when it comes to their TVs. It’s easily 5 inches longer than any other TV we still have in the house and heaps heavier. This meant that moving the entertainment center away from the wall so that we could move the TV out was going to be a major chore.
It took about 25 minutes to take a lot of the stuff off the entertainment center, unplug a few things and unhook wires, wedge a couple of things underneath it so we could move it easier than without those things, and finally get it moved. Then both of us wiggled the TV out of the entertainment center, got it to the floor unscathed, and pushed it on the rug to a location where it would be out of our way.
Before I could put the other TV, she says to me “I think we should move the living room furniture around.”
I said “Aren’t you tired after driving 7 hours?”
She said “Since I have to clean around everything anyway, let’s just move some things around to see if we can make it better.”
So we did. Even I came up with a couple of ideas of where we could move some of the stuff we had and 2 1/2 hours later we were finally finished moving, cleaning, and my setting the TV back up. We’ve had our house 16 years and this is the 4th time we’ve rearranged things, and I have to admit that every time we’ve made a change it’s improved our space.
Even though I have a problem in relating it to redesigning my blogs and my websites, I can easily relate it to my process of blogging over all these years. When I first started blogging back in 2005, I really wasn’t sure how I was supposed to write, let alone really know what to write about.
Some of my earliest posts on my business blog consisted of a couple of paragraphs; every once in a while it was just one paragraph, often linking to an article or a video somewhere else; this was in the days before embedding videos. For the longer ones, I hadn’t figured out spacing or a true storytelling style. I also hadn’t figured out how to write posts that could teach anything or explain things all that well.
It carried over to this blog when I started it. I was all over the place, which I didn’t mind as much as the fact that even then I still hadn’t really developed a style of writing. I also never really considered myself as being all that creative since I talked a lot about the happenings of the day. Considering that I wrote over 900 articles in the first 3 years, that’s saying something.
You know when I finally started to realize that maybe my writing was turning the corner and that I was getting more creative? It was post #924, titled 5 Things Bloggers Can Learn From Poker, when I finally wrote a post in what I consider a true story form and related each point to the process of blogging. It then made me take a look back at my business blog and I realized that just a few days earlier I had written a post there where I told a story and related it to a leadership issue, that being empathy.
It was at that point I knew that I had finally turned a corner; I had learned how to be a creative writer, not a boring writer like what I often see on a lot of blogs that I may visit only once and never return to. I don’t even mean those blogs where you might see a post every 3 months or so, or a blog that only has a few posts and the owner never writes another word.
Do you know why in general I dislike guest posts on blogs? Because the writing is usually fairly stilted and boring. They are sometimes pretty accurate, but at other times they’re pretty much a rehash of something you could find on a thousand other blogs, along the lines of what I talked about in my post about misleading titles and bad blog content. That’s one reason why, if I ask someone to write a guest post (the only way guest posts show up on this blog), I know they’re going to deliver something special, like my friend Kelvin Ringold did when he wrote this post on positivity.
I’m not going to lie; being creative, truly creative, isn’t easy. I can pretty much write whenever I want to. When I used to write music, I could write a new song in less than 30 minutes, with lyrics in probably an hour.
For the last 6 years I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with one of my websites, and for the last 5 months I’ve been trying to figure out how I want my business website to look. Some have said I should hire someone else to do it for me but I already don’t think I’d like it; isn’t that a shame? I don’t have a vision of what I want either of them to look like, and I don’t have a true vision of what I want the one website, my Services and Stuff site, to even be about, since what I’d originally planned for it has never worked.
Thus, my creativity is limited to blogging and writing; maybe music if I ever decide to play piano again. So, along the vein of trying to help you figure out ways to be creative, to do something different on your blog as it relates to creativity, here are some tips you might try.
1. Try visualizing what you want to talk about as a story.
I know you have at least one adventure a day, whether it’s big or small. You saw the story I told to being this post. Well, that was only a few hours out of a day of stories, yet it was the best story I had to relate to this topic. It’s okay to integrate a personal story to help highlight what you want to talk about. Take a look at this post on personal empowerment by Dana Gore. She tells a personal tale that leads you to what she does to help get her perspective back in order so she can push forward when she needs a boost.
2. Write like you talk.
When I had a few people read portions of my last book, I wanted them to look at the content and tell me if I was getting my points across better because I’d had to rewrite most of the early content of the book. Instead, most of them wanted me to change my grammar, saying it wasn’t proper for a book.
I ignored all advice relating to that because in my mind I was writing the book in my own vernacular, with my own rhythm and cadence. I did clean up some things here and there because I tend to use certain words in my normal pattern of speech that are pretty passive and I knew that wouldn’t work as well in the book. For that matter, I’ve tried to change it up on the blog as well.
