Inspiration in Unusual Places

If we were to look closely, we may discover inspiration in strange places.

Inspiration moves us to do the things we do, helping to add fuel to our emotions and awaken our senses. When we are inspired we feel EXCITEMENT and LIFE.

Oftentimes we are inspired by the simplest of things: the sunshine, a smile, the smell of fall leaves. We find inspiration in the people we meet, the movies we watch, the music we listen to, and the books we read.

Inspiration, and where we receive it, is not always as noticeable as the nose on our face. Sometimes inspiration can be found in some unusual places.

For example . . .

I run a non-stop recording in my head when I am tackling overwhelming projects (keeping up with a blog, starting a book, potty training a child):

Be prepared …

Stay focused …

Keep going.

One time, in between projects, I was dwelling on the things that inspire me ~ things that get me moving ~ and I discovered an interesting link between the recording:

Be prepared …

Stay focused …

Keep going.  

I realized it had to do with a book I read years ago.

I love to read so it was no surprise that I found inspiration in a book. What was surprising was the book that inspired me.

It’s a book I would recommend to a select few people, only those I feel would get the most from it.

It wasn't so much the information in the book, although the purpose of the book helped immensely when I needed it, it was more about the principles in the book that stuck with me through all these years.

The book I am referring to:

Toilet Training in Less Than a Day, by Nathan Azin and Richard M. Foxx

Yep. That’s the book that inspired me to:

Be prepared … Stay focused … Keep going.

I sense some skepticism.

Toilet Training in Less Than a Day not only showed me how to potty train my child in 3 ½ hours, but this interesting marvel of a book taught me many valuable lessons.

If you know of anyone who has a child at the potty training age, I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is a quick read (took me about half a day to read it), the techniques are quite simple, and IT WORKS.

Otherwise, I would like to share my connection between the book and how it inspired me.

Be prepared.

The book:     Instructed me to my dress my son comfortably and provide him with a hearty breakfast, snacks, and plenty to drink. I was to make sure there would be NO interruptions: no television, no games, and no toys.

                        I was required to have all the necessary equipment readily available: training potty, doll that can go potty, patience and determination.

Inspiration: I tackle projects (not just writing, but all projects) with the same attitude. Before tackling any project I make certain I have what I need, both material and mental; things like my computer, my wits and a lot of determination.

                   I also schedule work time when I know I will not be distracted.

Stay focused.

The book:     The main topic is “potty training.” That’s it. Potty train this and potty train that. No other topic of discussion. Potty. Potty. Potty.

Inspiration: I refer to this a lot. My mind has a tendency to wonder. Ideas pop in and out so fast I lose track of them and get myself lost in my own thoughts. I have learned to stay focused in the moment. Stay focused on what is in front of me. If I catch my mind trailing, I refocus on the task at hand until it’s complete or I am satisfied with the results.

Keep going.

The book:     I will admit after about 10 minutes into the potty training I had a desire to give up. My son was not at all interested in using the potty. I had a hard time keeping him focused on our main topic of conversations: Potty Training. But, as the book encouraged, I kept going. I remained focused on the job at hand and kept at it until the desired result had been reached.

Inspiration: This may be what I reflect on most; the idea to KEEP GOING. It is easy to stop when things get a little tricky or aren't going in the right direction. KEEP GOING. It’s easy to quit, but much more rewarding to KEEP GOING.

It’s in the things that inspire us that give us strength to move on, move ahead and strive to be our best.

Inspiration can be found anywhere, even in the strangest of places.

What strange places have you found inspiration?

A Writer's Two Cents About the Content Mill Debate

If you don’t know already, Content Mills are agencies that herd in thousands of articles written by people who are paid a small amount per article (usually something between $2-$30), or are paid a small amount per word (usually something around $.01-$.40). You have heard the term before, I am certain, but if you need a re-fresher there is a more in-depth explanation of what a Content Mill is here.

