Creative Instigation

Creative Shout Out: Leslie!

2012-01-31T11:10:00.000-06:00

Take a look at this! Shutter Sisters -- a really cool site that deserves its fame -- features a photo taken by Leslie, one of the original members of the Creative Instigation team. Yay for Leslie!

There's some Woody Allen movie where he says he lerves something, because love isn't a strong enough word. I lerve Leslie's photo and I'm so proud of her for submitting it. That's one of the biggest steps of all, people. It's one thing to do amazing work. It's something else to have enough faith in yourself to send it out into the world.

The photo is also part of this great video. Enjoy! And please join me in congratulating Leslie!

(I'm including a photo of the amazing Leslie here. To see her featured photo on Shutter Sisters, click on the link.)

5 Creativity Tips from Betty White

2012-01-19T08:20:00.000-06:00

If you saw even a bit of the 90th birthday celebration for Betty White, you undoubtedly enjoyed the outpouring of affection for this entertainment icon. I came away from the show amazed at the lessons to be learned just by watching this woman in action. Here are my top 5:

Be grateful. Attitude impacts everything, from creativity to health. We all go through different ages and stages of life. Find the joy where you are.
Don't take yourself too seriously. It's not brain surgery. I've said it before. I'll say it again.
Find work you love. Take it seriously. Do your best.
Give back. Betty White and I share a love for animals. Whatever you love, choose a cause and speak out with words or actions. You'll gain as much as the people, pets, whatever you are helping. I always come back from a volunteer stint at the animal shelter energized and ready to go.
Surround yourself with friends.Whether we're in a creative slump or looking to celebrate a wonderful accomplishment, everything is better when we have friends who support us, encourage us, and applaud us.

Thank you for being a friend!

P.S. If you missed the show, go to YouTube and look it up. I especially like the clip with the President.

Creativity Tips: One Little Word

2012-01-16T04:22:00.001-06:00

It's a new week! And I have something fun to share -- a post I found via Twitter, which remains my least favorite and most useful social media outlet.

Katherine Sokolowski posts on Read, Write, Reflect and I think you'll enjoy her blog -- it's geared toward teaching, but there's plenty to interest those of us who don't have the courage or smarts to face a classroom of fifth-graders every day. Katherine started the year with a post about choosing One Little Word. While the initial idea focused on New Year's Resolutions, we can adapt it for One Little Week. This week.

My word for this week is ORDER. Now, that could mean I'm going to order people around. Or, it could mean I'm going to bring order to my office and house. OR, it could mean I'm going to order Chinese take-out tonight. I'm not telling. But I am liking the word.

And, yes, Katherine Sokolowski and Jan Sokoloff have to be long-lost cousins. (Who would know? When my grandfather got off the boat, immigration officials asked him if he wanted to spell his name the old, Russian way -- Sokolov -- or the new, American way. He chose American. And that's your spelling story for the day ... )

Show and Kvell: Bud Simpson

2012-01-10T21:54:00.000-06:00

New year, new look to Bud Simpson's Journal of Image Engineering. The photographs are amazing, of course. But don't just look. Read. His writing makes me jealous. I love writing that makes me jealous -- it inspires me to write better.*

If you haven't clicked on the link yet, let me give you all the encouragement you need -- the start of Bud's bio:

My name is Bud Simpson. No one is actually named Bud, but my parents were a bit guilty about naming me Orville, and began calling me Bud from my very first day on the planet.

If we had been able to tap into the kind of computing power we have today back when I was sixteen, my old friend Steve and I would just now be getting out of prison. I am not an expert on most things technological, but rather a high-functioning user. How it works is way less important than how I can use it to my advantage. Everything is a tool.

Sigh. Such talent. What else could I do? I had to Show and Kvell!

*Yes. This is a competitive response. I can turn anything into a competition. It's an issue. Thank you for noticing.

Words Matter: Broken Home

2012-01-10T12:02:00.000-06:00

You may not know this, but I come from a broken home. That's right. My folks were divorced. They had a troubled marriage.

Given that, this brief essay by my buddy Lucinda Ellison Lu hit home. As you read it, remember: Words hurt, words heal, words matter.

Here's Lucinda's take:

As a divorced woman, I have often come across phrases that really bug me. There are all kinds of ways to describe a divorce, or divorced people, or children whose parents are divorced. My least favorite phrase is: broken home. As in, “He comes from a broken home.”

