When You Get Good Advice, Take It!

I've been friends with 'Z' for a long time - since we were 18 years old, in fact, and freshmen in college.

'Z' is short for 'Z. Allora' which is actually the pseudonym under which she writes. Because this is a family-friendly blog, I won't go into any detail about what she writes (Google her and see for yourself), but she's very good at it and has a lot more experience with managing an online presence than I do. So, in my quest to improve my own online presence, starting with this blog, I asked her to check it out and offer some advice.


A few of the tidbits she offered up (in no particular order):

1. Write regularly. Make a writing schedule and stick to it.
I set aside a 1-hour block of time every Tuesday night to write. Even if it's not ready to publish, I'll at least work on it. Having done that, I promptly missed my very first writing session this past Tuesday. Well, I can only improve!

2. Put up a real picture of myself, not a caricature.
I haven't done this yet, but I will. I guess. I can't imagine people want to see the real me, but Z is smarter than I am, so I'll trust her on this.

3. Tag/label your posts.
I hadn't done this - never even thought about it. I went back and tagged my last few posts. Eventually, people may start running across my stuff when they search.

4. Better Titles.
I struggle with this. Coming up with a title that's both succinct and invites people to read the entry is an art form unto itself, I think. She also suggested that if the title is a bit vague (A Glowing Display! is the example she used) then put a picture right under it to grab the attention. Great idea! I added a picture right under the title for that post, and will definitely keep it in mind in the future.

5. Blog Description
I had a long blurb about what my blog is about, almost like a mission statement. I shortened it up a bit, made it a bit less stuffy and formal (I hope!). I need to ask her what she thinks about it....

Thank You, Z, for your good advice! I'm sure my blog will be better for it - now I just need to write, write, write!

The Good Creative: 18 ways to make better art

I just finished reading the book, "The Good Creative: 18 ways to make better art," by Paul Jarvis. I downloaded it for my Kindle from Amazon, and it was a very quick read, only a couple of hours. It was worth every second!

I originally downloaded it for my teenage daughter, who's very artistic but doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence in her work. I read it myself first, and instantly became a fan of Paul Jarvis. His writing is so down-to-earth that reading his book is like sitting down and talking to a friend. His tips seem so right, so reasonable, so obvious that you have to wonder why no one ever wrote this stuff down before. And it's not just a testament to his own success or brilliance, like so many other self-help books out there. It's not a sales pitch, either. More than anything else, it's just a collection of tips/habits/attitudes that have worked for him (and others) in his work. Your mileage may vary, and he tells you so right up front.

In real life, I'm an engineer. I'm a creative guy, a problem solver by nature. I also have an artistic side, leaning towards Steampunk-inspired gadgetry. I've done work for various Steampunk artists before, mostly enabling technologies that add some pizzazz to their work, but never felt that my own work was worth putting out there. This book has made me re-think that notion. And hey, I might be wrong, but I'm all jazzed up and I'm going to go for it anyway. And in the meantime, I'm going to download some of his other books....

Check it out at Amazon.com