How neat; I did a Google Hangout on this very topic yesterday. Okay, I knew I was going to do that video, which is below, but I’m going to add something to the topic here that’s in the video, but the links aren’t on the video.
This isn’t the first time I’ve talked about the subject of blogging and creativity. If you want to reach you can look at last week’s post talking about writing in general and think of it in the context of blogging. You can look at a kind of rant post I wrote titled When Blogging Advice Is A Waste Of Your Time or another post I wrote on the topic of getting backlinks, both of which lamented the same lame advice you get from a lot of other people who don’t take time to create anything new, or say something old in a new way. And there’s two much older articles I wrote on the topic, one titled No, Reading And Creativity Are Obsolete and Your Creativity Is Inside You.
You know what creativity does? It makes people want to revisit your blog or website to see what you have to say next. That’s why I like people like Marcus Sheridan of The Sales Lion and Holly Jahangiri of It’s All A Matter Of Perspective and Marie Forleo, someone I’ve just discovered along with Social Triggers by Derek Halpern. They’re all fascinating reads that get me to visit often.
Creativity allows you to talk about one subject, or multiple subjects, in lots of different ways. For instance, over the last two years I’ve talked about blogging with posts like 5 Ways Your Blog Might Be Irritating People, 5 Things Bloggers Can Learn From Poker, and 5 Blogging Lessons Learned From The Harry Potter Series, along with a long 2-part series on Better Blogging. I talked about writing with a post titled The Art Of Storytelling and gave quick tips with 10 Writing Tips In 2 Minutes. I talked about social media when I asked if You Are An Online Troll. And I’ve run two series here, one which was known as the Sunday Question, the other called Black Web Friday.
During the same two year period, I wrote what I consider as some interesting posts on my business blog, where I mainly talk about leadership and health care. Some of my more creative posts over there have included How Bad Of A Leader Was Charlie Brown, We Are Not The Borg, Are You As Good A Leader As Kermit The Frog, Would You Talk To A Mouse, and 10 Reasons Harry Potter Is A Great Leader. That last one, by the way, is about to be included in a magazine geared towards children in Malaysia; how’s that for publicity and creativity?
The point is that being just a little bit creative gives people a reason to want to read what you have to say. You don’t have to be overly prolific; just have a point of view, keep your eyes open and your mind clear so that you’ll see relationships in things that support your view, write about them and give people different perspectives on what they may encounter on a daily basis. As you’ll hear in the video, there’s agreement amongst my cohorts, as well as the voicing of a concern that doesn’t bother me, but might be something you think of from time to time. I hope the video gives a bit more perspective than I’ve given here. If nothing else, I’ve shared some posts with you that I hope you find intriguing.
I remember reading your post on why charlie brown was a bad leader. I remember clicking on it because of the name. It stood out and was extremely creative to me.
Tanya, did you comment on it when you read it? I always hope those posts get more comments.
Hey Mitch, I agree 100% and being creative is something I continually strive for on my blog. I probably don’t always succeed but you have to admit some of the posts are pretty entertaining. 😉
I do have to give you that Sire. However, you are original because it’s easy to see that it’s your words and no anyone else’s. That’s why your blog is popular.
Yeah, even though sometimes I’m encouraged to do a little editing to make it flow better 😉
Well, there’s always that. lol
I am not always successful with my creativity, but I guess I hit the right spots at least on 50%. Sometimes many attempts and tweaks are necessary, sometimes I just need relaxation for few days to boost my creativity.
Anything you can do to spark creativity is a good thing Carl. With all the things you do and have done, you’re a pretty creative guy in your own right.
Thank you, Mitch. I try to do my best, but rarely push the limits, often many ideas are well forgotten, I am not well organized and with aging I started forgetting. Even my notes are in chaos.
If your notes are in chaos as well I can’t help you anymore. lol
There are simply to much bloggers writing about blogging in my opinion. Everyone is a guru, expert or internet marketeer. I’ve seen tons of people with very poor created blogs, without readers, that clearly didn’t had any income, talking about how to earn and get “rich” from blogging.
Don’t get me wrong, I did the same mistake a few years ago, I started a blog about blogging and I quickly discovered I didn’t had the passion or the motivation for it, I was writing the same thing as everyone else, so I quit.
