by R.A. Rowell; Co-Owner of  Intent-sive Nature & the  Brand Shamans network

I just want to write something important. To me, that’s not writing just another New York Times bestseller. It doesn’t involve taking advantage of a fad. I’m not seeking a cult following. There is a deep desire within me to write something not only significant, but undeniably unique.

I long to write something that could be the epitome of whatever creativity I possess. Is this asking the impossible? Can you write something undeniably important? There is always the possibility that by reaching for what at first you deem impossible, you could get yourself very, very close to that seemingly unattainable goal. So why not aim for it?

Even as the world gives you reason after reason to be bitter, it’s vital to do whatever I can to put things into a positive light. It’s important to be constructive. This is why it’s very important to understand the true power of creativity. I know that too often I don’t exercise my mind correctly to unleash my true creative potential. I believe this is true of most of us.

Throughout my education, people have been too impressed with many examples of my academic work. That’s not to say it’s all been relatively worthless busy work junk. Still, I look back at my academic offerings and feel tremendously disappointed from what I produced in the name of education. I believe I can tap far more from my abilities. So where do I dig up the fuel, the drive, and the motivation to pursue challenging myself in new and creative ways?

Not only do I wish to master merely the act of being creative, but also better comprehend the nuances of the greater concepts that creativity involves. I don’t want only to inform or educate in a basic sense. I want to expand minds in a significant, meaningful way beyond the simple facts, figures, or concepts I’m writing about.

Before any of us can truly learn how to learn, we must understand what creativity truly is. Creativity means never simply squashing your dreams, no matter how childish they may seem. Never be afraid to tackle big ideas. Reality is always going to be fascinating, and often more horrifying than anything any fiction can produce.

Never be afraid to create something. It doesn’t matter how slowly you build on your ideas, as long as you do it consistently. Add a dash of passion to everything you do. That’s true creativity at its finest.

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

"Amy who?" If you get that question often, you need some help branding yourself. Have you ever thought about twitter? Perhaps you've tried twitter already but don't know how to brand your company with it. You're just talking to thin air, right? Wrong. If you use twitter correctly and tap into the available resources, you have access to a very wide audience. I've been using twitter to brand myself in several niche areas for years. So how do I do it?

Follow people who represent what you stand for. This is one of the most important ways to show people what your company is all about. If you want people to know you are involved in a particular activity, be involved in it everywhere, including twitter. One of my missions in life is to help rescue and bring appreciation to small animals. Anyone who knows me, even for a second, knows this. Why? I put it out there. I talk about it, write about it, have a web page about it, facebook about it, and yes, twitter about it with a twitter account dedicated to that alone. On that account, I interact with other animal lovers. Following and keeping up with these people not only shows I'm involved, but it keeps me up to date with what's going on in that niche area.

Tweet tips about your purpose. If your purpose is to bring attention to homelessness and you're tweeting about your new cat and his cute tricks, you are targeting the wrong audience. It's one thing to have random fun posts. But most of your posts should be related to the niche you want to brand yourself or your company in. Otherwise, your followers will be very confused as to what exactly you represent. Do people need to ask what your purpose is? Do your followers often have nothing to do with your niche? If so, work on tweeting more about your purpose, lest you branded for something completely unrelated, such as silly things cats do, instead of fighting homelessness.

Tweet links to more information. This shows your followers you know what you're talking about. An authority on a topic should have an outlet where the topic is further discussed. This could be a blog, a website, a facebook page, or all of the above. Tweeting these links helps to brand your name (or company name) to a niche topic because it shows activity on a particular topic. I am well-known for my parenting and pet content. Why? I live it, write about it, and share content about it regularly. Those links go out to twitter every single time so that followers know what I stand for. When your followers know what you're about, they will start to look forward to this information. That's when you know you've done a good job branding. But don't stop. Keep up the momentum.

Use hashtags that represent your purpose. This helps readers and potential followers find your tweets. If you tweet about homelessness, you might use the tags #poverty, #homeless, or #homelessness after your tweet to indicate what you're talking about. If you do this with every single tweet, people come to associate you or your brand with the topic. To reach the maximum amount of people, experiment and search twitter for various hashtags that mean the same thing. Choose the ones that produce the most results. The more people that regularly use a hashtag word or phrase, the better.

