Collaboration, or Friends in Strange Places.

I mentioned collaboration briefly in the last post, but I wanted to get into it a little more today. The first thing I want to point out is that there is a ridiculous amount of talented people in the world. I'm sure you've noticed it too, no matter where you go you are bound to find someone who has an incredible knack for doing...whatever. I say seek these people out and find ways to help each other.

Find People Like You. The internet is a wonderful place to meet people with the same interests and tastes as you from all over the world. If you like to write short stories set in a Western themed cyberpunk dystopia then there are probably entire forums devoted to that genre. Finding people who share your taste in whatever you do is a great starting point to get feedback and critique because these are people who understand your genre as well as you do. This applies to music, movies, advertising, books, whatever.

Recognize that there are a lot of people who make good livings working just within these niche markets, but if you want to achieve something grander, remember you are going to have to bust out of these small pockets and say something big. However, these small pockets are great incubators for ideas you want to throw around.

Bounce ideas off of people, but more importantly, let other people bounce ideas off of you. One of the best ways to get better at something is to help other people with projects that are similar to yours. Primarily, you are going to hear some fantastic ideas which are going to inspire you. I can't tell you how many times I have been absolutely floored by some of the work my classmates have done. Some of the angles they have approached things at have been in ways that I would never have dreamed of. Sometimes if I'm stuck on something I just ask myself "What would John do?" and a new solution sometimes presents itself. It's not always the right one, but its one more idea then I had before. On the other side of the coin, you are going to see stuff you don't like. This is just as important because by (respectfully) offering opinions on how something can be improved, you better your own understanding of your craft. It is easier to recognize what is good than to figure out how to improve something that is bad, which is what makes it a valuable excercise.

Find People That Are Different Than You. I don't mean just people with different perspectives. Granted, its important to have a stockpile of random personalities close by if for no other reason than it makes life much more entertaing. But more importantly I say work with people who are in different fields than you. We get too wrapped up in our professions and hobbies that we don't look outside and realize that there are a lot of people with awesome ideas just doing different things than us. Talk to poets, songwriters, journalists, novelists, scientists, anthropologists, musicians, politicians, screenwriters...basically anyone who has something to say. Life is a beach, so bust out the metal detector and start looking for treasure. You'll find a lot of trash but there is gold in them there hills. Wow, I just mixed a metaphor with cliche and two seperate topographical features. I'm sorry, but you get my point.



On a completely different note, being an advertising guy, I went ahead and got Google AdSense. I used to think these sidebar ads were all just spam, but I promise they are legit. One was even for TAXI which is an awesome organization which I took part in for a year. My point is, if one looks intruiging to you, go ahead and click it, I promise it won't install any secret spyware or spam you with a thousand e-mails. They are real sites.

Thanks guys, I'll be seeing you Tuesday.

Writer's Block is Your Friend.

I think we've all been there: there you are cruising along on a project, kicking butt like Swayze in Roadhouse when BAM...you have no idea what comes next. What happened? You were doing so well! Now you can't think of the next word, let alone how to finish the accursed thing. Good news my friends, this is one of the best things that can happen to you.

The Cause: To effectively use writers block as a tool, we must get an idea of why you have it. There are usually one of two causes.

A) You do not understand your project as well as you thought you did. When it gets down to it, you have to know what you are writing inside and out. If its a story, you should understand every aspect of your characters, from their history to their quirks, to their preferences in music. If you are writing a song then you need to know what you are trying to say to people (because all good art is about communication) and then, more importantly, figure out why you are trying to say it. If its an ad, then you better know the brand better than the CEO and the audience better than their mothers. Bottom line: to thine own work be true.

B) There is not enough stuff in your brain. The creative mind thrives on, for lack of a better word, stuff. A smart person is hungry not just for knowledge, but for random, interesting, insignificant bits of information. The problem is people like to stick to what they know, and if you are never putting new stuff into your brain, than you can't expect to get anything new out of it. This is particularly true about the music industry. This is why we still get rap songs involving nothing but alcohol, women, and cars and country songs about nothing but alcohol, women, and trucks. Yes, I'm exaggerating but I think you see my point. Let's push some boundaries people.

The Solution: Fortunately, whether you fall victim to Cause A or Cause B, the solution is the same. Get away from your computer/desk/notepad and fill your brain with stuff. Use your own judgement as to what kind of stuff, but don't be afraid to go totally off the wall. The best ideas are ones that totally come from left field (why not right field? Just a thought). Don't just arbitrarily go and do something random just for the sake of doing it though. Catalogue what you see and learn, file it away, learn how it ticks. It is by understanding the world around us that we are able to pull all those chaotic bits together and make something that is unique and hopefully someone else wants to read.

Lastly, I have officially kept up with updates for a week. I was worried this was going to be one of those things I started but forgot all about, but who knows...looks like this might be a regular gig.

Same time(ish) Sunday.