Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Free eBook :: The Lonely Writer

As a thank you to faithful readers of this blog, I'm offering up a free copy of my eBook, The Lonely Writer.

This eBook was inspired by a set of posts that originally occurred on this blog last year. Being a writer, or any creative type, poses some very common challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the solitary nature of creation when we, as humans, are instinctively social creatures. That is the focus of The Lonely Writer. It looks at these challenges and offers suggestions to help you stay a focused and productive writer...no matter what you write.

People are talking:
"I have been in a funk and The Lonely Writer couldn't have came at a better time for me."
- Yicrosoft Directory Girl

"The Lonely Writer was very informative and inspiring. I am trying to overcome this HUGE mental writer's block right now, and your book could not have come at a better time."
- Jim Moon

So enjoy The Lonely Writer and thanks for reading Tapping Creativity.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Having Goals :: Eyes on the Prize

Having Goals :: Eyes on the PrizeThe nature of creativity is often unpredictable. In some cases, it's easiest to tap creativity when all of the fences are down and your muse has the freedom to roam. At other times, there needs to be a goal or finish line (or deadline) in place to motivate the muse. In this post, we are going to talk about the latter.

For 2008, my sole resolution was to do less, but do it better. This resolution was motivated by my having many half-finished projects lying around. Coming up with great ideas has always been my strength--following through on them, however, well...not so much.

This year, I've taken to making a list of goals. I'm happy to say that so far, I've accomplished two of them. I've released a compilation of indie musicians called Notes From The Underground. And I've put the finishing touches on a free eBook that will be uploaded to this blog in a few days.

Making the list is key, because progress is encouraging. The list keeps me focused. As I make it further into projects, I'm also realizing I'm encountering new challenges that come from the latter stages of idea development. This learning has a snowball effect as solutions in some projects are helpful when applied to other unfinished projects and future projects.

I've made lists with pen and paper. I'm also fond of 43 Things, which allows me to not only create a goal, but write a short entry about it. I can also see others who share my goals, as well as a variety of goals that others are striving toward. These options are also motivating.

Create some goals. Make a list. Channel your creativity.