I’ve written enough times on how it seems I’ll visit a blog because a topic got my mind going, only to see that it’s something I’ve not only read before, but almost word for word at the same time. A question I addressed in my blog writing series was how to think about what to write about.
Here’s a great example of how I find things to write about. Someone I met on Twitter named Rachel Lavern writes a wonderful blog that used to be called “Fearfully ‘n Wonderfully Made, but is now called… actually, I’m not quite sure what it’s called. If you follow the link below, you’ll see what I mean. Anyway, it’s a great blog with lots of content made to make people feel good and to think about things, but it’s one of those Intense Debate blogs, kind of like Disqus, which you know I don’t like, so I won’t comment there. Instead, I will comment through this blog which she’ll see on a trackback.
Anyway, her post is entitled What Will You Create, and in this case she has a short video on creation, then 10 ways to stem creativity by a guy named Jeffrey Baumgartner, whom I thought I knew but I don’t. Anyway, his 10 ways to stem creativity aren’t bad, but no one says you have to do it his way. As a matter of fact, though I’m not going to go through the 10, as I want you to check out Rachel’s blog, I will counter one of them.
He recommends that you don’t watch TV. I’m not going to suggest that, but what I am going to suggest is that you think about what you’re watching and see if there’s any concepts in any of those shows that you think are something worth commenting on. I mean, could I have written a top 10 TV shows if I’d never watched TV? You know, the most mindless drivel is entertaining to someone, and maybe if that person wrote about it, others would see it in a different light; or not. lol
I once wrote that I thought creativity was obsolete, but I really don’t think that’s the case. What I believe is that there are some of us who don’t want to challenge ourselves to be different, to make a statement, to give something that no one else has given before. That’s the safe route; what fun is being safe all the time? Well, unless you’re thinking about doing something really stupid like this (this is going to take you to a video that’s kind of an adrenaline rush; no embed, otherwise I’d put it up here). Then again, watch that video and tell me this guy wasn’t creative.
Probably one of the most creative blogs out there is Marelisa’s Abundance Online. Man, talk about wonderful words to read each time I’m ready for it. She really puts a lot into each post, like her latest one called The Paint By Number Approach To Accomplishing Your Goals. She writes beautifully, gives a lot of information, often gives a lot of leads, and I’m telling you, if you ever needed to find ideas on what to write about, her blog will give them to you.
How will you show the creative side of yourself in your next few blog posts?
Hi Mitch. Thanks for the pingback to my post.
I have been having challenges with IntenseDebate for quite some time now…perhaps your comment is my incentive to get rid of it.
I hope so, Rachel, because I just hate those things. lol
As to the other, in general, I would probably agree with you as it pertains to TV. However, there are people who are going to watch TV anyway, so why not encourage them to keep their minds open to finding things that inspire them to write? That would eventually get them away from the TV also, right?
Back in college, I used to help coach the girl’s bowling team. I would never change anyone’s bowling style, because I always figured people start bowling how they do for comfort. Instead, I would tweak it a little bit, maybe having them reach for a certain arrow or board or stand in a different place than where they usually did, all based on observation. Sometimes, the small changes are enough to inspire great things.
Oh dear. I became so focused on IntenseDebate that I forgot to add my two cents.
I oftentimes suggest that people stop watching television (and avoid newspapers). We have been conditioned to gather all of the information from the outside world with our five senses and many of us allow that information to control us. For example: we let our sales sheet control what we think of our sales; our bank account control what we think of our finances; the x-ray or the doctor’s opinion control what we think of our health. So, if a person tends to blindly accept what they see, hear and read in the media then I will usually suggest that avoid it until they have built their mental muscles up. I work with people on developing their intellectual faculties (will, imagination, memory, perception, intuition and reason) and to rely more on them to gather information. That said, I assume that Jeffrey Baumgartner is alluding to the studies that supposedly prove that one’s creativity is snuffed with too much bisensory bombardment.
.-= Rachel Lavern´s last blog ..The Law of Love =-.
Thank you Mitch. I’m enjoying blogging more and more. I really think that writing about creativity is making me more creative. 🙂
You write a marvelous blog, Marelisa, and I hope more people find you and who knows, maybe you’ll become rich from my recommendation. If that happens, I want a new computer. 😉
I’m afraid my next couple posts won’t be too creative. I’ll try harder after that.
Rose, you’re nothing if not creative all the time. 🙂
I wouldn’t say I’m nothing. I’m a poet. I have a very creative mind. However, my last couple blog posts didn’t take much creativity.
It’s an old expression; I guess it’s not used much these days.
Guess not! Went over my head. 🙂
Goodness Rose, I wonder how many generations I’m ahead of you if I’m using phrases you’ve not heard before.
I find that often when I write a post and then go check out my RSS feeds that there are others writing very similar posts.
It’s hard to be unique when everyone thinks the same,ha,ha..
.-= Glen´s last blog ..Chain Posts =-.
Nah. I believe that 10 people writing about the same thing should have 10 different takes on it, even if they all agree on it. Now, when two people say the same exact thing with almost the same exact words, that’s when you usually know someone is just copying another person’s words. I’ve read your stuff; you’re easily unique, even if I can’t identify the team on your hat. lol
I’m 40. 😉
.-= Rose´s last blog ..Artificial Virginity Hymen =-.
Yeah, that’s about a generation and a half. To me, anyone who wasn’t alive when there was only black and white TV is a kid. lol
Hi Mitch
“what to write about”
At the moment I’m finding it easy on my blog because it’s new and I have lots of things that I want to say.
Where I do have problems with creativity, is when writing a speech for a competition.
The subject has to be meaningful to the audience but it has to be fresh and a subject that will inspire or at least make the audience think.
No “battle of the sexes” or “we watch too much TV” or “how can we stop global warming”…. something powerful and original.
Anybody got any ideas?
.-= Keith Davis´s last blog ..Practice, practice, practice… =-.
Actually Keith, you could employ a technique I often used for my business newsletters. People love stories; always have. So, what I usually do is decide on the topic I want to write about, then I tell a story that includes that concept in some way, or that, if people followed that concept, that certain event wouldn’t have happened to them. I did that type of thing with my recent post on comparing internet marketing to pot odd in poker. If you’d like to see an example of how I did it in a newsletter, click here.
Thanks for the idea Mitch and thanks for the comment on my blog… much appreciated.
.-= Keith Davis´s last blog ..Practice, practice, practice… =-.
I like your blog, Keith, and it’s a niche I’m working to get into more and more, so just keep writing. 🙂
Mitch, you’ve made my day.. thanks for your kind words.
This blogging is not as easy as it looks and when you are struggling for comments on your posts, it can be hard work.
I’ll keep in touch.
.-= Keith Davis´s last blog ..Practice, practice, practice… =-.
I see my life as a testimony and it is in my writing that I am able to share my thoughts and feelings very candidly. I don’t know if you would call that creative” per se, but I do see it as a way to help someone else who may be going through something similar but just not know how to express it or too shy to say anything.I have never allowed myself to be influenced by what I see and read–I worked in media too long to know what the REAL deal is.
.-= Beverly Mahone´s last blog ..Playing the Hand You’re Dealt =-.
You’re creative, Bev, because look at all the things you have going for yourself. Course, you and all those Blogger blogs one day need to move to your own platform, yet you have lots of them and each one talks about something different.
I can’t say I’m not influenced by what I read or see, but I do make my own decisions based on what I absorb. I think that’s important also, to maintain your own sense of perspective no matter where you get your information from.