Archive for August, 2008

Each friday I show off a piece of art, music or photography from an artist that I have found. If you have someone that you love, or a piece that makes you feel creative, let me know – I’m always looking for great new creative minds!

As many of you may know, I have an extreme passion for the written word. So, this piece of art definitely captured my attention. Chema Madoz has some of the most unique photo’s that I have ever seen, and this one piece combined my love for art and reading. He is a spanish photographer, and could use a better website (sorry…can’t help but notice those things) but there is nothing that needs changing about his work. I feel like if I were to walk under this archway, I would be filled with the knowledge inside of all of those books. This would be an amazing piece as an advertisment for a bookstore or a motivation for reading. Thank you Chema for sharing your amazing vision…

What thoughts or feelings does this photo evoke from you?

To check out more pictures from Chema Madoz, visit chemamadoz.com (fyi, site is in spanish – but the pictures need no translation)

There are many things that I love to do in my off time, but the one that gives me the most satisfaction is writing. Now, most of the time I write for business and it isn’t that I don’t enjoy it, it just isn’t as fun as writing for fun. So, in my off time, I am working on a novel. Who knows if I will ever actually finish it, or if I do, if I will ever try to get it published. But, it does allow for a great mental escape and another way to use my creativity in a productive manner. The problem is, despite my love of writing – I still get writer’s block. And, once I get writers block, it is really hard to break it. Recently, I found this really cool tool that breaks your writers block with the click of a button! The basic instructions on the site is to press a button, dependant on what you are looking for a block break on. Once you choose a number, it gives you a sample sentence or two, on your needed area. For example, I clicked #4 for dialogue and that was what provided the headline for this article. Next time you are in need of a block breaker (or are just bored and need something fun to occupy your time), check out http://www.webook.com/911writersblock to see what it will give you for a writers block break!

Are there any other tools that you recommend for a writer’s block break? What do you use to get yourself motivated to keep writing?

Sitting in an aiport is one of my least favorite things to do. People are crabby, the seats are uncomfortable in both the terminals and the planes and the internet isn’t free. (You would think with the increasing cost of flights and the decrease in the ease of flying they might be willing to give us free internet, but that’s a whole differerent can of worms!)… Although as my mother points out, “It’s better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!”. Why yes mom, it is…but it still sucks!

Anyway, the point is I spent 13 hours in airports and airplanes yesterday and despite it being miserable, draining and boring – I had a burst of creative genius. So, that is what I decided to write about – finding creative business ideas in the most boring of places!

Since our flight was delayed 3 hours (yup…3 HOURS!) we decided to walk around and do some shopping in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, for those of you who have never flown through it, it is one of the largest airports and has just about everything (but still…no free internet! hint*hint*).  Some stores made sense – magazines, souvenirs, and clothing. Some didn’t. The one that caught my eye was a Luggage store. Luggage? Really? Who buys luggage in an airport? You would think if they were in the airport, they would already have the luggage…so of course, it got me thinking!

It goes against all common logic that a luggage store would work in an airport. But – it is the creative genius who is able to see past the logic and try something different. When looked at creatively – it actually makes a lot of sense to have a luggage store in an airport.

First, You are surrounding yourself with the ideal customer: Most stores fail because they can’t get enough of the right buyers in the door.  A luggage store needs people who travel and use luggage – where better to be than in the middle of people who travel? With a luggage store in the airport, your ideal buyer is everywhere. And second, you fulfil immediate and future needs: Imagine getting to the airport and the seams that have been holding your bag together for the last year of flying finally breaks. What would you do? Ta-dah – Luggage store to the rescue! Or, your luggage doesn’t break but you’re bored, walking around shopping, knowing you need knew luggage? How better to compare luggage than have your old stuff next to new stuff? Stores place themselves where the greatest gathering of their product would be used or needed. Luggage in an airport – a simple equation!

All it really takes is thinking outside of the box to make this type of business work. Are there other products and places that a similar strategy may be applied? or Have you seen another case like this?

For the next week, I will be in Sugar Land and Houston, Texas. My husband and I are house hunting and deciding on where we want to live. I am going to try to write a couple times this week, as the interior design of homes always tends to stem some of the best creativity – but if I don’t get as many in as I would like, I apologize in advance and will catch up as soon as I get home. Have a fabulously creative week and wish us luck!

Each friday I show off a piece of art, music or photography from an artist that I have found. If you have someone that you love, or a piece that makes you feel creative, let me know – I’m always looking for great new creative minds!

This time, the image was found in nature – completely untouched by human hands. I know, it is in direct contradiction of what friday art is supposed to be, but after seeing an image like this and the creative ideas it created for me, I couldn’t help it!

According to the ColourLovers Blog, where I found the image, “Salt evaporation ponds are shallow man-made ponds designed to produce salt from sea water. The seawater is fed into large ponds and water is drawn out through natural evaporation which allows the salt to be subsequently harvested. The ponds also provide a productive resting and feeding ground for more than 70 species of waterbirds, including several endangered species. The ponds are commonly separated by levees. Due to variable algal concentrations, vivid colors, from pale green to bright red, are created in the evaporation ponds. The color indicates the salinity of the ponds. Micro-organisms change their hues as the salinity of the pond increases. In low to mid-salinity ponds, green algae are predominant.”

Basically, this is a picture, taken by Google Earth, of the salt flats and the colors created by the evaporation of the water and creation of algae.

