Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once.

Stop Writer’s Block: 10 Minutes to Ideas to Write About

Filed Under Content, Idea Bank, Outside the Box, Productivity, Successful Blog, Writing | 21 Comments

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Plenty of Ideas — Make Things Up!

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A young man wrote this week,asking how he might open his mind to be more creative. We passed emails back and forth. He said he knows that he stops his ideas. He asked if I might point him to how he might open his mind to let the ideas flow.

Do you have that problem too? Let’s check.

Stop right now and make something up. I’m sure you know how. Make me taller or shorter or older or younger, or any some such. Invent a new character in your life who is all evil or who is all good. That wasn’t so hard, was it? Okay we’ve got the making things up part covered. Most of us learned that in childhood.

Making things up is the stuff that ideas are make of. The exercise training for getting better at doing that involves time spent test driving your subconscious and unconscious a bit.

I’m going to show you one way to do that using a photo, your brain, and about 10 minutes.

Old Moon in New Moon

C’mon turn the page.

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How to Age Ideas Like a Fine Cognac OR Making Compelling Writing the Center of Your Brand

Filed Under Audience, Branding, Idea Bank, Motivation/Inspiration, Outside the Box, Successful Blog, Writing | 13 Comments

I Love My Pocket Journal

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Yesterday in the comments to Inside Out Thinking: Catching Ideas Coming In and Going Out, Hans at Blogosquare asked a question that was one I had when I first started writing. That made me think that others might have it as well. You see, Han’s problem is that he has too many ideas and his exuberance makes him anxious to use them all as soon as he gets them.

. . . I just don’t have to sit back and wait for thoughts, actually they are filling me. When I get a thought, . . . I just can’t wait for that thought to leave me. So I write it down quickly, quickly and post it and there when I see it I feel much relieved.
How in fact to you deal with thoughts when they come in? Should I set myself to some relaxation or things like this? All day long everything I see, read, and hear just give me thoughts and ideas. . . . Right now after reading the post above, I just got that thought and couldn’t wait to put it down, to get it off my mind. Am I not normal? [edited with Hans permission]

Hans, my friend, I value you and your passion for writing. Turn the page and I’ll answer your question with the seriousness it deserves.

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Inside Out Thinking: Catching Ideas Coming In and Going Out

Filed Under Idea Bank, Motivation/Inspiration, Outside the Box, Successful Blog, Writing | 13 Comments

Everyone Has Endless Ideas

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Ideas.

Can’t write without one. I’ve tried. It doesn’t work.

If you’re reading this, you probably know that. So let’s move around that dead, old horse.

What’s an idea anyway? A thought, a stimuli, a catalyst.

Everyone has endless ideas in our brains every minute that we’re alive.

We can get to them two ways — from the inside or from the out.

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Write a Book? Assemble the One in Your Archives!

Filed Under Branding, Content, Idea Bank, Productivity, Strategy, Successful Blog, Writing | 85 Comments

Turning One Kind of Content into Another

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In July of 1995, I met with president and the major partner/owner of a company in trouble. The company had one product earning and was losing 10% a year. They laid out the problem and asked my solution. Thinking I had nothing to lose, I told them.

I’d get on a plane to the UK next week; find the best product they had to offer; repurpose it to perfectly meet this market; and get it out there earning as fast as I could.

My blood sugar dropped when the partner replied, “You’re going to London.”

We made new products by turning one kind of content into another.

Want to write a book? You probably have one almost done in your archives.
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SOB Business Cafe 08-25-2006

Filed Under Business Life, Community, Idea Bank, Marketing, Productivity, SOB Business, Successful Blog, Tools | 8 Comments

SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the title shots to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Lorelle at WordPress celebrates by remembering when she told us how to get started. Happy Anniversary!

WordPress for Beginners



Manage To Change has a series that reminds us weird ideas often work the best.

Weird Ideas that Work



I Can’t Say That! offers counsel that silence is not more than silence.

Silence Does Not Equal Yes



Ramblings From A Glass Half Full gathered the wisdom of a community to find the secrets of success.

Secrets to Success



Solo Business Marketing knows the importance of timing as a decision-making tool.

Make a Decision Any Decision

Related ala carte selections include



Blogging Pro can show you the way to make your site load faster for FREE.

CSS Optimization



Ensight has a list of fixes for folks moving to IE7.

List of IE7 CSS Bug Fixes

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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