The definitions of words go far beyond what is said in Merriam-Webster's, which defines:
expert: \ˈek-ˌspərt\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French, from expert, adjective
Date: 1535
: one with the special skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject
The word "expert" gets thrown around a lot these days. It started me wondering what exactly qualifies someone to be labeled as an expert in a given field. Is it knowledge? Experience? A mix of both? Which is more important?
Who determines if someone is an expert or not? People from the outside looking in? Do other experts have to identify you as one of their peers? Can you declare yourself one? What if there is nothing out in the "real world" to prove your expertise, like a book, award, article, or other recognition?
A quick search of the Internet, and I find that I'm not alone in my wondering. There are blog posts everywhere pondering the same question. Type into Google "how to become an expert" and 46 million results pop up. On the first page, I see articles that say you you can become an expert on anything in 2 hours, four weeks, 30 days or less. These are interspersed with posts that say expertise is usually established over a period of 8 to 10 years.
It is ridiculous to say that anyone can become an expert in a significant skill or subject in two hours, so let's throw that one right out. It's reasonable to say that in many topics, people can learn a lot if they study it for two hours. However, to become an expert in that amount of time is more than a stretch, even for the most connected speed-readers in the world. Unless of course the topic is completely silly and inane, like LOLCatz.
Is a month long enough to become an expert? If someone made a full-time job of learning how to knit or scrapbook for 30 days straight, I believe they would be an expert at the end of that time and I might ask them to help me learn. However, if I were seeking the services of a real estate agent, accountant, or tax preparer, one month is simply not enough experience to gain my trust.
Ten years of experience is a good number to determine expertise. If you were my cruise ship captain, airline pilot, or brain surgeon, I would want you to have at least ten years of experience under your belt. The same would be true if for a veterinarian, child psychologist, and college professor.
Ten years seems reasonable until you consider that the very first time the phrase "Search Engine Optimization" was ever used appears to have been in 1997 and the most popular search engine at the moment, Google, wasn't founded until 1998. How about all of the people with "Social Media Expert" slipped into their resume? A search for the history of social media produces a timeline indicating social networking sites didn't start major strides in growth until about five years ago. By the ten year rule, experts in SEO and social media would be nearly non-existent.
So what is the answer? Well, I'm no expert (ha!), but my favorite answers for what it takes to be one came from two very well-written posts. The first does an excellent job of defining what makes an expert (and how to become one), paraphrased here:
5. Knowledge & Practice
4. Experience in putting that knowledge to use
3. The ability to communicate what they know to others
2. Having social connections with other experts with whom knowledge can be shared
And the most important aspect all experts have in common...
1. The curiosity and drive to learn more, do more, and be more than they are today. The desire to expand their understanding once they've mastered one aspect of their field. To never be satisfied with the same old routine. Without this fuel, how can expertise be attained?
What qualities do you think make someone an expert?
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Haiku News - January 26 2009
(1)
It has been one week
Put the cart before the horse?
Let him do his job.
Michigan’s Birthday:
It’s a nice place to visit
But I won’t live there
Iceland has fallen
The first government collapse
More are sure to go
It has been one week
Put the cart before the horse?
Let him do his job.
Michigan’s Birthday:
It’s a nice place to visit
But I won’t live there
Iceland has fallen
The first government collapse
More are sure to go
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Review: Slipknot Concert in Saint Paul
On January 23rd, 2009, Slipknot began their All Hope is Gone World Tour in the great city of St. Paul , Minnesota
Being that the streets are icy and our journey to theXcel Energy Center
I can’t say the same for the second band that played, Coheed and Cambria. I had heard of them before, listened to some of their music in the past, and sang “Welcome Home” while playing Rock Band. I can’t say that any of them were a good experience. I’m going to take the stance that I can’t say anything nice here, so I won’t say anything at all about their “musical performance” last night. I would like to point out, though, that unlike Trivium, no one in our section seemed to like Coheed and Cambria either.
After the red velvet curtain was finally pulled for Slipknot’s show, the nine members of the band launched immediately from zero to full speed like a rocket taking flight. With a drummer and two percussionists banging on beer kegs to drive the beat, how could they not? This review isn’t about a set-list, you can find that here, but they played many of their best songs, including “Wait and Bleed”, “Duality”, and “Before I Forget”. They also played “Psychosocial”, “Dead Memories”, and “All Hope is Gone” from their new album of the same name.