There has been a lot of debate floating around the Internet surrounding the topic of Content Mills. There are those who disapprove of the Mills all together; feeling they do nothing but take advantage of writers. But, there are others who support Mills; believing they are a reasonable source of income.

It wasn’t until I came across several articles written by people who were either praising Content Mills or bashing them that I decided to take a moment to reflect on my own feelings towards Mills and offer my two cents.

The underlying inquiries I noted most often:

·         Are Content Mills a waste of a fledgling writer’s time, or are they stepping stones for writers wanting a foot in the door . . . any door?

·         Are the articles expected to be written worth the time and effort for the few pennies being offered as payment, or do writers not care and see the work as a chance to gain experience for future projects that will offer better payment?

I can speak from experience, I wrote for a few different Content Mills.

Truthfully, it didn’t take me long to realize that my heart wasn’t with writing for them. In fact, it was enough to make me sick every time I had to write a 300-500 word article on a topic that interested me very little.

It wasn’t long before I found myself in a position where I could continue to pour my time into writing for “search and claim assignment” sites, or sites that assign writers a list of relevant keywords to use for articles (usually themed: food, holiday parties).

I could continue to devote myself to searching and writing assignments (the few assignments) that at least invoked some sort of interest. I could continue to painstakingly take my time and thoroughly research every assignment in order to write an informative and interesting article, regardless if I had little interest in the subject and received a small payment for my hard work.

Then it dawned on me:

If I took this much time and effort into writing stuff that I could care less about, what would happen if I invest my time and effort into writing things I am passionate about, things that inflame my heart. Why can’t I make money writing about what interests me?

From that realization, I moved on to pursue other freelance writing projects. Do I regret the time I spent writing for Content Mills ~ searching for assignments, gathering sources for each article, and actually writing the article within the allotted time?

Absolutely not.

And I will tell you why.

When the first approval to write for a content mill came in my Inbox, I was ecstatic! Elated! Proud of myself! It was the boost of confidence I needed.

I was just beginning my on-line freelance writing career and was looking for a place to start. Seeing, “Congratulations you are approved as a Mill Writer” meant a lot to me. It meant I had a place to start.

To me, Mills are not a waste of time for a writer just beginning. I look at them as stepping stones that have the potential to provide freelance writers ~ those wanting to make money writing ~ with many valuable learning experiences.

In my experience:

Mills offered me a crash course in the operations of an on-line world.

·         They introduced me to PayPal which I have found to be a valuable resource. Being new to freelance writing and the on-line world I had no idea that a site like PayPal existed. The Mill I was writing for required all writers to have an account so payments could be made. I wanted my money, so I created an account and have since learned a great deal about the different services PayPal offers.

·         I learned how to navigate through websites; access my account, claiming assignments, submitting assignments and so forth. Each Content Mill has a different process for claiming, receiving and submitting assignments and each, in their own way, taught me a little more about the inner-workings of the on-line world.

·         I gained a great deal of knowledge about effective use of keywords and learning the importance of Search Engine Optimization and Latent Semantic Indexing. Not to mention learning a few SEO and LSI techniques.

·         It also exposed me to the inter-mingling of the on-line world: the forums and message boards, social media and the world of blogging.

Mills offered me the opportunity to search and discover more about myself.

·         It was while writing for Mills when I realized my likes and dislikes. I discovered things that really moved me. It was probably during this enlightening moment I realized that writing for Content Mills just wasn’t for me. Instead, I had a desire for bigger and better things. I will always appreciate the knowledge gained from writing for them, though.

·         I also learned – reluctantly – that I am a slow writer. It takes time selecting the right words, the right tone, and the right resources. I write and re-write a lot. It is my goal to make certain I have covered all the information and included some high points to be fondly remembered. That takes time, more time than many Mills allot. I found myself rushing to write a piece and always felt unsatisfied with the article I wrote, believing if I had more time I could have made it better.