So if the home is broken, that would imply that somehow it can be fixed. Can’t you just find a handyman in the yellow pages who specializes in fixing broken homes? And if that’s true, I am definitely in the wrong business. With what appears to be a recent spike in the number of divorces in my community, those guys should be doing a lot of business. My home’s not the only that’s “broken.”

If I go a step further, what about those homes where the marriage isn’t happy? What about those couples who choose to stay together and limp along with a troubled marriage? Would you call their homes “repair challenged?”

Troubled marriage – now there’s another one. Just what did the marriage do to get into trouble anyway?

Just sayin’ …

Thanks to Lucinda for today's guest essay!

Is there a word or phrase that particularly bothers you? Let me know. Maybe we'll rant about it.

Best Line of the Week

2012-01-08T11:23:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, Mary and I enjoyed a dress rehearsal/performance by the Olathe South Golden Girls. Right before one dance, the coach stopped the team, talked to the girls quietly and sent them back to the dressing room.

She then turned to those of us gathered and said, "I apologize for the delay, but this was a teachable moment. Mistakes are easy to fix. Habits are hard to break."

I don't know what the mistake was -- I think it had something to do with their hair/makeup. But I do know that's a perfect line, totally related to creativity and so many other aspects of our lives.

Mistakes are easy to fix.

Habits are hard to break.

Hey, graphic wonders! Make that into a poster and send it to me. I'll share it with the team.

Creativity Tips: Get Excited

2012-01-02T18:15:00.000-06:00

There are two ways to approach 2012:

It's a NEW YEAR!
or
Whoa. Time flies. Another year gone ...

As you know, when given a choice, I choose the exclamation mark. This year, I'm exclaiming about a new website/blog/dealie-bob I'm working on. It may replace the CI blog, or may just be another venue for expressing my view of the world. Or changing the world. I can't reveal any details yet and it may not be ready for a long time. But just working on it makes my brain happy. I can noodle on ideas while I drive. My creative synapses are smiling.

In turn, everything I touch is better, from the new site, to client projects, to family dinners. Heck, I even redid the look of the CI blog. (Let me know what you think. I wanted something different, and wanted to use Leslie's great photos in the masthead.)

What about you?
What are you excited about this year? If you're not exclaiming about something, there's no better time than today. Not sure how to start? Let me tell you how I got my mojo back: I spent time with Bud and Kathi. That's right. I went for the fabulous friend fix.

You may not have Bud and Kathi in your back pocket, but I'm guessing you have someone. Talk to your friends, your family. Scope out old posts on the CI blog. Ask yourself what really, really makes you happy -- what makes you hop out of bed in the morning eager to get going. Then, begin.

It really is as simple as that.

P.S. I was just following my own advice and looking through some old posts. Found this, from the same time last year. I am happy to report that the Energizer Bunny now exercises regularly, takes her vitamins daily, and just finished a great book and is ready to pick up another. There's hope.

A Creativity Query and Exercise

2011-11-27T11:40:00.000-06:00

As we move toward the wrap-up of 2011, it's a great time to think back. What did you learn this year? And, if you like to make New Year's resolutions, how would you apply that learning to 2012?

This has been a year of tremendous change and learning for me. For example, I discovered:

The empty nest event was far more traumatic than I expected and I am truly grateful for the friends who understood and supported me through that. I will always be happiest when the family is together, but I have stopped wandering the house aimlessly when I'm here by myself.
Thinking of exercise as part of my daily ritual changes everything. I don't have to resolve to say a prayer when I wake up or brush my teeth; I do both automatically. Now, I don't have to resolve to exercise. I don't even have to go to the gym -- I exercise when I walk by standing straight and engaging muscles I used to ignore.
The iPad is the greatest invention of all time.
I am still not a great judge of character. I assume everyone is good and my friend. Oddly enough, they're not. Fortunately, I have wonderful friends who kindly point out when I'm being blindsided -- and I have learned to listen. This is huge: I used to assume the other people just didn't understand. Now, I realize I'm the one who often doesn't get it.
I don't need everyone to be my friend. Whoa. I no longer need unending validation.
I love basmati rice. I created a recipe with it that I'll share one of these days. Never used to think I could make up recipes -- just follow them. You never know what you can do until you try.
Schedule and environment shape my creativity. When a long-term client asked me to empty out my cubicle and stop coming in to the office on a daily basis, it took quite a while for me to work through the related change in my writing approach. I feed off people, interaction. I listen to hallway conversations and grab words for copy. And environment matters. I can't work in ugly.