This is a band that has done their homework regarding the theatrics and entertainment of concert experiences. Their drum sets were on hydraulic lifts that raised about ten feet off of the ground and spun in a circle! At one point during the encore, the full drum kit was raised and then tilted forward to a 90 degree angle until a still-seated Joey Jordison had a great view of the floor. All the while, he played on and the rhythmic pace continued. Heavy guitar riffs and mind bending samples combined for a high octane soundtrack to what proved to be not only an amazing music concert but a great piece of theater.
The ringmaster of this show was lead singer Corey Taylor. Being a corn-fed Midwesterner by birth, you could tell that he really enjoyed performing for a crowd close to his roots. And this audience was enraptured with absolutely everything he did. Spitting out lyrics while perched on a bank of lights at the front of the stage, his presence commanded the attention of every person at the Xcel. He was like a magician, as with a wave of his hand and a few words, the crowd was spellbound, ready to do his bidding. Clap, shout, jump, sing: We listened. Like the pied piper, if he would have lead us out into the streets, 18,000 people probably would have followed. It’s a good thing that he uses his powers for good instead of evil.
This concert was an incredible experience. I’ve always liked Slipknot from the first time I heard “Wait and Bleed”, but this was my first time seeing them live. From running around the stage like controlled wildfire to dangling from a hydraulically lifted drum-set, these guys were always doing something interesting on top of playing great music. I would highly recommend a Slipknot concert to people with a love for rock, heavy metal, or at least a good tolerance for loudness because even if the music isn’t your cup of tea, these guys are entertaining to watch.
Being that the streets are icy and our journey to the
I can’t say the same for the second band that played, Coheed and Cambria. I had heard of them before, listened to some of their music in the past, and sang “Welcome Home” while playing Rock Band. I can’t say that any of them were a good experience. I’m going to take the stance that I can’t say anything nice here, so I won’t say anything at all about their “musical performance” last night. I would like to point out, though, that unlike Trivium, no one in our section seemed to like Coheed and Cambria either.
After the red velvet curtain was finally pulled for Slipknot’s show, the nine members of the band launched immediately from zero to full speed like a rocket taking flight. With a drummer and two percussionists banging on beer kegs to drive the beat, how could they not? This review isn’t about a set-list, you can find that here, but they played many of their best songs, including “Wait and Bleed”, “Duality”, and “Before I Forget”. They also played “Psychosocial”, “Dead Memories”, and “All Hope is Gone” from their new album of the same name.
This is a band that has done their homework regarding the theatrics and entertainment of concert experiences. Their drum sets were on hydraulic lifts that raised about ten feet off of the ground and spun in a circle! At one point during the encore, the full drum kit was raised and then tilted forward to a 90 degree angle until a still-seated Joey Jordison had a great view of the floor. All the while, he played on and the rhythmic pace continued. Heavy guitar riffs and mind bending samples combined for a high octane soundtrack to what proved to be not only an amazing music concert but a great piece of theater.
The ringmaster of this show was lead singer Corey Taylor. Being a corn-fed Midwesterner by birth, you could tell that he really enjoyed performing for a crowd close to his roots. And this audience was enraptured with absolutely everything he did. Spitting out lyrics while perched on a bank of lights at the front of the stage, his presence commanded the attention of every person at the Xcel. He was like a magician, as with a wave of his hand and a few words, the crowd was spellbound, ready to do his bidding. Clap, shout, jump, sing: We listened. Like the pied piper, if he would have lead us out into the streets, 18,000 people probably would have followed. It’s a good thing that he uses his powers for good instead of evil.
This concert was an incredible experience. I’ve always liked Slipknot from the first time I heard “Wait and Bleed”, but this was my first time seeing them live. From running around the stage like controlled wildfire to dangling from a hydraulically lifted drum-set, these guys were always doing something interesting on top of playing great music. I would highly recommend a Slipknot concert to people with a love for rock, heavy metal, or at least a good tolerance for loudness because even if the music isn’t your cup of tea, these guys are entertaining to watch.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Haiku News - January 21 2009
(1)
Inauguration
The Forty-Fourth President
A new hope has dawned
(2)
A wise soul once said
If you cannot say nice things
Don’t say anything”
(3)
Three men in a tub?
