Structure: A Micro Example

While I’m not a large corporation, I’ve learned that creating content requires structure – structure I didn’t realize I needed when I started writing.

Over time, I’ve created a process (supported by tools) for harvesting and developing ideas into posts.

When I follow it, I have a steady stream of ideas and my only challenge is finding the time to fully develop and publish them.

When I don’t follow my process I still get some great ideas but I often lose track of them, write about them even though they aren’t “right” for this venue, or publish them before they’re ready.

Those ideas tend to “flop”, inspiring no comments, no emails, and no links to other conversations, much more often than ideas that go through the process.

My process is extremely flexible. Some ideas push through in an hour and some take weeks or months depending upon how I choose to develop them.

The process itself has changed over time as I’ve learned, altered my perspective, or experienced significant time constraints.

But the biggest benefit of this publishing process is that it’s gotten me through the times when I’ve had no new ideas. I was able to reach into my files and get inspired.

The point: Process and structure when applied appropriately can help you get things done – even creative things.

Comments

[ann michael]

Liz - Thanks for the comment. Knowing your incredible sense of irony (and humor) I get the feeling you commented so that this post would not, by my included definition, be a flop! You're funny! -- a

[Liz Strauss]

You are so right and you picked such a right time to write about this. Creativity works even better when we give it a place to grow. :)