What is your creativity key? 05/25/2010
What does it take for you to be inspired to create? How do you unleash your creative muse? This is one of the most important things to know if you are a writer, presenter, or even an artist. For me, if I can find a humorous angle, an outlandish image, or a wacky quote that relates to my topic, the full presentation will unfold in a flash. It's really kind of a formula for me - I dig through the subject matter from sales tax to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) until I find something that makes me laugh. If I can laugh about the topic, I can always find a way to relate the subject to my audience. And I won't get bored doing the research. This doesn't mean my entire presentation is going to be a Monty Python spectacle , but rather, humor is the key that gets my creative juices flowing. It's that juice that I need in order to create. By knowing my secret, I am able to write articles, whitepapers, presentations, and blog posts. I can't always predict the moment that my funny bone will fire; sometimes it is caused by a totally random outside association. Other times it strikes when I am reading through pages of black and white text. Who knew for example, that the Health Care Reform bill would include a provision that imposed a new tax on indoor Tanning Salons. We're talking about 2,559 pages of boring stuff relating to health care reform, filing requirements, etc. But right there in the middle of all that was this tanning salon thing. Where did that come from? There was my angle. Picture hoards of angry tan people wearing those funny little glasses and smelling of coconut oil rising up from those lighted coffin thingies in protest of the tax hike. If you look hard enough at any subject, you can usually find some element of the absurd. What is your key? Are there trigger words or phrases that work for you? Are you inspired by rebellion, by cute and cuddly, by the triumph of the human spirit? Do you loathe chaos, get mad at the rule breakers, love great design? Spend some time thinking about that before your next presentation. And watch out for angry tan people. 1 Comment |  Geni Whitehouse
Countess of Communication Brotemarkle,Davis and Co. LLP Author of How to Make a Boring Subject Interesting : 52 ways even a nerd can be heard I am an accountant on a mission. I want to permanently remove the blight of BORING that has attached itself to members of my profession. But the boring blight doesn't stop there. It's everywhere. I've found it in wineries (although it's a tad more palatable when served with alcohol), in science labs, even in Art museums. And technology people carry the "B" gene too. But the condition need not be fatal. I work with CPAs through my strategic partner, Mentor Plus, an organization that has been providing CPAs with the skills their clients crave for more than 19 years. I lecture around the country to accountants and technology audiences and I have a ball. I was a partner in an Atlanta CPA firm when I realized technology was my true passion and I have been fighting the nerd versus geek battle ever since. And through some stroke of absolutely amazing luck, I now find myself in Napa -- the most gorgeous, hospitable place imaginable. Are you on Twitter? You can follow my nerdy life there : evenanerd Contact me geni@evenanerd.com I am a graduate of the Jeff Justice Comedy Workshoppe and the Persuasive Speaker course taught by Speechworks. I highly recommend both of these organizations. I am not unbiased, nor do I wish to be. I have done work for anyone and everyone in the software industry or the accounting profession. But if I am not impressed by what you do or can't find an angle that is interesting or unique, I won't work for or with you. And if you are stodgy or boring, there are not enough dollars or even euros to make me help you. See samples of my writing here: www.salestaxradar.com www.mybizcounts.com  ArchivesJanuary 2012 CategoriesAll Other websites you might enjoy: |
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