No, two men in an ice chest
Fishermen are saved
Inauguration
The Forty-Fourth President
A new hope has dawned
(2)
A wise soul once said
If you cannot say nice things
Don’t say anything”
(3)
Three men in a tub?
No, two men in an ice chest
Fishermen are saved
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Knowledge vs. Experience
I’ve been doing a lot of reading other people’s blogs, trying to garner some inspiration to help me write my own posts, and I came across this one by Jurgen Appelo called Professionalism = Knowledge First, Experience Last. It really got me to thinking about my own skirmishes revolving around experience, knowledge, and the gap that seems to exist in between. Nearly every job opening requires that someone have previous experience as if it’s the most important dimension of the perfect employee. This practice has grown more and more popular, but I don’t think it results in better outcomes for the companies that exclude candidates because they don’t meet a pre-determined set of criteria.
After I graduated from college majoring in English, naturally all I wanted to do was write for a living. “What are you going to write?” people would ask, and I would say “Whatever someone will hire me to do.” No one wanted to hire me, as it turned out. Though I had knowledge of my chosen field in spades, I did not have any “real world” experience. I was crestfallen. I couldn’t prove myself unless I got a foot in the door. How was I supposed to gain experience if no one would hire me due to my lack of it?
An even better question to ask may be “Is the time spent in a given position (experience) proof of ability to tackle problems (knowledge)?”
Appelo says that when he interviews people for a position:
Later, he makes a poignant, if gruesome point:
If given the choice between this doctor and, say, a second-year resident, which would you choose?
Pick a field or industry, almost any one, and all too often perfectly knowledgeable, talented people are passed over because they don’t have experience. Though there are entry-level positions available, in labor climates like this they are few and far between. On the flip-side of the same coin, I personally have known people with years of experience in a given field that lost their jobs and could not get hired into a similar post because they didn’t hold a degree. And in a category all by itself, everyone has seen completely inept people promoted to jobs beyond their grasp, simply because they logged a certain amount of years at a given company.
When rigid education or experience requirements rule out otherwise-knowledgeable candidates, companies end up losing-out on serious talent. Soon, they may have to start reconsidering the standards they’ve made for themselves. Despite recent financial turmoil the most experienced and largest generation ever seen in the workplace, the Baby Boomers, will be retiring over the years to follow. In the spaces left behind, some reorganization will have to take place and Generation Y (a.k.a. The Millennial Generation and the biggest one since the Boomers) will have to be part of that process. Because most of them have grown up with all the knowledge in the world just a few keystrokes away, they may be the most disproportionately knowledge-rich-but-experience-deficient generation ever. To fill the empty spaces that will be showing up in workplaces, hiring managers will have to start taking calculated leaps when it comes to the employees they choose.
Knowledge can’t be measured in years of experience. When that is more generally acknowledged in common corporate culture, it could result in a boost of productivity and innovation as fresh minds, flush with information and ready to prove their worth, tackle the problems of the day. Given the imminent departure of the Baby Boomers from the workplace, it’s going to be soon.
It could be another Renaissance in the making. The next question is: Who will be riding the wave and who will be left in the dust?
After I graduated from college majoring in English, naturally all I wanted to do was write for a living. “What are you going to write?” people would ask, and I would say “Whatever someone will hire me to do.” No one wanted to hire me, as it turned out. Though I had knowledge of my chosen field in spades, I did not have any “real world” experience. I was crestfallen. I couldn’t prove myself unless I got a foot in the door. How was I supposed to gain experience if no one would hire me due to my lack of it?
An even better question to ask may be “Is the time spent in a given position (experience) proof of ability to tackle problems (knowledge)?”
Appelo says that when he interviews people for a position:
I expect professional people to know what modern techniques and practices are. And if they don't know, then I'm not at all interested in their "X years of experience".
Later, he makes a poignant, if gruesome point:
Do you trust a doctor with diagnosing your mental problems if the doctor tells you he's got 20 years of experience? Do you still trust that doctor when he picks up a knife and ice picks, and asks you to prepare for a lobotomy? … Would you still be impressed if the doctor had 20 years of experience in carrying out lobotomies?
If given the choice between this doctor and, say, a second-year resident, which would you choose?
