Creating Attention-Grabbing Headlines Shouldn’t Be This Hard…and it’s not when you do these 4 steps
How-to juice creativity while it’s flowing in the world around you
Oh, my Gob…enough! If you are a creative and your juice isn’t flowing like you know it can, you’ve likely stomped your foot, let out a few choice words, prayed to the heavens, ran to your favorite spot for inspiration, and begged and pleaded with your inner-being to release that almighty artistic endowment from its stronghold. Still…nothing. Imagine how much pressure is on artists to always be on…be in a regular groove…steadily produce new beats and effects and words that move the masses.
So, what is there to do when nothing moves that Creative anymore? Well, honestly, you can not always be at peak performance. We all tumble through a valley every once in a while…those experience make for great stories some times too. But really, planning is priceless here. How do you prepare for a dry spell when the creativity that people know you for is waning? Or better yet, how can you meet a creative demand in a moment’s notice?
Keep reading to find out…especially if you’re zone of creativity is Writing.
Recently while attending a jury duty selection process, I learned a tough lesson…too many in the world around us don’t consume news or read magazines or e-books with high-quality, high value content. It was a gut-punch, to say the least. Why? Because I write headlines. Look, I get the high and necessity for voice and video; I really do. I rely on them too. However, I must confess, that I love a reader. I dig readers…so seeing that my temporary colleagues could not provide the energy source that I need to recharge my creative battery, I temporarily zonked out. Thank goodness, I keep a supply of creative writing on-stand by for lean times such as those.
An hour of planning can save you 10 hours of doing. ~ Dale Carnegie
Here are three tips to juice as much creativity while you’re in the flow:
- Take the reigns off of your brain
What happen to the days when we had childlike imagination. We believed in Willy Wonka and that amazing chocolate factory…and life was good. We saw ourselves as Charlie…or were you an Oompa-Loompa?
Write without boundaries. Doodle and delight in what you are creating. Freestyle your flow using your pure imagination. If you’ve forgotten how to imagine, ask a preschooler or kindergartener…they are masters at it.
As often as you do it, write as if its not for sale, but for self. ~ Tisha Hammond
2. Discover your wonderland and go there often
Johnny Depp is making lots of headlines lately. What I choose to dwell on though is the quote from his character, The Mad Hatter, in the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ movie franchise. Remember the time when Alice returned to Wonderland, she was told outright by The Mad Hatter that she’d lost her muchness? Essentially, she had lost her beloved courage and bravery to be the hero that Wonderland needed.
When I say Wonderland, I’m not referring to a place that you run to for inspiration. I’m suggesting that your wonderland is where you deposit your writings most often, and most productively.
Not gonna lie… I appreciate some new-found time by writing on a digital platform first. If you flow best using pen and paper…do it more. If you are in the awkward phase of loving pen and paper, but needing to preserve your precious time by creating digital notes the first time around…then, I’m praying with and for you. Initially, intentionally writing on digital platforms before reaching for my favorite pen and scratch pad, zapped a bit of my “muchness” as The Mad Hatter says.
If that’s you too, allow yourself a few years to transition from paper to keyboard so as to disrupt your creative flow as little as possible. Hopefully, there a mad-hatter-type reminder while your using your wildest imagination to flow freely. Look, whether you capture your words, lyrics ,or stanzas with pen, keys and strokes, or voice-to-text software, there’s no shame in the game. And, truth be told, some of your favorite writers, probably use people to dictate and clean up around the edges of your favorite literature. It’s all good…they’ve found their wonderland. Now you need a depository all of your own. Go find yours and go create for as long as possible there. When the dry spell comes, make a withdrawal from your wonderland and your audience will have a flowing supply of your good works.
3. Preserve your energy to prevent writer’s blockages
You get to define success on your own terms. Set a writing goal. When the goal seems a million miles away and when detours come to clog your mind, remember that you are in a race all to yourself. With all of the opportunities out here to earn media attention for yourself and your clients (if you’re a writer-for-hire), you really don’t have to compete for spotlight as a writer. That is to say, what’s the rush to push out poor quality writing. Trust that your pace will determine how long you stay in the race. Value over volume, if you ask me.
And if it you must pause from writing page-turners and attention-grabbing headlines, it’s okay to rest from the thing that you love. Writing can become a love-hate battle…only if you give energy to that mindset. Even the CREATOR rested from His work on the 7th day…we can too.
4. Get help before you need it
Creativity allows room for curation and support. Since a headline is essentially your whole story in one sentence, it may take some time to develop the knack for those quips. Meanwhile, it is perfectly okay to get some creative assistance to attract readers to your blogs, emails, articles, and such.
Attention-grabbing software tools and real Creative Writing experts, like the team at AscentMediaPro.net, can help you generate head-turning phrases that incorporate the element of surprise, curiosity, and more of what your readers demand.
Successful people do what unsuccessful people refuse to. That’s why Ascent Media Production (AMP) Network offers creative products, influential media promotion services, and relationships that help you show up out front and in the news.
Cheers,
President and Editor-in-Chief, AscentMediaPro.net