Use hashtags that represent your brand. You can also take it a step further and create tags that represent your company or name. Place those tags, as well as other related tags, in every tweet so that it's easier for people to find you and associate you with certain topics. I add #LynLomasi in many tweets that I want associated with my brand. One of my websites is called Life Successfully. When I tweet about something I want branded to that website, I use the hashtag #LifeSuccessfully.

There are many ways to brand yourself on twitter. Be clear and consistent in the methods you choose to gain the most positive results. Be fair and don't spam too many links or over post. That will actually cause you to lose followers, rather than gain them. Be authentic and use twitter to enhance what you already believe in.

**Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Last night, I may have slept in total (not all at once) for just about an hour. Why? Well for one, I’ve been battling a toothache that’s getting better. But that wasn’t what kept me up. My brain wanted to create song lyrics – lots of them. After tossing and turning and trying to fight it, I gave in and did a writer-all-nighter mainly for something other than my web writing.

When your brain is running full blast with thoughts, the best thing you can do is get them down. I’ve been a writer for a long time – since I was three years of age, in fact. Trust me; those thoughts will remain until you get them out. And you will feel much better when you get them out. As annoying as this writer’s habit is at times, it can be very beneficial to your career.

Not only did I manage to write song lyrics, but I also wrote some other things, got some work done for my day job, did some design work on one of my sites, and more. All of those will be beneficial for my various careers. I also had fun – so much more than I would have had if I had just laid there and let my thoughts and ideas torment me.

It may seem like a good idea to try and get some rest – and sometimes it is. But the thing is, if your brain wants to do something else, you may just have to let it. I’ve never been one to stick to strict rules on many things. I’m a go-with-the-flow kind of gal. I tried being a perfectionist once – for years. It was hell. There’s no such thing as perfection.

Listen to your ideas. Listen to your intuition. Take risks and just go with what comes. Life’s too short to spend it stressing.

You’re welcome.

Image Credit: Lyn Lomasi

I originally published this elsewhere (no longer published there)

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Have you ever been writing a new post and had your mind wander completely? I don’t mean just the usual switch of topics, but maybe something you’d want to write but never considered writing before. You know, those things you’d like to say, but don’t? Following your rabbit hole(s) can lead to productivity for many reasons.

When you write what you want, you are enjoying yourself and thus will produce more work faster. I’ve written about this regarding switching topics. It’s the same concept. Going with the flow generally is more effective than trying to force topics that just aren’t happening.

Getting those usual “don’t go there” thoughts on paper can be freeing in a way, which helps your mind focus on what needs to be written. The more open and happy your mind is, the more readily you can slam out the work as fast as you are able to. This can be important for those who make a living doing web writing. If you try to force the topics without a clear mind, the quality of your work is likely to suffer. Even if you never end up publishing your “rabbit hole” topics, they can still aid in productivity in this way.

The more topics you are willing to write about, the more ideas you will have. This is another way to increase productivity. Some people have trouble coming up with ideas. Following your rabbit holes gives you much more to work with.

Are you writing any rabbit hole topics? Why or why not? Do you have similar productivity tips? Let us know in the comment section.

Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi

I originally published this on BUBBLEWS (no longer published there)

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Ever been working on an important project only to have your mind wander elsewhere? Me too. But I'm here to tell you from experience that it doesn't need to mean failure for you. Go with the flow.

You heard me right. If your mind wanders in the middle of a project, run with it. Take that inspiration and see where it leads you. I often have at least 20 documents open at once. Sometimes I focus on just one. But more than likely, my overly-creative mind wanders from one topic to the next.

Instead of letting my wandering mind be the source for a writer's block, I use it to my advantage and write on each topic as much as my mind allows for. When it switches topics, so do I. Sometimes I focus longer on one particular post and other times, I may jump all over the place. Once a topic is finished, I edit and submit it where intended.

This strategy has never failed me, even during intense deadlines. When it gets down to the wire, I do work to keep my mind focused on what's necessary. But I find that doing my best to just go with the flow also leads to doing the best job where productivity is concerned.

Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi

I originally published this on BUBBLEWS (no longer published there)

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by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

I’ve often written about how to come up with ideas when you’re struggling to find topics as a writer. However, I am one of those writers who always has too many ideas. I can’t be the only one who has docs, notebooks, and cell phone space full of them. So, how do I deal with all of these ideas? What exactly do I do with them and what can you do with yours?

Sort and organize your ideas for ideal use – Many writers write to more than one venue or have somewhat of a designated space or time period for certain topics. It may help to sort your ideas into categories based on topics, venues, styles, in alphabetical order, and more. We each have our own way of doing things. Therefore, only you can decide the exact sorting method that will work best for you specifically. Whatever you choose should make it easier to find and take advantage of all of your ideas.

Give away good ideas you’ll never write – We all have those ideas that sit in a notebook or file somewhere that we keep skipping over for various reasons. Some of those ideas are ones that we may come back to eventually, while others are those which we know we will never write. Take the latter ones out of your records completely and compile them to share with fellow writers who need ideas. Most writers are friends with other writers and you may even be able to think of an exact person who’d appreciate at least some of the ideas.

Create blank docs with titles ahead of time – This is one of the many things I do to help keep track of ideas, as well as to save time when I am ready to write. I title a blank document using the idea and try to make the title one I can use for a potential article or other piece of writing. I save the documents in the most appropriate folder for that specific idea. This could be a folder of docs designated to a specific client, a specific category of ideas, or for one of my own websites. If I don’t yet know where it might go, I save it under the regular documents folder and move it accordingly after it has been written and published.

Use your ideas to create templates/outlines that speed productivity – This is taking the blank doc idea one step further. I have a method I use to speed up my productivity when creating content. I make myself templates or outlines that have all of my ideas listed so that I only have to think of how to explain it in each section and type out just that part when ready to write. To see samples of how I do this and exactly what I mean, go here: www.articlewriterforhire.com/1/post/2011/07/quick-web-writing-tip-make-an-easy-outline-to-speed-productivity.html

Stop staring at them and just write! – You knew I was going to say this at some point, right? The most obvious thing to do with all of your ideas is to just start grabbing them and write! It really is just that easy. Do the voices in your head keep switching back and forth from idea to idea? Let them. I have an easy way that I deal with that issue as well: http://www.articlewriterforhire.com/1/post/2014/10/tips-for-writing-multiple-articles-at-once.html

What do you do when you’re overwhelmed with ideas?

**Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi

I originally published this on BUBBLEWS (no longer published there)

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

Help! I can't stop writing! I told myself I wouldn't write anything for a couple days - you know, actually take a break for more than errands and doing things with the kids. Well, here I am doing it anyway. Writing is such an addiction. I am so addicted to writing that I asked Facebook friends for tips on how not to be productive. Then, it came to me. I could write an article about not being able to stop writing. See, I'm doing it again! It's a never-ending cycle.

Every time I do something - anything - an article idea arises. So much for not writing today. I guess I'll have to try again tomorrow or would that be the following day instead? This is my life as a natural born writer and natural born multitasker. Sure it's my career. But I love writing so much I want to do it all the time. No, I don't just want to. I have to. I even write tips on how other people can write more often like I do.

Oh no! Somebody stop me! I'm spreading the workaholic addiction! I even became a volunteer Community Guide (and later, community staff) at Yahoo! Contributor Network so I could teach others my addictive techniques. What will I do next (queue scary music)? Ooh, it is getting close to Halloween. Time to start writing some Halloween articles. See what I mean, the ideas just never end!

Natural multitasking and a love for writing is a very dangerous combination. I should know. I have mastered writing large numbers of articles quickly and even writing on multiple computers to speed productivity.

Can somebody please help? Seriously. Alright, in all honesty, I really don't want help on this front. But wait, doesn't that prove the addiction even further? Oh well. I'm already too far gone for help at this point.

OK, so I'm just having fun and it's not really that bad. But sometimes us writers do wish we could turn off the ideas in our heads just for a little while. Writing does feed and clothe my family and it keeps me really happy. A happy mom is a good mom, right? Yes, that's it! See, I don't need help at all!

So what should I write about next? Oh, never mind, I have plenty of ideas already!