Pick a field or industry, almost any one, and all too often perfectly knowledgeable, talented people are passed over because they don’t have experience. Though there are entry-level positions available, in labor climates like this they are few and far between. On the flip-side of the same coin, I personally have known people with years of experience in a given field that lost their jobs and could not get hired into a similar post because they didn’t hold a degree. And in a category all by itself, everyone has seen completely inept people promoted to jobs beyond their grasp, simply because they logged a certain amount of years at a given company.
When rigid education or experience requirements rule out otherwise-knowledgeable candidates, companies end up losing-out on serious talent. Soon, they may have to start reconsidering the standards they’ve made for themselves. Despite recent financial turmoil the most experienced and largest generation ever seen in the workplace, the Baby Boomers, will be retiring over the years to follow. In the spaces left behind, some reorganization will have to take place and Generation Y (a.k.a. The Millennial Generation and the biggest one since the Boomers) will have to be part of that process. Because most of them have grown up with all the knowledge in the world just a few keystrokes away, they may be the most disproportionately knowledge-rich-but-experience-deficient generation ever. To fill the empty spaces that will be showing up in workplaces, hiring managers will have to start taking calculated leaps when it comes to the employees they choose.
Knowledge can’t be measured in years of experience. When that is more generally acknowledged in common corporate culture, it could result in a boost of productivity and innovation as fresh minds, flush with information and ready to prove their worth, tackle the problems of the day. Given the imminent departure of the Baby Boomers from the workplace, it’s going to be soon.
It could be another Renaissance in the making. The next question is: Who will be riding the wave and who will be left in the dust?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Haiku News - January 13 2009
Hello! Time for a new post. Not having a particularly good day, so I thought a fun writing activity might help. One of my favorite exercises is to try to make haiku news stories based on headlines of the day.
Haiku are fun and easy to do. Because you're limited in how many syllables you can use, it can help you look at words and phrases differently. Got too many syllables to make it fit in the space? Figuring out how to make it work can be a lesson in synonyms and grammar. I've also found that haiku can help you break through the wall when you're trying to find that perfect tag line or catch phrase.
Anyways, enough talk and more haiku.
Pilot falls to earth
Seeming to fake his own death
From what does he run?
Fever, nausea
Sandwich & jam lovers weep:
Peanut Butter Plague
Out with the "new" Bush
In with the new leadership
Washington renewed
I think that's enough for today. I feel much better now! Back to the grind, it seems. If you'd like to read more news-related haiku, one of my favorite sites is the Daily Haiku News. They don't update all the time, though. Daily is an overstatement!
Anyone else like to haiku? If you're feeling creative, leave them in the comments!
Haiku are fun and easy to do. Because you're limited in how many syllables you can use, it can help you look at words and phrases differently. Got too many syllables to make it fit in the space? Figuring out how to make it work can be a lesson in synonyms and grammar. I've also found that haiku can help you break through the wall when you're trying to find that perfect tag line or catch phrase.
Anyways, enough talk and more haiku.
Pilot falls to earth
Seeming to fake his own death
From what does he run?
Fever, nausea
Sandwich & jam lovers weep:
Peanut Butter Plague
Out with the "new" Bush
In with the new leadership
Washington renewed
I think that's enough for today. I feel much better now! Back to the grind, it seems. If you'd like to read more news-related haiku, one of my favorite sites is the Daily Haiku News. They don't update all the time, though. Daily is an overstatement!
Anyone else like to haiku? If you're feeling creative, leave them in the comments!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Happy Anniversary to Me!
Today, January 11th, 2009, is my one year anniversary as a freelance writer. Though I had been working as a proofreader, writer, and editor since 2004, it was just one year ago that I had had enough of the "rat race" and became a full-time freelancer after turning over my letter of resignation to my former employer. Someone asked in the comments on my first post how I had gotten into the field. I thought there would be no better day to explain my path to freelance writing than today. And then ask if other writers reading this blog could briefly share their experiences.
I went to college at theUniversity of Minnesota
I was determined to collect unemployment until I found a position that focused more on writing or editing and didn't have any sort of "assistant" duties. I didn't have to wait long as someone at John Ryan saw my short resume and interviewed me for a Junior Editor Position. They knew full well that the only experience I had was what I'd learned in high school, college, and my one post-college proofreading assistant position. They took a chance on me anyway, much to my surprise. I worked on FlashPlayer spots for their in-bank kiosks. This is a system of plasma screens which have been mounted in 500 bank branches that play content to entertain people while they stand in line. Every day, I peruse national headlines and local news in 25 major cities and reduce the stories to 200 characters so they can be played on the screens.