Outside of that, I write pretty much the same way that I talk. Sometimes I use big words; sometimes I use slang. I don’t cuss so you’ll never have to worry about seeing that here. I’d like to think a good example of my pattern of speech was when I talked about my plan to make repairs on my house but the ladder came up missing. Truthfully, that’s pure “me”, if I say so myself.
3. Don’t be afraid to star in your own story, even if you’re the set-up person.
There’s a lot of things I do right and things I do well. There’s also a lot of things I’m bad at. Finally, there are times when I’m a visual participant and not actually a part of the story, even if I was there.
When you’re looking to be creative, nothing says that you have to win every step of the way. Nothing even says you have to even be in the story; observation isn’t such a bad thing. I wrote a post years ago where I told the tale of someone I knew who lost a lot of business because of bad blogging behavior. I was only a minor part of the story because I was first the observer, then the guy who went looking for an answer to a minor mystery. It led to a great point about making sure you’re not doing things with your blog that could cost you money, prestige and friends.
That should be enough to get you started. Let me know your thoughts and successes if you decide to give it a shot.
Hey Mitch,
You know, I had NO idea you had mentioned me in this awesome post until I saw my name in one of the paragraphs.
It’s funny too because I actually mentioned you in my latest post as well. So here, we both just referenced one another and neither of us knew. How funny is that?
I agree with what you’re saying about using your own examples regarding story telling. When it comes to our blogs especially, people like to get to know the person behind the words. It’s about relating to one another. At least it is for me.
I think there’s a story in just about anything. Like the way you used the tv and furniture rearranging to make a point, I do the same.
In fact, I came up with a post when I literally caught myself in the act of witnessing my thoughts while I was cooking one evening.
I appreciate the shout out Mitch. And I’m glad your wife’s home. I’m sure you’ve both missed each other.
I’m glad to mention you Dana. I tell you, since she’s been home we’ve had lots of adventures even though today is the first day we actually got to spend any real time together. It’s a lot of fun, but the stories that come out of a day like this are something I could tie into a host of topics later on if I so choose to do. Of course, it’s not only the stories that show creativity, but it’s a pretty good way to tie in a point.
I echo the quote by writer Dolores Parker: “I hate writing. I love having written.”
Writing can be difficult at times for me. Very difficult.
Then again, there’s nothing like getting lost on the printed/electronic page.
In regards to the creativity question. Mitch, when you convinced me to start blogging five years ago, that’s exactly what I thought. “How am I going to come up with something to write about each week?”
What’s interesting is once you adhere to a writing schedule, you always find a way to write about something. Anything.
Good stuff Steve, and you’re absolutely right. I think the only time I have difficulties is every once in a while when I have to write for someone else and they have a certain format you have to fit into. That’s hard for me because it obstructs the creative process, which some folks don’t care about as much as the facts. I hope to never do that on a consistent basis in my own space. And I’m glad you started writing. 🙂
Hi Mitch,
You sure practice what you preach. In this post you illustrated how we can lead in with a story. And you did the same thing which pulled me in. I could just imagine your wife re-arranging the furniture after that long drive. I would too!
Then you talked about your blog and how you were thinking of re-arranging that. Hire someone? Gosh, I get so confused how to explain to another person how I want my blog to look. I rather haul things myself lol.
It is so true, especially with the example that you have given of Dana’s blog post. She tells a personal ‘adventure’ that leads into a blog post. This makes the entire thing interesting.
Lets face it..we all can write about a topic, but each one of us has a different take on it. But if we add a little story…the reader is pulled in, just as I was pulled in to this one.
Awesome job!
-Donna
Thanks Donna; fully appreciated! I think stories help people get involved in what we have to say, whether we’re trying to be entertaining of trying to get a point across. As kind of a writer, I see most things that happen in my life as a story, even the bad stuff. Sometimes those things are pointless, but quite often there’s a lesson buried somewhere in there. In any case, it’s certainly one way to write about a common topic in a way that no one else can since we all have our own experiences.
Glad to have pulled you in. 🙂
This is Amazing Article i do think creativity to some extent is innate and you can always work on it. For instance, artists have this creative ability to paint, draw etc., but with time they can work on polish their skill and enhance it, Keep Sharing:
Have a Lovely Night!
Good point Muhammad. Practice doesn’t make perfect but it certainly can make us better. And if others can get into it, well, life is pretty sweet from that point forward.
Hey Mitch,
It’s like I just watched a movie where you and your wife got your home setup. I think you’ve clearly demonstrated the creativity you preach in this post.
I hated anything near writing before my blogging journey in 2012 but I think I have learned a lot. Thanks for adding more to my knowledge.
