Creative Notions

Personal February 25th, 2008 Say Something (0)

Creativity 

People seem to have the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. That is not true at all. The fact is, creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to consistently give out great results. This goes for people, like me, who are artists. If you don’t practice harnessing creative thinking, this skill will just dwindle away. But keep working, practice all the time and this skill will soon come to you in a snap.

So how do you unleash your creative thinking?

Well, the first thing is to become a human leech. No, I am not talking about just sucking the blood out of every living being available, I am just saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning you can find. I normally subscribe to any and all newsletters just to learn and see what people are writing about. Just read everything available — good and bad, and keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. The more you know, the more you’ll want to know, and the more your faculty of wonder will be exercised. Prepare to be amazed at little facts that add a bit of color into your life.

Focus on a creative activity everyday

 Yes, it’s an effort. Even doodling is a creative activity. I have to do this everyday to keep my hand in practice for my art. Don’t let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative activity, but for people who are just starting out to unleash a little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete evidence, that, “hey, what I’m doing is getting somewhere.” So why don’t you try it. Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Bring out your old camera and start snapping photos like crazy. Keep a journal and make a point to write in it all the time. Another cool idea is to write by describing something with your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like “marvelous,” “amazing,” and “delicious.” Before you know it, you’ll have built yourself a tiny portfolio, and you’ll be amazed at the growth you’ve undertaken after amassing all those works of art. This is great for bloggers who get writers block. You need to take it back and find yourself. Who knows, you might actually take to liking those things you do everyday. Pretty soon those things will become a part of you and you’ll be addicted to these creative exercises.

Think out of the box — or don’t

Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means. It enables you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline.

Try something new everyday and let your experiences broaden your perspective. I know it might be hard for the intoverts, but try and open up to the people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone more and more each day, your sense of adventure grows and so does your zest for life. Think about it. When was the last time you did something for the first time? If it’s been a while, I tell you, you’ve been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could’ve added to your blog growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. Why don’t you try bungee jumping today? (I must say that it is a huge rush!) Not only will you learn, but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your storytelling skills and making you the life of the party.

Embrace insanity. Creativity is essentially breaking through barriers. Yes, this includes the bizzarre and the downright strange. I’m not saying that you yourself should develop a creative personality. That might go haywire. An example of a creative personality would be George Washington, who often rode into battle naked (I bet you didn’t know that), or James Joyce, who wrote “Dubliners” with beetle juice for an intense fear of ink, or Albert Einstein, who thought his cat was a spy sent by his rival (or in thinking creatively in this case, the term could probably be “archnemesis.”) It’s important that your creativity doesn’t get you detached from the real world completely.

I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking beyond your “limits.” If you follow these steps pretty soon you’ll be living a life full of interesting adventures. Unleashing your creative thinking  will bring about a new zest for living life.

Richard Legg and Toki Tover - Interview Session

Interviews February 23rd, 2008 Say Something (0)

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Download the Mp3 [ 60 min | 14 MB ]

I sat down last friday with Richard Legg of Succeed in 30 Days. I met him at a semiar I just attended in Las Vegas. It was great to meet such a down to earth person who was very willing to help. I find more and more that most of the successful people on the internet will be more than happy to help you out if you show a genuine interest in actually becoming successful.
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What is Preeminence?

Blogging Tips February 23rd, 2008 Say Something (0)

Preeminence.

It is the perception that a person is the best or one of the best authoritative sources on a specific topic. You don’t really need to be the best, but people just need to perceive you as the best. Its finding your niche and letting others see you exceed in it, while you may not be really at all.

Be a thought leader

Use you mind and lead with it. The brain is a powerful tool we have and it is up to you to decide how you want to lead with it. Use your stored and learned knowledge to be a leader on a particular thought and show others that you have the ability to discuss your opinions on this topic.

How to establish preeminence?

We do this by constantly educating ourselves with what is going on in our niche. For example, I love to go out clubbing, so I will research all the clubs and find out which ones suit me best.

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10 Ways To Keep Visitors At Your Site Longer

IM Basics February 21st, 2008 Say Something (0)

The more time people spend at your web site, the more time you’ll have to persuade them to buy your product or service. Below are ten powerful ways to
keep visitors at your web site longer.

1. Provide your web site visitors with content they
can’t read anywhere else. People will stay longer at
your web site to read the original content.

2. Remind your web site visitors they can print out
your content. They may browse around your online
store while it’s printing.

3. Offer your web site visitors a freebie if they take
the time to fill out your online survey. They’ll be at
the site longer and might buy something afterwards.

4. Offer your visitors free software that they can
download right from your web site. While they are
waiting they might read your ad.

5. Provide a huge online directory of information
that your visitors could search. The directory must
contain information your visitors would want.

6. Make sure all your web pages load fast or your
visitors will leave fast. Time is precious; they won’t
waste it waiting for your site to load.

7. Tell your visitors what’s offered at your web site
at the very beginning. If people are confused about
what’s being offered they may leave too early.

8. Publish your web site professionally. People will
get turned off and leave if they see a lot of spelling
and grammar mistakes.

9. Make your site text easy to read. Most people
won’t strain their eyes trying to read text that is too
small, light or bright.

10. Use headlines and sub headlines all over your
your web site that will grab visitors attention. It will
attract them to explore your web site longer.