I could go on, but ... enough about me. What about you? What have you learned this year? And how could that relate to a resolution? To help get your creative juices flowing, consider this:

How do you define yourself? If you had only one word to use, what would it be? Now, how would you like to define yourself?

My word is strong. Isn't that amazing? Never would have been my word before. In 2012, I'm resolved to strengthen myself, my relationships and my creativity.

And now that I have that settled, I'm going to enjoy the rest of 2011! I hope you do too.

Stormy Jackson and Windhorse Tattoo

2011-11-08T04:22:00.005-06:00

When you think of a tattoo artist, what image pops into your head? Let's say it's a guy. Is he smart and articulate? Kind? Friendly? Approachable?

Is his studio sparkling clean, sunny and filled with fabulous artwork?

My image of a tattoo artist and his studio changed dramatically when I went with Kate* to watch her shoot this video of Stormy Jackson at Windhorse Tattoo in Kansas City's Crossroads District. It's a quick watch, great video, wonderful audio. And a solid reminder that, realize it or not, we all have prejudices tattooed across our minds.

*Yes. I do have the most talented children in the universe. Thank you. Kate did this as part of her internship at T2+Back Alley Films.

Creativity Tips: Say NO in November

2011-11-06T12:34:00.000-06:00

NO.

I planned to post this on Nov. 1 to kick off the month. But, as time approached, that started to feel like a self-imposed, needless deadline during a very busy week. So I followed my own advice. I began November by saying NO to myself.

Say NO in November is my annual campaign to reclaim the holiday season and whatever remains of my sanity every year. It's very simple. I say NO whenever I receive a request that would add more stress than joy to my life.

Let me make this perfectly clear: Stress doesn't mean it's a negative event I'm rejecting. This past week, I said NO to leading worship on Saturday morning at the synagogue. Leading worship certainly gives me joy -- but I have to prepare. I have to review. I get nervous beforehand.

I refuse to make time for all that right now. I simply want to enjoy November and December. So I said NO.

Stress, as I'm defining it, could be related to time, people, effort, energy. It could be spacial stress -- the event is on the other side of town. It could be psychic stress -- you're not sure about the expectations tied to the request. It could be family stress -- you really, really, really don't want to spend 30 more minutes in the same room with that particular cousin.

Whatever it is, formalizing your approach makes it simple to say NO. You don't have to come up with any excuse. You don't have to feel guilty. You are part of the Say NO in November campaign.

In my experience, it's best to make your participation in the campaign known ahead of time. That not only fends off requests, but makes it incredibly easy to reject them. People are prepared for the NO. If you're blindsided, use the official campaign response. Come on, practice it with me:

"Thank you so much! I appreciate the (offer/invite/whatever). However, I've joined the Say NO in November campaign. So, thanks again, but NO."

Like this idea? Stick around. You're gonna love DECLINE in December.

Last-Minute Halloween Treats!

2011-10-31T04:22:00.003-05:00

When the girls were little, we watched a lot of Barney. A LOT OF BARNEY. The "I love you, you love me" song still pops unbidden into my head every once in a while. Talk about being haunted ...

But preschoolers these days are apparently tuning in to Pocoyo. I don't know Pocoyo from Popeye, but the little guy's PR person sent me a link with some fun last-minute Halloween ideas. Enjoy!

I (Still) Do

2011-10-27T04:22:00.008-05:00

As the rabbi said before you broke the glass,

"If anything must be broken, let it be this glass --
not your vows and not your hearts."

Happy 26th anniversary, Tom!

Creativity Exercise: A Fabulous Photograph

2011-10-26T04:22:00.035-05:00

For today's creativity exercise, you don't have to get out a clean sheet of paper. You don't have to email me the answer. All you have to do is answer this question -- in the comments or in your head: Why do I love this photograph? (I as in me. Jan. Not I as in you. Fred. Or whoever.)

Go ahead. Answer. I'll wait. La de da de da de da. Doodle doo ... it's a lovely day today, and whatever you've got to do, you've got a lovely day to do it in, it's true ....