It was the dawn of myself that woke me up to the vast opportunities I had as a writer other than writing for Content Mills. I wasn’t happy with the amount of work involved for the few pennies they paid. I wanted a bit more freedom with my writing. I learned from them. I grew from my experience and I set out on other paths.

Would I recommend writing for a Content Mill?

If you are just beginning as a writer, Yes. Yes, I would recommend writing for a Mill. The learning experience is priceless.

What have been your experience working with Content Mills? Was it positive? Do you regret the time you spent writing for them?

Testing ... Testing

Unfortunately, I am not a computer guru. I know enough to be dangerous.

With that being said, I am always testing how things work in this online world.

Testing to see how to create a blog - DONE.

Testing to see how to link from one place to another - DONE.

Testing to see how to create a URL from a word document - LEARNING.

I have found that one of the best tools to use for testing how the online world works is to use your blog or website. These are useful tools that don't just spread the word about your great invention or best selling novel ... Blogs and websites are also the essence of innovation, learning and moving forward.

The challenge I was having was creating a document in Word and then giving it a place on the Web; an address where I could use as a hyperlink.

This is my the result of my test, but first let me give you the back story .....

In a recent post I proudly announced the launching of a dream ... the birth of a company, Immortal Spark Publishing, LLC. ISP is currently focusing on a directory of services, information, and resources for those affected by sexual violence. One of the many goals of this resource tool is to bridge the gap between victims of sexual violence and the agencies and organizations who offer support, information and resources.

In an effort to promote the directory and assist the agencies listed within the over 500 pages, ISP is offering a unique and incredible opportunity to businesses and individuals.

That is the back story. I created a document on my computer - a letter providing information on a matter of great importance and an awesome opportunity - and uploaded the file to Scribd.com. From there a link was created.

I provide the link here.

Scribd.com is an excellent source for creating links for your documents. It makes it easier to share your work with others ... I recommend it to anyone who wants to get information to a wide audience in a timely manner.

I tested how to change my documents to a link and am greatly pleased with the results!

Launching a Dream

It is true that you should never quit on a dream. I had a dream to help others and publish my own writing. After more than a year of planning, researching, more researching and more planning, my dream has been launched and a company born.

How I started ….

One of the phrases I constantly came across as I researched for ways to make money with writing was this:

Write what you know.

After several brainstorming sessions with myself I came to the conclusion that I could help others by writing about something I knew, but what did I know?

Several more brainstorming sessions later I came up with one of the best ideas I have ever had. Not only did I realize that I did know something I could write about, but I could utilize this knowledge and create a publishing company that could get the information to the public on my terms.

I present to you a company with a purpose to create and distribute information that deal with one’s emotional health and well-being.

I proudly introduce you to a publishing company with heart and one on a mission to help those in need all across this beautiful United States of America.

The mission of this company is fourfold:

1.      Produce and promote high quality works of literature that heighten the human spirit and connect hearts across America.

2.      Challenge readers, through literary venues, to look deeper into the crevices of the mind and transform that which is negative into something positive.

3.      Support and enhance collaboration between those who offer help, hope and healing to others.

4.      Build strong, healthy minds, bodies and spirits.

I give you IMMORTAL SPARK PUBLISHING, LLC. Where the aim is to forever touch lives one word at a time.

ISP is a product of my brainstorming, my dreaming and my believing in myself enough to get the company off the ground.

You are encouraged to visit ISP’s Facebook page. Be sure to “Like” so you can receive updates on the company as well as life-improving information.

ISP is currently putting together a directory of services, information and resources for those affected by sexual violence. The mission of the directory is to:

·         Create a resource tool composed of organizations across the nation who are working to reduce the incidence of sexual assault by providing support, information and resources;

·         Provide a sexual assault resource directory to those seeking support, hope and healing after an assault, and for those interested in helping to eliminate sexual violence.

Updates on this important resource tool will come in the following weeks. If you would like more information, please send an email to immortalsparkpublishing@gmail.com.