All the gear and no idea
Hello,
Do you ever feel like work just does itself some weeks? And then other times it’s like wading through a swamp? I’m having a swamp week at the moment. A bit like Sisyphus rolling the stone up the hill or that other myth where the hero has to drink the cup dry but is really drinking the ocean.
I know this is happening because I’m taking half-term off next week so currently cramming two weeks into one. If this is also you, my best advice is to give yourself a break. You’re not superhuman. Focus on the deadlines that happen while you’re away and the rest is a bonus.
Keeping in with the theme of not putting too much pressure on yourself, the read this week is about running out of ideas. I once heard someone say that there is no such thing as writer’s block, just bad planning. I very much disagree with this as we all need an ideas-friendly environment to create and what that environment looks like depends on how you work best.
It’s very much like recognising a week is a slog because you need to switch off for half-term.
When you’re all out of ideas
There will be times when you don’t know what to say. Or what to write about. For lots of people who I work with, this is a big problem. They love what they do but they get stuck wondering what to write for their blogs and their content.
Often the problem is not that they haven’t got the ideas but that they don’t think that anyone is interested. But given that you do your business and sell stuff, it’s pretty safe to say that some people are interested.
I’m not justifying boring, navel-gazing content here but if you have something to say then it’s probably worth seeing if anyone wants to hear it.
So when you are feeling like you’re all out of ideas - there’s a few tricks you can use to get inspired.
1. Don’t force it
There is nothing worse than feeling like you need to force some creativity out of yourself. Often a big-ass deadline is a good thing. It can force you to dig deep into creativity and pull something half-decent out. But it can also send you into a blind panic.
Usually, I’m at my best when there’s a cold, hard deadline. I’ve even tried tricking myself into an earlier deadline to get something done that’s been bugging me. It rarely works. If you’re this kind of person, accept it and work to that deadline.
I find that having some kind of accountability really helps here. Having a date where everything needs to be done because I’m going to actually have to talk to a person will force me to work at breakneck speed and get it done.
However, if you’re not this kind of person then a deadline can do the total opposite. It can make you panic and a panicked brain doesn’t work. There is a direct link between our stress levels and our creativity. One study found that when 90 people were put under stress while playing a computer game, it did help increase creativity. That is until they started feeling angry or frustrated. At this point, the stress had a negative impact on creativity and working memory.
However, it’s not quite so straightforward as positive emotions alongside stress boost creativity and negative emotions will stymie it.
Another study found that: “Individuals who are extrinsically motivated find creative work more stressful inherently than individuals who are intrinsically motivated individuals who find creativity as challenge and enjoyment.”
So if you’re a naturally creative person, you’ll enjoy the challenge of creating through stressful times. You have an internal motivation to be creative rather than an external reason such as work or the PTA asking you to whip up a few craft projects for the summer fair.
“Artists are productive when they are less emotionally stable (Jamison,1989)”
Tuning into our emotions, the drivers and how we approach creativity can help us find the best time to develop ideas.
For example, let’s say you don’t like last-minute creativity. In which case, planning out more time to think and let ideas mull around in your head can be helpful way ahead of when you want to publish some content.
Sitting and chewing your pencil, staring out of the window and letting your thoughts percolate without the worrying of a looming publish date is more likely to bring fruitful ideas than putting them off.
Or, if you’re like me, waiting until the last possible second because you thrive in that situation is the better thing to do. Understand the best way that you work and try to mould your week around this.
2. Answer questions
Yep, I know EVERYONE says this but it’s true. With a couple of clients, we sit and chat about what people around us have been talking about. This conversation can help spark ideas about the next piece of content.
We each have different social circles and networking groups so when we all start hearing the same conversations, it’s time to put the best angle on it for their content.
If you’re not sure where to find the questions, pootle about online, have conversations with people, read back over emails, and look at Reddit and Quora.
This also creates the best kind of search content, too. We can get lost in keywords and search volumes when what we really need to do is listen to people.
Listening is far more powerful than trying to find the right combination of keywords for your blog.
3. Read lots
Or listen. Or watch. If you’re short on inspiration, grab a magazine or read that newsletter you love. This will help get your brain ticking over. It’s not about regurgitating what has already been said but giving your take on it.
I do this a lot for this newsletter. Things I read throughout the week get noted down. I look at how you can apply them to content and expand on an angle that I think is interesting.
Take last week’s newsletter for example. It talks about the power of your weirdness. This came from reading another newsletter and a newspaper article about funeral songs. Over the week, I let the idea stew a little. There were a couple of false starts before I figured out the point I wanted to make.
I’m also going to use a bit of work I’ve done with a client for a future newsletter. It means taking the writing I did for this client and reframing it for something that you’ll find useful. All that reading and research is being put to good use.
4. Avoid the pressure
Sometimes when you’re all out of ideas, it’s okay to say so. As founders, we can put a lot of pressure to stick to a self-inflicted timetable. A blog needs to be out on this date, social media posts on these days, newsletter on this day.
We put rules around ourselves that serve little purpose. Yes, you should be consistent but you can also give yourself a bit of a break. Ideas often come when you’re doing a mundane task, going for a walk or taking a shower. This is because you’re giving your brain a break from the pressure.
So go for a walk but don’t do it with the expectation that your next grand idea is going to pop into your head like magic. Get off your screen and switch off your brain for a bit.
5. Get someone else to give you some ideas
Ask someone else for some ideas. A different perspective on your business and customers can spark new angles. An outside person can spot the gaps that you might not see.
It can be a professional who you hire or a friend who is happy to help out. Some of my best ideas have popped up when talking to a coach because their job is to pull this stuff out. I also used to call a friend who ran a similar business and each month we’d talk about where we are in our business and then bounce ideas around. If I was short of ideas, this process would chuck up some great stuff.
6. If all else fails, make a list
Make a list of ideas, a list of points you want to get across, or a list of things you’ve read that are useful. Lists are wonderful ways to create content. And you can use them across video, blogs, social media, everything.
The best thing about a list is that it’s easy. We make lists all the time. If you want to seriously challenge yourself, put a number on that list. Like 10 useful stories or 15 benefits. When getting to that end number gets hard, that’s when you’ll get your best ideas.
It doesn’t matter if half the things on that list are rubbish. It’s a starting point that leads to something different. And you can edit it before you hit publish.
Got some good ideas?
If this helps you create some stonking ideas, please do let me know as I’d love to hear them. That’s the great thing about having an idea breakthrough - it makes you excited again and you have to tell someone straight away.
Got a launch coming up?
It can be a right old pain trying to launch a product while writing a sales page, sales emails and all that supporting content. In fact, all this launch material can seriously hold up getting your latest product or service out there.
This is why I’ve put together the Kick-Ass Sales Page Bundle so all you need to do is turn up and sell. Check it out here.
Right, I’m off to sort out next week’s podcast and newsletter while not losing the plot about my to-do list this week.
See you next Thursday,
Fiona