OK, got the answer? See if it matches any of mine. I love this photograph because:

It reminds me of the fabulous time I had with Tom and our friends at the World War I museum in KC, including our trip to the top of the Liberty Memorial -- a vantage point that gives you this view.
It is a photo of my hometown and I really like KC.
It includes the old (Union Station) and the new (Kauffman Performing Arts Center).
It's black and white. Isn't it lovely that a few things in the world really are black and white?

But the real reason I love this photo? Drum roll, please:

Because I took it.

Does that sound insanely egotistical to you? Guess what? I don't care.

I realize my stance on creative pride places me in the oddball category, a drawer I've been in before. But I bring this up for a reason: Lately, I've run into several depressing examples of amazingly talented people massively minimizing their accomplishments. We're not talking about healthy humility here. We're talking about people who clearly feel unworthy of praise and admiration.

If you ever feel that way, consider my perspective: Diminishing my talents doesn't boost anyone else. Downplaying my accomplishments doesn't make anyone else more skilled. On the other hand, if I stand up and say: Look at me! Look at this! It's so cool -- and I took it with a phone! I implicity give others permission to do the same. To celebrate their own wonderfulness.

So here's the view I really want to share: You're amazing. I know it. And I want you to enjoy it.

Creativity Tips: 10 Instant Mentoring Tips

2011-10-06T04:22:00.038-05:00

How's your filing system? Can you find something when you need it -- so you don't have to recreate the wheel? My filing system -- electronic and physical -- ain't great. But, I'm delighted to report that I quickly found an Instant Mentoring tip sheet that will come in handy for a meeting next week. Since I found it, I'm going to share it. Enjoy!

1. Remember what your mother said.
Say "please." Say "thank you." Keep your promises. Keep your hands to yourself. Courteous, kind colleagues are highly valued – and far too rare in today’s stress-for-success business world. Good manners won’t slow you down on the way to the top. It only takes a minute to hold an elevator, send a birthday card or pause for the answer when you ask, "How are you?" Over the course of a career, those minutes will be time well spent. Trust me on this: I’m a mother.

2. Read what you don’t need.
If you always read the trades and the business pubs, congratulations. Now, take it up a notch. Look through a magazine that’s completely outside your industry. Enjoy Robert Frost poetry online – you can even find places where he reads it to you. Give your creativity the juice with Dr. Seuss. Expand your literary horizons, and oh, the places you’ll go …

3. Appreciate the administrative staff.

Make no doubt about it. These are the people who really know how to get things done. They'll get you in to see the boss and get you out of trouble. Lord knows, they've pulled me off the ledge more than once.

4. Everyone needs a little sweets.

My grandmother said it and she was right. Oh, I know. Everyone is on the Atkins diet, or the South Beach diet, or the "I’ll just have the salad with the dressing on the side" diet. Truth is, most people really want that $7 cheesecake with the ripple of fudge and the mound of whipped cream. At least, they’d like a nibble. So, if you’re buying, buy dessert. Tell them it’s a rule: You always have dessert if it’s a business meal. And they don’t have to clean the plate.

5. Three is magic.

"I love you." "Lights, camera, action!" "On your mark, get set, go!" Series of threes work, in everything from copywriting to design. Try it the next time you write a speech or a column: Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them. Think it doesn’t matter? Just do it.

6. Trust yourself.
If your guts tell you something is wrong, listen.

7. Realize that you are replaceable.

Now, most people will tell you that you’re replaceable at work … but not at home. It’s a lovely concept, but look around. Check out the ever-climbing divorce rate. Consider how many parents see their kids every other weekend. Then, decide what you really value, and make sure your actions reflect your priorities. And, when it comes to being replaced at work, remember: It’s a lot easier for the boss to promote you if your replacement is trained and ready to go.

8. Know when to go.

As James Taylor says, "Time may be money, but your money won’t buy time." No matter how long it is, life is too short – way too short to spend the majority of your waking hours someplace you don’t enjoy. If you’re not having fun at work, find something else to do or somewhere else to do it. Yes, I know. That’s easier said than done. But you tell me: How easy is it to get up every morning and go to a job you hate?

9. It’s not brain surgery.
God love 'em, I don’t know what neurosurgeons say. But most jobs are not brain surgery. (Many don’t even appear to require much grey matter.) Remember, your mistakes aren’t life and death issues – even if they feel like it at the time. Take responsibility, fix what you can, learn what you should, and move on.