**Photo Credit: Lyn Lomasi

** I originally published this content at Yahoo! Voices on July 17, 2010.

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

Being a momtrepreneur with several active careers (yes, several) and a house full of kids and pets, I don't have much time. Therefore, I have many tricks to help me get everything done. Drafting titles is one of them.

There are several ways to draft titles. If you are going to be posting on or submitting to a venue that allows you to save drafts online, you can create and save drafts with titles reflecting your desired topics. I usually save multiple titles and try to make them as close to titles I would actually use so that changes are minimal to non-existent. With all the titles right there, all I will need to do is paste in the content once I write it. It also helps keep me with a steadily flowing stock of ideas.

If you cannot save drafts to your desired venue, simply use the same technique in your word processing program. For instance, I have hundreds of blank documents saved in OpenOffice. The document titles are my possible article titles -- and they can always be changed later if I decide to change one after writing it. Sometimes, once a piece is written, the title isn't quite right any longer.

No matter which of theses methods you use -- and you may use both -- when you draft out your titles ahead of time, it can give you more time to focus on the actual writing. Sometimes, thinking up ideas can take more time than the writing itself. But if you keep a stockpile of these title drafts at all times, you won't have to stress about your ideas when you should be writing instead. make sure to add to your title drafts every time you get ideas. I set aside time each day just to focus on titles. If the ideas keep flowing, I extend that time until I run out of ideas. Then, I move on to writing.

Do you have strategies for drafting titles? Please share in the comment section.

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

Are your readers getting bored with your posts? Are you getting tired of writing them? The quality may be good but for some reason, no one is reading. Why? One reason may be lack of creativity.

You aren't writing a text book. Get creative! Make your content shine by showing off its style within the text. Obviously, it needs to be readable. But there is no need to be straight facts and no fun. Dress up your content as if you were dressing up yourself. Get glammy, glittery, and gluey -- if that's you.

No one wants to read the same thing they can read anywhere else on the web. people want something different. Don;t just report the facts. Talk about what you would do or have done in the same scenarios -- and don't be too mainstream in how you do it. Just be your creative self. You're an artist, correct? Remember, that is what we writers really are deep down? Use that to your advantage and show it off.

Have you been taking advantage of your creative side?

Writing content piece after content piece all day can have some writers running out of ideas in no time flat. But it doesn't have to be that way. Forming ideas can be frustrating, but it's actually easier than you think.

Stop over-thinking it! I mean it. Just stop. Some of the frustration in idea-forming comes from analyzing and breaking down every single idea until there is nothing left to work with. Every idea does not have to be "the next big thing" in your head before you write about it. If you thought about it, someone else probably did too -- and they may need your info on it. Just write as the ideas come. There is a such thing as editing, which brings us to the next point.

Just write. You can edit later once the ideas have been placed on paper. If the writing looks like crap, don't worry about that until you are done getting the ideas down. Write what comes to mind, even if it is a huge, unorganized mess. The bad parts can be edited out. If there are too many ideas going on in one piece of writing, they can be split up into more than one piece of writing. just write and don't worry about all of that until it is time for editing and rewriting.

Stop the pressure. Michael Jackson said it best in his song, Scream: "Stop pressurin' me. Just stop pressurin' me. Stop pressurin' me. Make me wanna scream". Stop beating yourself up over forming ideas. Many times, writer's block comes from forcing things too hard. You can't force what isn't there. Just write what is there, even if it isn't related to your current project. You'll soon find when the pressure is gone, the right words will flow.

Go have fun! This may seem counter-productive. But if you are just sitting there banging your head on your desk or laptop, you aren't getting anything done anyway. Sometimes getting out and doing something different can relieve some stress and reveal ideas you hadn't thought of. For me, it never fails. As soon as I get into having fun and doing something else, the words come "interrupting" me and I can concentrate on my work once again.

Look around you. What have you done lately? Recent trips, events, and neighborhood happenings can be good fodder for your writing. have you taught your dog an amazing trick? Were you at your wit's end with a parental issue, only to find an amazing solution? Do you know how to get a particularly tough stain out of anything? Maybe you invented a fabulous meal that your family is raving about. Share those things with the world. Your ideas do not have to be extremely elaborate. People often search for normal, everyday things on the web. we are all different and what may seem a simple solution could be a lifesaver for someone else.