It’s a fun job and they paid me well, but it didn't take up the full 40 hours they had me working. I felt like I was wasting their money and my time. I wanted to learn and do more copy writing, but they had other, more experienced writers for that. Also, having had a group health plan and 401k at my previous job, I really wanted to be employed someplace, not a contractor. I renegotiated my contract down to part time, strictly working from home. I still do that for them as of today and for the foreseeable future.
In January 2007, I took a job that I thought would make me happy with its withholding of taxes, health plan, 401k, profit sharing program, and mere 10 minute commute. It was proofreading the names, dates, and locations that would be etched into stone, glass, or metal awards. Mind-numbingly boring. Needless to say, this was a short-lived period of employment and the first time I have ever been fired. It was just too obvious that I wasn't a good fit.
Still working for John Ryan, I was able to support myself. Wiser that benefits won't make me any happier, I broadened my search. I took a position with a tiny advertising company that promised me all the copy writing I could handle. It really ended up being a glorified executive personal assistant position with the occasional written blurb. But working as an assistant to the principal, I had a better idea of how the advertising and marketing industry worked than before. Because I was so unhappy answering phones and composing e-mails, I quit, but with the knowledge that I wouldn't be seeking a new job. I even gave them a copy of the rates I would be charging for my services, and they became one of my clients (still are!).
I had already been writing short web content pieces for one of my favorite clients, Barker & Hedges. After they knew I had quit my job, they increased how much work I did for them. As I picked up more and more clients, I had more work to show to others who may be considering my services. They also talked to other people, and soon I was picking up local small business clients just on word of mouth. I gained confidence and started sending my resume and samples to newspapers and other marketing companies. Those that responded have become regular clients of mine.
Over the last year, I've had a lot of time to think about "How did I get here?" I've been asked more than once how I got into writing or became a writer, and I can't point to anything I did specifically. My part of getting to where I am now has been not being satisfied with a job that provides a paycheck and realizing that the group health plan and 401k aren't the grail. Even when I was comfortable, I wasn't happy and life is too short for that.
The real catalyst to my career path has been a handful of people and organizations that took a chance on someone with an unproven writing record but with a lot of enthusiasm for the written word. Seriously, when I went to John Ryan to interview for the job, I brought them college English papers and a copy of the high school student-run magazine I co-edited. I did not expect to leave that meeting with a job, but I did.
Now that business appears to be stable, I’m trying to branch out into more specific areas of writing that I want to pursue, specifically news and historical research articles. I only have a few under my belt, but I’m working on that. I’m also working on using photography to enhance my work. For the newspaper articles I’ve written, I’ve also been my own photographer!
Anyways, this is long enough. I thought it would be more easily explained, but every job I’ve had since I graduated has been a stone in the path to where I am at now. It has been a process, for sure, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love what I’m doing so much it almost doesn’t feel like work, which was the whole reason why I picked English as my major in the first year of college. As long as I can continue to seek new challenges and pursue new assignments, I will never tire of this.
So… Are there other writers that would like to share how they got to where they are? You can leave your response in the comments or if this inspired you at all (or your path is long, like mine), write a post about it in your blog and share the link here. I would love to hear from you and others who are trying to get into the field may as well.
I went to college at the
I was determined to collect unemployment until I found a position that focused more on writing or editing and didn't have any sort of "assistant" duties. I didn't have to wait long as someone at John Ryan saw my short resume and interviewed me for a Junior Editor Position. They knew full well that the only experience I had was what I'd learned in high school, college, and my one post-college proofreading assistant position. They took a chance on me anyway, much to my surprise. I worked on FlashPlayer spots for their in-bank kiosks. This is a system of plasma screens which have been mounted in 500 bank branches that play content to entertain people while they stand in line. Every day, I peruse national headlines and local news in 25 major cities and reduce the stories to 200 characters so they can be played on the screens.
It’s a fun job and they paid me well, but it didn't take up the full 40 hours they had me working. I felt like I was wasting their money and my time. I wanted to learn and do more copy writing, but they had other, more experienced writers for that. Also, having had a group health plan and 401k at my previous job, I really wanted to be employed someplace, not a contractor. I renegotiated my contract down to part time, strictly working from home. I still do that for them as of today and for the foreseeable future.