10. Forget what your mother said.
There is such a thing as a stupid question. You don’t have to wait to be invited. And if you don’t have anything nice to say, call me. We’ll do lunch.

Applause! Keepsake Portraits by Fran

2011-09-30T04:22:00.001-05:00

Is that gorgeous? Now, take a look at this:

I just want to reach into the computer and pet them both. These beautiful pups are helping me launch a new feature on the CI blog: Applause! It's the perfect way for me to introduce my amazing, good, creative friends to my other amazing, good, creative friends ...

Fran from Keepsake Portraits agreed to answer a few questions as my Applause! guinea pig. (Hey, she draws pets. Give me a break here!)

You built a career as a graphic designer at Hallmark and then began doing the portraits after you retired. When -- or how -- did you know that you were an artist and that your art was more than a hobby?
From the time that I was a very young child I loved to draw. My mom and dad owned a clothing store in St. Louis and I would sit in the back room and draw on the white cardboard that was taken out of the men's dress shirts. Anything I could find became my canvas. By junior high I began winning awards in fairs and through school activities. Of course, that pushed me to believe in myself and think seriously about art as a career by high school.

When people tell you -- and I know they do -- "I can't draw anything -- not even a straight line!", what do you say to them?

When people discuss my paintings and say, "I can't draw a stick figure, you're amazing!", I always remind them that there are many things I do very poorly. Especially math! That was truly a struggle in school. My talent just happens to be more visual. Thank goodness my husband does the bills!

Why do you like drawing pets?

When I early retired, after 23 years, from Hallmark as a Graphic Designer I decided to get a dog. Always wanted a pet, but did not want one until I had more free time. Once our Golden Retriever, "Sadie" became a part of our lives, I started sketching her and received interest from friends and family who wanted me to draw their pets. The more I created the more I realized I could turn this into a small business. This became the beginning of "Keepsake Portraits by Fran."

I have now completed over 300 portraits and am fulfilling my passion for art daily. What a blessing! I also love going to people's homes, if they do not have a favorite snapshot of their pet, and photograph them and get to know their personality(s). This is part of the fee because it is important for me to get exactly what the client wants. I also have begun painting people as well. Love doing both, and as you see in my sample below, many times pets and people together.

I love the way Fran talks about drawing on the white cardboard, turning anything she could find into a canvas. Art is where we find it.

Holiday Shopping Tip! If you'd like a portrait by Fran as a holiday gift, now is the time to commission it. Take a look at her gorgeous portfolio and click on the "email me" button at the bottom of the page if you're interested. Or, here's an idea: Send that link to someone else and suggest they commission a portrait for you!

Creative Query: What's Your Gonzo Wrap?

2011-09-27T19:02:00.000-05:00

A hail storm that hit our area this summer damaged the siding we had installed on the house years ago. Today, a crew of three men from the siding company showed up, walked around to the back of the house, looked at the siding and immediately said,

"That's a Gonzo wrap."

Gonzo was the installer who put the siding on. He was an interesting dude -- a stoner look, ponytail, skinny, solid muscles. Smoked a lot of cigarettes, if memory serves me right. He generally worked alone and he worked when he felt like it. We never knew when he'd show up. The job should have taken, maybe, a week. It took a month or more.

The thing is ... we didn't care. Because Gonzo was great. He was fun to talk with on the days he did show up and he loved his work. He took pride in every part of the job. The effort clearly paid off -- years after he put the siding on, workers who had never seen the house before knew without question that Gonzo was the installer.

So, here's my question for you: What's your Gonzo wrap? If we took the name off the writing, the photography, the baking, the strategy, the plumbing, the siding ... would anyone know it was yours?

Think about it. Figure it out. Embrace your inner Gonzo.

Good Ads: Marriage in Norway

2011-09-22T04:22:00.036-05:00

I have a new fondness for commercials from the Nordic region. Part of this is my growing business clientele in Denmark. (Oh yeah, baby! Sokoloff Harness Communications LLC is international now! Show some respect.)

Part of it is my love for anything that makes me laugh out loud. This ad did the trick. Enjoy -- it's a creative idea beautifully executed. And you know how I feel about the star ...

Some people are lucky in life. For the rest of us, saving can be smart.

