reynoldswriting.com Blog

Not too long ago I got a call from one of my regular vendor partners, a firm that specializes in marketing strategies and campaigns for small businesses. The owner of the company was trying to come up with some fresh branding for one of her clients, but the combination of triple-digit Texas heat and her busy schedule had left her feeling the need for a creativity boost. Could I come in and brainstorm slogans and angles with her with an hour or two? Well, sure I could.

If you don’t have your own marketing firm or department to knock ideas around with, you too might find creative consultations a huge help. No, I’m not a full-blown marketing strategist — but as you see from the example above, even marketing strategists can use a second set of frontal lobes on occasion. Brainstorming with someone who uses a high degree of creativity for a living can help you dislodge old ideas, free yourself from inertia and help you confirm that you’re on the right path.

I’ve posted before about how business owners can sometimes lose perspective on their own products and services. If you find yourself in that situation, it’s time to call in a third party — preferably one who can look at your marketing with both objectivity and a certain level of professional insight. You’d be amazed at how well a simple comment such as, “Oh, what you’re really trying to say is this” can bring your branding and messaging into sharp focus. And clear concepts make for clear writing.

Maybe what you need from your copywriter doesn’t fall neatly into a category. Maybe you could really use a set of slogans, or ten different metaphors for the same idea, or a fabulous punch line. Maybe you don’t even know what you need — you just know that you need something. Contact your copywriter and borrow his brain. He’ll happily rent it to you, probably at reasonable rates. Just give it back to him when you’re done.

For more about my writing services and current package deals, check out my website at www.reynoldswriting.com.

I don’t know whether it’s the unusually early onslaught of triple-digit heat here in Austin, my ongoing experiments in finding the ideal sleep schedule, my sedentary lifestyle or all of the above, but lately I’ve found that my brain needs an extra jump-start or two on most days. Afternoons pose the greatest threat, with my creative juices bearing more of a resemblance to molasses.

I’m forced to create anyway, of course, because I have to pay the rent. Like most other working people on the planet, I have to perform regardless of whether I feel inspired to do so. I usually have to be flat-out sick before I’ll give myself permission to slack off. Those deadlines won’t meet themselves.

Fortunately, I’ve learned a few tricks along the way to unblock the old grey matter and get rolling again. If you find yourself up against a creative deadline without two brain cells to rub together, you might want to try them yourself:

Play the “What If” Game. The original writers of Saturday Night Live used this technique when they felt stumped for ideas. It involves constructing completely surreal premises out of two or more unrelated parts. They phrased these premises in a “What if” format, asking questions out loud such as, “What if Eleanor Roosevelt had magical powers?” or, “What if Spartacus had fought the Romans while flying a Piper Cub airplane?” Some of these bizarre notions actually found their way into SNL sketches — but more importantly, they freed the writers’ imaginations from all constraints so creativity could run wild.

Keep a list. A young Ray Bradbury once decided, almost on a whim, to write down a list of nouns as fast as they would come to him. He ended up a huge stockpile of compelling images (and prospective stories) such as THE LAKE, THE NIGHT, THE CRICKETS, THE RAVINE, THE BABY, THE OLD WOMAN, THE DWARF, THE MIRROR MAZE and so on. He would then return to this treasure trove to get inspiration for future stories.

Get comfortable. Maybe you’re just tired, in a bad mood, eating or sleeping poorly. The brain is a part of the body, after all. You may find that with a little more sleep or some daily exercise your thoughts will start flowing again as if by magic. You may also want to experiment with different writing rituals, as I discussed in a previous post, until you hit on an environment or schedule that unlocks your muse.

And stay out of the heat!

For more about my writing services and current package deals, check out my website at www.reynoldswriting.com.