I’ve been intending to start a blog for quite some time. I read several blogs on a daily basis, and even post comments. I’ve sat in meetings with clients over the past couple of months and heard myself recommend to them that they start their own blogs, especially those who are experts in very niche areas. But as we all know the story of the shoemaker’s children who go without shoes, up until now, I’ve been remiss in actually launching a blog for the Next Level.
Yes, it’s been on the to-do list. I’ve made a commitment to do it, and have told my colleagues I’m going to do it. I’ve made a list of possible blog topics to write about so I’ve got a backlog of ideas ready to go. And yet…
As creative people who come up with advertising and marketing concepts to solve our clients’ problems, we’re faced with the empty blank page on a daily basis. Experience, practice, habit and necessity have made it easy to jump into the creative process on a clients’ behalf. I don’t even think twice about it: there’s no fear that I won’t get a good idea, find the solution to the problem, come up with a unique perspective: it’s expected and assumed. Why, then, is it so much more difficult to fill that blank page when I’m doing it for myself?
My partner and I have given workshops on creativity where we teach professionals and business owners how to use brainstorming techniques to get to unexpected solutions that they otherwise might not arrive at. One of our suggestions is to get out of your office, away from your desk, and put yourself in a different environment (a good reason why so many screen writers work at coffee shops and major corporations do off site retreats). So here I am on a Sunday afternoon, sitting on my patio writing my first blog post. My idea was to kick off the blog by writing about my experience writing my first blog post. Wow! I just looked up at the four paragraphs of text on the page and realized that I’ve actually done it!
For those of you who blog on a regular basis, I invite you to share your experience of writing your first blog post. What was it like for you? How has the experience changed as you continue to write on a regular basis? Where do you get your ideas? I welcome your suggestions and feedback.
And I look forward to becoming a better blogger…now that I’ve finally become one.
Tags: Blogging, Creativity, Marketing, the next level, writing
Deb, welcome to the blogosphere! Your firm does such great work promoting your clients – it’s nice to see you getting out there and promoting yourselves. When I first started my blog, I wondered if anyone would ever see it. Since then, I’ve been delighted by the strangers who’ve come out of the woodwork and become colleagues and friends – and even clients. Best wishes for your blog. You are off to a great start.
Hi Deborah (and Don)…
Great starter blog. The differentiating concept behind a blog is that it provides you (the blogger) the opportunity to show your “human” side. This is especially true in your (our) line of work, because so much time is devoted to finding the sometimes-slightly-less-than-human sweet-spot-sell proposition that will blow their socks off. Often to the exclusion of all else.
I’m already doing a mental edit/rewrite on this as I’m writing, but because it’s a blog comment, I resist, however painful it proves to be. It puts me into another mode — my “blog voice”…and that’s a good thing. The first one was like pulling teeth, but it gets easier the more you do it. You keep blogging. I’ll keep reading. And don’t forget to read mine, too!
…Scot.
Hey Deb – how wonderful to see you here and to have your fellowship in the blogosphere.
I’ve have so enjoyed my last three years of blogging – it has brought me into a whole new world (I have gone global, based on where I see my traffic and comments coming from!) and I can honestly say I have made many friends just by reaching out with my cyber-voice.
May your presence create a wonderful community AND add scads of dollars to The Next Level!
Warmest wishes
Philippa
Thanks for visiting and for commenting, Philippa. If this blog turns out to be as successful as yours I will be ecstatic (you are one of my role models in the blogosphere!).
Congrats, Deb,
You’ve added motivation to my desire to blog. As they say, “Just do it.”
Also love how your TNL marketing comes together.
Elaine
Elaine-
Thanks for your comment! When you get your own blog going we can link up and support each other. It took me awhile to get started, but it’s been a lot of fun so I encourage you to “just do it.”