Hope you are having a great week
Thanks for stopping by & leaving your comment Enstine. I know a lot of people who hated writing who somehow make it via blogging. You seem to be one of those people, so I’m glad you overcame your writing reluctance. 🙂
Thanks for sharing an excellent post Mitch!
And my friend, you are most definitely an excellent and
highly entertaining story teller!
And that’s a great looking set up with your entertainment center BTW!LOL!
And I love and definitely will find some ways incorporate points 2 & 3, of your last paragraph, into my future blogging efforts!
Thanks, yo did another fabulous job!
Thanks Mark. Telling stories is a great way to capture someone’s attention so I wish you great luck with it.
Hey Mitch, I try to be creating on my blogs and there are some, posts, especially on Wassupblog that I am pretty proud of. Some of them are poems and some of them are short stories. Some even take the mickey out of some if the Pro Bloggers 😉
Unfortunately I do tend to cuss and that does occasionally appear in a post. Heck, I even have a blog that is built around a cuss word 😀
That’s because you weren’t raised right Peter! lol Yup, when you want to your words can be pretty captivating. I keep hoping you’ll have more time to write more of those things. Well, maybe not the poetry so much 😉
Hey Mitch,
I can’t imagine driving 7 hours and then wanting to rearrange the furniture after setting up a TV. I’d have to recharge for a day or two before I do anything lol and I can say that since I’ve driven from Mississippi to California quite a few times.
I really like what you said for number 2. I think a lot of people get a little to hung up on being proper. To me it makes people look more robotic with less ingenuity. I really like how you blog because I can tell that you’re being yourself. I see that you would be the same person offline as you are behind the blog.
Writing as you speak brings out the individual more so than following a bunch of business grammar rules all the time. This is what your audience want and I see it as a way to build trust faster than the other way around. Also being yourself is in a sense being creative because yoy stand out from the rest.
Great post Mitch! Have a great weekend.
Thanks Sherman. I can’t imagine driving from Mississippi to California; then again, I can’t imagine driving to California from anywhere! lol
I like reading blogs where you know the person behind the words is being genuine, no matter the topic. I think it makes for more interesting reading rather than reading dissertations all the time… or the reverse, which is reading things that leave you believing the person writing them has no idea what they’re talking about. It became a reason I hated taking guest posts on my finance blog; man, too many of those articles were soooo boring! lol
We can’t live without creation, because missing it, the life is very boring. While writing, I always create something new and attract readers. Also I keep write with normal voice like I talk.
Follow that way, most of my guides are easy to read, understand and doing follow.
That’s the best way to go Tony. I hope your readers love your content.
Hi Mitch,
This is the first time I am landing on your blog, I am glad that I reached your blog at the right time, I too write an article on my own tone and someone told me that your writing style is a little bit weird.
I am using Yoast SEO plugin and it shows Fleshcie reading score to tell how we are writing the article and it is understandable to the reader or not, after reading this post I think I should continue my writing without looking at that score.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Siddaiah, I don’t worry about the reading scores all that often, but whenever I do run the test I usually come out around 5th or 6th grade level in American terms, which isn’t all that bad. I like to think that part of what I do, the storytelling aspect of it, goes a long way towards helping people understand what I’m saying. Stories can be pretty creative, which is probably why I like telling them.
Hey Mitch,
Coming back here after a long period of time.
I think creativity is a must in almost every field, one should be able to visualize anything he/she is about to write, build, design or paint.
It really becomes easy for us and the others as well when we try to assume ourselves as the listener first and then write accordingly.
One thing I have recently stopped doing with my blogs is mentioning my name i.e using the word “I” in every blog post. It doesn’t suit the niche.
Well, great write up Mitch.
Thank You,
Karan
Karan, sometimes creativity allows for “I”, such as when you’re telling a story that you participated in live. However, if it comes across as bragging, it could turn lots of people off. You’re right though, for a lot of your articles it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to overuse it.
Hello Mitch,
This is my first visit to your blog and found this article catchy while searching something on the creativity of blogging thing. If you can check my blog, all articles written by me will be of plain and normal English. I often try to write what I want to speak or talk. This makes writing stress free for me. I have many resemblance to what you think and do and I am happy to read this article and find another guy who thinks alike me 🙂 Have a great day and thanks for sharing the post.
If I may ask Gurunath, how come you don’t write in your own language? Not that I’m bothered in any way, but wouldn’t it be easier for you to write more easily that way, and for an audience you’re trying to reach (which is way bigger than English speaking audiences)? I ask that based on your last article of highlighting a lot of people who’ve started blogs and noticed that at least the overwhelming majority of them are from your country.