My point is, if you really have passion for a certain niche, creativity will come along, you will simply want to write something new, unique content, like you.
Nice video by the way, I think this is the second time I watch one of your videos. Cheers.
Thanks Cristian; there are lots more videos on my channel. 🙂 And I don’t mind people writing about blogging, even writing about making money blogging, but at least say something in a way no one else has. And if you’ve never made money, don’t make it up and say you did. Do you remember my six part series last year talking about affiliate products I’ve tried, and another post I wrote about how I actually make money online? It’s stuff like that, true and yet still original, that I’d think would be easy for anyone to write.
I firmly think creativity heads everything. Your mind should be creative enough to implement your thoughts especially in case of enhancing your blog. As a blogger I find that my blog acts as a creative doorway from myself to the world enabling me to explore ideas and concepts. From inspiration to surveys, video to developing pioneering communities and services, blogging is creativity made real! The perks of creativity which you’ve highlighted are very true! Mitch, I have always enjoyed reading your articles and this one is no exceptional. 🙂
Thanks David. You know, I try to inspire and show another way when I can, and I hope to offer something a little different from the norm at times. And I have fun doing it; very important.
Mitch, I think that this creativity thing is overblown. We are all creative if we only try!
Rummuser, that’s the reason it’s not overblown; because so many people aren’t trying. There’s this advice that says the best way to success is to see how someone else did it, then do the same thing. Many people interpret that as “copy exactly what the other person did.” I’ve read some blogs where the people say they stopped sharing their money making sites because other people copy almost everything from that site & set up their own. It’s actually pretty easy to do but, once again, how ethical is that? How creative is that? Thus, not overblown; just not done all that often. 🙂
Agree with the previous poster about following what truly excites or moves you, and the creativity will follow. Don’t get me wrong, if you are inherently imaginative, you can make an article about anything engaging. However, keeping this going over the long haul will be tough if you don’t genuinely care about the topic. I like reading your articles because I feel as if you are genuinely engaging with your readers, and speaking from your authentic self. At the same time, it’s obvious that you take care to keep things looking clean and correct. Thanks for the good read.
Thanks Elena Anne; I love compliments. 🙂 You know, the thing is that not everyone has to write in my style to be considered creative. There are some folks who write very imaginative stuff that I can’t touch. There are others who write in a plain style and yet still set themselves apart from the dull and boring blogs. I think your point about genuinely caring about one’s topic is key.
Mitch you went interlinking crazy on this post!
Lol it’s okay though they are all awesome so I can get past it (this time). Anyhoo, you know I believe whole heatedly in the creative aspect of writing. Without it, what’s the point (in a nutshell). I believe even technical writing can have some oomph every now and again. Nice vid, nice points as usual.
How was your holiday?
Mys, the holiday was nice. As to the interlinking, I have almost 1,400 posts on this blog, and another 1,000 on my other blog; I’d like some of my older stuff to be seen again. lol However, you have to admit that it was a creative way to get those links in, by talking about creativity. There’s a lesson others could learn from. 😉
I don’t know much about creativity in terms of blogging, but all I know is blogging has taught me that people respond more to unpolished thoughts than they do to air-tight arguments on perfect content. I think creativity is secondary thing. If you know how to maintain your blog with proper post and relevant content then everything works the way it has to. Nevertheless, I truly enjoyed reading your blog.
Thanks Jannet. Actually, the reason for what you’ve noticed is that if it’s all there, then people feel there’s nothing to discuss. The best you can do if someone writes the “perfect” post is to say “good job” or “I agree” or “thanks”. A post like this one offers people the opportunity for commentary, which is a big part of what I like to do. There are also posts that ask questions, hoping people will respond, and every once in awhile I’ll end a post asking people what their feelings are on what I’ve just written. Engagement; that’s part of what makes blogging fun.
Every person is creative in one or the other way. This creativity shows in his work. Blogging surely is an art. It requires a person to have creative writing skills to be successful in the business of blogging. The content should be innovative and correctly presented.
At least one hopes so Jack, because it’s not something I see all the time, and I read lots of blogs.