Creativity Tips: Appreciate Every Word

2011-09-14T04:22:00.001-05:00

Many of the wonderful readers who still subscribe to Creative Instigation are my personal friends, and have inquired re: how I'm dealing with the empty nest. For them -- and for all of you who are kind enough to visit -- this weekend, the nest felt better. Why? Because I was finally able to put my feelings into words. As I posted on Facebook:

I'm really, really homesick.

Homesick! That's it, exactly. As a writer, finding the right word was incredibly helpful.

And that wasn't the only weekend example of the importance of each and every word. While making an outline for a talk about my faith journey, I wrote, "I attend Beth Torah." Then, automatically, I crossed that out and wrote, "I belong to Beth Torah."

There's a huge difference between attending and belonging. I know. I attended the synagogue of my youth. I never belonged there.

Words matter. Today, appreciate every word. Choose yours thoughtfully and with care. Words shape our relationships, frame our beliefs. They matter, whether you're a writer or not.

P.S. I wrote this post on 9/11, and noticed when I signed on that this is post number 911 on the CI blog. Weird. And, speaking of 9/11, if you have a chance to see the documentary, Voices from Inside the Towers, I strongly recommend it. There's a mother interviewed who is so strong, so smart. And when she talks about hearing the news that her beloved son had died, her words are heartbreakingly perfect.

Creativity Tips: Carpe Something

2011-09-12T04:22:00.010-05:00

I was looking for the perfect image for this fabulously motivational Monday post ... my intent being to urge you to start the week off strong. Do more than Carpe Diem. Carpe the Whole Dang Week.

But then I found this, on Cafe Press.

And I decided to let you carpe whatever you want.

Whenever you want.

Happy Monday!

Happy Beginnings

2011-09-05T14:28:00.000-05:00

You know what's better than happy endings?

Happy beginnings.

For those of you who have followed the blog a long time, my niece Amber remains cancer free and she is now OFFICIALLY my niece. Amber and my nephew Cary celebrated their wedding Saturday, Sept. 3. Amber described the evening as "magical" and it's the perfect word. It was enchanting. So much love and happiness in one room.

Amber and Cary gave me the honor of reading a poem by James Kavanaugh at the wedding. It's a lovely piece, so I'll share it here. Thanks to all of you who sent good thoughts and prayers to Amber and Cary as they triumphed over cancer. Now, please join me in wishing two of my favorite people a long, healthy, happy life together!

To love is not to possess,

To own or imprison,
Nor to lose one's self in another.
Love is to join and separate,
To walk alone and together,
To find a laughing freedom
That lonely isolation does not permit.
It is finally to be able
To be who we really are
No longer clinging in childish dependency
Nor docilely living separate lives in silence,
It is to be perfectly one's self
And perfectly joined in permanent commitment
To another--and to one's inner self.
Love only endures when it moves like waves,
Receding and returning gently or passionately,
Or moving lovingly like the tide
In the moon's own predictable harmony,
Because finally, despite a child's scars
Or an adult's deepest wounds,
They are openly free to be
Who they really are--and always secretly were,
In the very core of their being
Where true and lasting love can alone abide.

Creativity Answer: What's wrong? What's not?!?!

2011-09-01T11:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I posed a "What's wrong with this sentence" exercise re: the line heard on NPR coverage of Hurricane Irene:

"There was only one death in the area, but extensive damage was reported."

Thanks to everyone who posted or emailed an answer -- you were all right on the money. Here's a (possibly incomplete) list of what's wrong with that sentence:

As Bernie said, "It would appear that there was extensive damage to the person who died." Several others noted this too. In my opinion, the biggest mistake in this sentence is one that we read/hear all too often: The death of a single person is minimized.

American journalists also have a nasty tendency to dismiss the deaths of people who aren't U.S. citizens: "No Americans died in the plane crash that killed 30 people." Well, all righty.

Obviously, the one death in this report mattered to the victim's family and loved ones. It should matter to all of us. Loss of respect for one life reflects a loss of respect for all life. And constructing this sentence with "only" and "but" places far too much importance on property rather than people.

As Jo pointed out, the sentence is incredibly passive. We're talking death, destruction and hurricanes. No active verbs came to mind?

The Big Rabbit made an interesting point: Placing the most important part of the sentence -- the death -- at the end could emphasize it. People remember endings. They're like the P.S. on a letter. That message sticks.