Besides the image being beautiful and unique, what I found so interesting is that this would be a beautiful color scheme for a website or a brochure design. One of the questions I get asked most often is ‘where do you come up with your color themes’. I think that this is such a prevalent question because of the amount of time we spend indoors. Many of us spend our entire day behind a desk, in an office that, if we are lucky, has a view of other office buildings around the area. We spend a large amount of time trying to be creative without any idea that nature is creating great color palates all its own. I find that if I am having trouble picking a color scheme (does that blue really match that green?) and i just look at some nature images, I get my answer. Nature has an uncanny way of always being in color balance – have you ever really looked close at a sea of wildflowers (ones that truly are wild, and humans had no part in planting?) The colors are often off the wall, and wouldn’t seem to work together, but do. It is the same way in design, sometimes the color schemes that you wouldn’t expect to work can turn an average design to a stellar designs.

Colors for a website scheme

With that said, I have pulled the 5 hex colors out of the image that I would choose to use for a website. Feel free to steal the scheme and if you try it, let me know – I would love to see how well it really worked!

I read an blog post by Alan Weiss (and all of the comments in response to it!) yesterday. His post raised a lot of controversial questions about social media and the future of blogging in consulting for big business. And of course, It got me thinking about the future of business and creativity. I chose not to leave him a comment on his blog as it had already gotten too heated and involved. I know that this isn’t really a creative idea post, but I felt that I needed to respond to what he was talking about as someone who is hoping to do just what he said is imposible - to build a consulting business through blogging and social media marketing.

I will start with the fact that I do understand his opinion – and understand where he is coming from, that the CEO’s of most large companies (which is the type of company he consults for) don’t have time to look through blogs and social media. But, that is where my level of understanding stops. Right now, the CEO’s don’t, but as these men and women retire and the next generation come into their positions, social media and blogging are coming with them. We have been raised on the Internet and social media – and will be using it now and in the future. WIth that said – There are 3 points that he makes that I completely disagree with.

1. You can use up all your time following blogs. Buyers of consulting services don’t visit blogs as a rule, and certainly not to make buying decisions. They may visit a blog AFTER they have a relationship with the consultant, which just proves my point.

Ok, so yes, you can use up all your time following blogs. BUT!! you can also use up all your time reading news stories, talking on the phone or playing games (yes, I have been in many offices where when you walk by an employees desk they are trying to minimize their game as fast as possible). Blogs, if you are mature enough to handle your time management, are great ways to see what is going on in the world and learn from some of the brightest people. On his second comment about buyers not finding a consultant though blogs alone? I ask now for anyone who has ever gotten a consulting contract from a contact via your blog to raise there hand….oh, yup, just what I thought, more than I can count! Maybe the baby boomer generation hasn’t jumped on the wave of researching people via blogs and websites, but anyone who grew up with computers, the Internet and was on the beginning wave of social media knows that employers and potential buyers are turning to websites to get the details on a company.

2. Twitter is pretty nonsensical. Watching someone wash their hair or walk to their car is irrelevant to marketing consulting services. It is idiosyncratic. I think it’s fine if people want to do this as a hobby, but for solo practitioners and entrepreneurs, it can drain your life away. It is to marketing what text messaging is to writing a novel.

Really? Nonsensical? Wow, I think you just offended a couple hundred thousand people! Again on the ‘draining your life away’? Alan, I guess you don’t have time management skills. It is only a time drain if you let it be. And, even more to the point – I found this blog post through a man who runs his own business, and sent it via a tweet! So, from what you are saying, his tweet about your blog was pointless? Don’t think so. Plus, if I’m not mistaken – Barack Obama has a twitter account, and although I am not a fan of his political stance, even I can’t say that he is nonsensical. I think that the real truth is that YOU couldn’t figure out how to write your blabber in under 140 characters. It takes more skill to write in less words than in more. And lastly I would love to see a novel written via text messages, it would be an impressive feat!

3. My focus is on helping consultants and entrepreneurs to market their services better and improve their lives. I don’t think it happens with social networking on the Internet

It is great that you want to get people to improve their marketing, but if you aren’t talking with them about social networking, you are doing them a disservice. As I said in the beginning, blogs and social media are here to stay, and when my generation becomes the CEO’s you are targeting, you are in for a rude awakening.

Let me know what you think about his article, what I’ve said or anything else on your mind…

Sometimes creative ideas are just fun ideas. With that in mind, I stumbled upon the cutest website ever! Dog lovers are everywhere (me included), but there are a lot of us that can’t have one (stupid apartment rules… we’ll get one as soon as we get a house!). This website isn’t a fix, but it sure helps You type in a trick like ‘lie down’ and the puppy does it!

Try it for yourself – http://www.idodogtricks.com/index_flash.html

*Now I know that it is really obvious that it isn’t live, but it sure is fun and adorable.

Have you found any other websites like this? Or other fun suites to share? Is there a type of product that could use a site like this?

Have you ever tried to be creative at the end of a long day, when you are exhausted from dealing with p.i.t.a (pain in the a**) clients, meetings, and emails? It’s difficult huh? Just like with anything, trying to do it on a half motivated brain is never going to go well. But, there is an easy way to fix it!

One of the easiest ways to get your creative juices flowing again is to take a brief mental vacation. For me, listening to one of my favorite songs (either an old classic like Eagles, Hotel California or a new classic like Alan Jackson, Good Time) always gives me a boost of clarity and the opportunity to get my mind working.

Next time you need to bust out a bit of creativity, try listening to a favorite song, with no interruptions, and see where it takes you.

What is your song of choice? Any all time favorites or new favorites to share?

Each friday I will be showing off a piece of art, music or photography from an artist that I have found. If you have someone that you love, or a piece that makes you feel creative, let me know – I’m always looking for great new creative minds!

Friday Photography brought to you by Manu – from Flickr. I found this photo when I was looking through their ‘interesting’ pictures. I was in search of something different and that showed power. I can’t think of much more powerful than a big cat in nature’s most powerful liquid. This image really creates an idea and a message and I absolutely love it. Thanks to Manu for sharing your great photography gift.

What do you think of the image? What thoughts or feelings does it evoke?