Mitch, creativity is usually easier to possess than taught, but you can learn from others.
I know many people who are naturally creative. Me on the other hand, I had to learn everything; all my tips from people I watched.
Creativity is something that will make or break you. If you are a blogger this is a must.
You are right no one wants to read the same thing, so you can talk about the same topic, but present it differently.
Thanks Mitch
Hey Mitch!
I think I missed the Hangout session this time Thank you for providing the video link though. I would like to attend the other sessions in the future. I think these are really informative and could help a newbie like me a lot!
Bina, I think we do a pretty good job with it, and we have fun, which counts more than anything else.
Great Post, Mitch! Igniting creativity in blogging can bring wonders to your blog and that’s what I have experienced. Focusing on content creativity rather than blog creativity (in terms of designing) is the best way to get hold of traffic.
That’s always been my thought Martin. I’d rather work on my words than design, although a really ugly and hard to read blog won’t help much. lol
More than being creative themselves, bloggers are now prefering to copy content from other blogs and present it in their own way. Such content leaching is no creativity or benfit to this world og blogging. It is pathetic to same things over and over again.
Exactly Tom. Using what someone else wrote as inspiration is one thing, but copying it is another.
It just follows natural order we are reflections of our creator so we are at out best when we create.
I tell kids its cool to read but its awesome to write.
PS. Charlie Brown was under a lot of pressure ya know. It’s not all his fault. Hard to understand teachers, Snoopy constantly wilding’ out, no musical talent…
LOL! Good stuff Jacko although, since I don’t believe in a creator if you will, I will say that we were all created equally and differently and thus if we can be created then we can create.
To be a creative blogger you need lot of knowledge and ways to implement it so that your blog can be a hit in the blogosphere. I believe that Creativity is just a simple act of looking at the familiar in unfamiliar ways. Everyone is creative in this world; all they need to know is the implementation method. Great Post by you Mitch! I have always loved the way you implement your creative ideas by providing excellent illustration. Remarkable post!
Thanks Smith, and you’re right in saying there are different ways of looking at the world. Sometimes even telling a story straight can work, as it’s your story and thus different from what might come from anyone else.
Hey Mitch,
Excellent Post! Creativity is engaged with us in all our day to day life. The only difference is we use it in different measures. What matters at the end is how the thoughts are expressed and how expressively they have reached the audience. “Doing things differently” is the motto here, say for instance, Brainstorming may be one way to show your creativity. What we need to understand is that nothing is wrong, shed our inhibitions and just move on and do it! Make challenge as a part of your life! As always, enjoyed reading your post, Mitch!
Thanks Peter, and I like your take on things. Inhibitions; that’s another way of looking at people who play it safe and boring if you ask me, and I hadn’t thought about it before. I have many inhibitions, but writing isn’t one of them thankfully. I think that makes blogging more fun, and hopefully more interesting to read.
Love it..! Creativity takes many forms and you said it. Just looking at things differently can change everything. Engage with others and ideas seem to come alive plus it is a great way to ‘meet’ new people in blogosphere.
Thanks Katie. I like looking at the world with a broad brush.
Awesome post- Creative, Mitch!
I love your perspective on how to get the creativity juices flowing nicely. Being creative in a world of plenty is certainly a task for most! Providing a unique analysis is a fun way to get started, it doesn’t always start off so creative, but if I go freewriting style on my initial idea, I usually find out that there’s an oasis of creativity that is birthed, leaving me with something unique which I can share with others.
Thanks for sharing your great insight!
Thanks Kenny. I try to be creative when I write often enough. Course, your Rhino shelters looks like a pretty creative idea.
Nice piece, Mitch! Creativity is in the head and nerves everywhere. All you need is to implement it without any hustle and bustle. I firmly believe that just looking at things differently can change everything. Engage with others and ideas seem to come alive plus it is a great way to meet new people in cyber world. I am glad you turn-up with such amazing post and title. Great work!
Thanks Ricky. That’s how I see things as well. Creativity can be a flourish or just another way at looking at a general topic. My expectation is that as more people get into blogging they’ll have to learn how to develop a unique voice that others like. If not, then they’ll get added to that ever growing list of abandoned blogs. That would be a shame.