I could rewrite the sentence for you, but there's not ONE RIGHT WAY to do it. There is one right approach: Think, then write. This sentence is a classic example of literally thoughtless writing. We all do it at times. We all need to stop. To paraphrase my dad, "If it's worth writing, it's worth writing well."

Creativity Exercise: What's wrong with this sentence?

2011-08-31T07:54:00.000-05:00

During an NPR report on Hurricane Irene, the reporter said:

"There was only one death in the area, but extensive damage was reported."

Tell me what's wrong with that sentence. Post here or email me at jan@sokoloffharness.com. I'll share my answer tomorrow.

Creativity Tips: Writer's Block is NOT an Option

2011-08-30T04:22:00.003-05:00

I know you can't tell from my recent blogging activity, but I write every day. Every day.

Generally, I'm writing for clients. It's how I put the proverbial food on the table. Well, it's real food. But you know what I mean. Anyway, as a professional writer, I can't afford the luxury of writer's block. No write, no money. Bad combo.

Since writer's block is not an option, I rarely get it. (You get what you aim for -- I aim to write.)

Sunday, however, was one of those rare days. I couldn't string thoughts into words into sentences into paragraphs into money. So, you know what I did?

I GAVE UP.

That's right. After wasting three precious hours of my Sunday beating my head against the computer, I admitted defeat. I left the house and went to the grocery store, where I wandered aimlessly through the aisles, annoying middle-aged men in ugly shorts who clearly wanted to grab a can of baked beans, a package of weiners, a six-pack of beer and get the hell out of HyVee. I live in the suburbs. It's not pretty.

When I got home, I could write again.

There are times when the best thing we can do is realize we can't do anything. Accept it, and move on. That's a lesson I'm a long time learning ...

(If giving up doesn't work for you, check out Melanie's post on how to get out of a creative slump. Lots of great comments. Including mine. Hey! Did I ever say I was modest? No, I did not ...)

World's Best Poetry Reading

2011-08-28T08:09:00.000-05:00

OK, you people are falling down on the job. I mean, seriously. Why didn't anyone point me toward this clip of an adorable three-year-old boy reciting Litany by Billy Collins when it came out last year?

Ohmilord. One more reason to love poetry. And parents who read poetry to youngsters.

His inflection on some lines is absolute perfection ... especially at the end:

But don't worry, I am not the bread and the knife.

You are still the bread and the knife.

Your creativity assignment for the week: Memorize a poem. One more way to own it.

Creativity Tips: How to Write a Public Service Announcement (PSA)

2011-08-22T12:23:00.000-05:00

I was recently asked to write guidelines on How to Write a Public Service Announcement and it occurred to me that the info might be helpful to others. So, here you go! The tips are useful for all sorts of writing -- not just PSAs.

Write with your audience in mind.

Before you start writing, think about what your audience knows about the topic. Ask yourself: Why should the audience care about this? The answer will help you decide what to write.

Understand the reason for your PSA.

PSAs typically promote action. What action do you want the audience to take?

Start with a rough outline.
To write a good PSA, you need to know how you’re going to grab the listener’s attention at the start, what main point you want to make, and what the call for action is at the end. Sketch it out in a brief outline.

Use a format easy to read.

The standard PSA format is not the standard paragraph format. Set your left margin for 2 inches and double space the copy. It should look like this:

The standard PSA format is not the standard paragraph format. Set your left margin for 2 inches and double space the copy.

This format will make it easier for you to read the copy out loud. Your eyes don’t have to move all the way across the page and double-spacing makes it easier to see every word.

Talk directly to one person in your audience.

When you write for the ear rather than the eye, it’s important to speak directly to the person who is listening. Make it personal. Use the word “you” in the PSA. For example, “Do you drink milk? The calcium in milk helps you grow.”

Use the active voice.

PSAs sound better and are more effective when you use the active voice rather than the passive voice. Active voice uses active verbs – verbs that really do something! For example, “Make a smart decision. Exercise today!” The active voice delivers a much stronger message than this passive voice, “It is possible that exercising would be a smart decision.”

Keep your sentences short.

Short sentences are easier for you to read – they provide natural breaks for breathing. They are also easier for your audience to follow. If a sentence includes more than 10 words, look for ways to break it into two sentences. For example: “Does your sentence include more than 10 words? Break it into two sentences!”

Read it out loud.

See how it sounds. You will find things you need to change when you read it.