In January 2007, I took a job that I thought would make me happy with its withholding of taxes, health plan, 401k, profit sharing program, and mere 10 minute commute. It was proofreading the names, dates, and locations that would be etched into stone, glass, or metal awards. Mind-numbingly boring. Needless to say, this was a short-lived period of employment and the first time I have ever been fired. It was just too obvious that I wasn't a good fit.
Still working for John Ryan, I was able to support myself. Wiser that benefits won't make me any happier, I broadened my search. I took a position with a tiny advertising company that promised me all the copy writing I could handle. It really ended up being a glorified executive personal assistant position with the occasional written blurb. But working as an assistant to the principal, I had a better idea of how the advertising and marketing industry worked than before. Because I was so unhappy answering phones and composing e-mails, I quit, but with the knowledge that I wouldn't be seeking a new job. I even gave them a copy of the rates I would be charging for my services, and they became one of my clients (still are!).
I had already been writing short web content pieces for one of my favorite clients, Barker & Hedges. After they knew I had quit my job, they increased how much work I did for them. As I picked up more and more clients, I had more work to show to others who may be considering my services. They also talked to other people, and soon I was picking up local small business clients just on word of mouth. I gained confidence and started sending my resume and samples to newspapers and other marketing companies. Those that responded have become regular clients of mine.
Over the last year, I've had a lot of time to think about "How did I get here?" I've been asked more than once how I got into writing or became a writer, and I can't point to anything I did specifically. My part of getting to where I am now has been not being satisfied with a job that provides a paycheck and realizing that the group health plan and 401k aren't the grail. Even when I was comfortable, I wasn't happy and life is too short for that.
The real catalyst to my career path has been a handful of people and organizations that took a chance on someone with an unproven writing record but with a lot of enthusiasm for the written word. Seriously, when I went to John Ryan to interview for the job, I brought them college English papers and a copy of the high school student-run magazine I co-edited. I did not expect to leave that meeting with a job, but I did.
Now that business appears to be stable, I’m trying to branch out into more specific areas of writing that I want to pursue, specifically news and historical research articles. I only have a few under my belt, but I’m working on that. I’m also working on using photography to enhance my work. For the newspaper articles I’ve written, I’ve also been my own photographer!
Anyways, this is long enough. I thought it would be more easily explained, but every job I’ve had since I graduated has been a stone in the path to where I am at now. It has been a process, for sure, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love what I’m doing so much it almost doesn’t feel like work, which was the whole reason why I picked English as my major in the first year of college. As long as I can continue to seek new challenges and pursue new assignments, I will never tire of this.
So… Are there other writers that would like to share how they got to where they are? You can leave your response in the comments or if this inspired you at all (or your path is long, like mine), write a post about it in your blog and share the link here. I would love to hear from you and others who are trying to get into the field may as well.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
My Blog - First Post
I've been meaning to start my own blog for a long time now. After all, I am a writer. I've been so wrapped up in working for other people, I've forgotten to write for myself. It has been stifling my creativity and leading to difficulties in accomplishing my work. There is an easy way to remedy that, right? Right. And here it is.
This blog will hopefully jump-start some creativity and help me improve my writing skills, while hopefully engaging other writers and readers in meaningful conversation. This isn't going to be some spectacular start, but it is a beginning. Now that this blog has been created, I can't use "I have no creative outlet" as an excuse. Here it is, in all its just-starting glory.
Though there isn't much here right now, I plan to add to this blog often over the next few weeks and months. Writing to learn and have fun is my goal, here. I hope that other people will read it and comment, so that some great conversations can be started.
Blog created, first post entered, ideas for additions in the future. So far, so good. Now for the more complicated part: creating compelling content regularly! Stay tuned... We'll see how this goes!
This blog will hopefully jump-start some creativity and help me improve my writing skills, while hopefully engaging other writers and readers in meaningful conversation. This isn't going to be some spectacular start, but it is a beginning. Now that this blog has been created, I can't use "I have no creative outlet" as an excuse. Here it is, in all its just-starting glory.
Though there isn't much here right now, I plan to add to this blog often over the next few weeks and months. Writing to learn and have fun is my goal, here. I hope that other people will read it and comment, so that some great conversations can be started.
Blog created, first post entered, ideas for additions in the future. So far, so good. Now for the more complicated part: creating compelling content regularly! Stay tuned... We'll see how this goes!
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