I’ve had a lot of messages from people telling me they haven’t written anything for many years, or that they dry up when they pick up a pen, or that the blank paper/screen stares back at them like a mean teacher as if to say ‘who do you think you are, writing poetry, writing prose - writing anything!’
If you’ve ever had that feeling, here are a couple of ideas for getting started. Remember that writing words can easily be about play and enjoy yourself.
Pick a topic - any topic, the first thing that comes into your mind, everything is a possibility …..simply say to yourself “I want to write about…(in the instance of writing a Valentine’s verse, then Love rather naturally springs to mind) and start. It’s the same with most things in life - just begin. Getting started is (I know it sounds ridiculously simplistic) the key. Don’t edit your thoughts or words, let them spill out - you can come back and refine them later….
Pick some random words: for example, I’ve got a piece of paper near me which says ‘Identity Card’ and the words that catch my eye on the computer screen are ‘Save Draft’…. What could I do with those?
Here goes:
My identity as occasional bard
Is sending you a Valentine’s card.
I thought of you and sweetly drafted,
So cherish and save these words I crafted.
It doesn’t have to be a rhyme, it can be anything - just get started. You could say something like:
What do I think about identity Cards? Will they really make us more secure, and save us from possible terrorists attacks, stop illegal immigrants, will they help prevent extremist cells from drafting in new, impressionable recruits?
See if this gets your creative juices flowing - look at what’s around you and start writing about it - you may be surprised how easy it can be to get into the flow!
FOR YOUR FREE GUIDE TO WRITING SHORT POEMS, LEAVE A MESSAGE HERE OR EMAIL ME ON POETRYGUIDE AT GOOGLEMAIL.COM
Sharpen up your writing tools
It’s been a busy few weeks getting this edition of ReSource off to print, and there are some really great interviews and articles which I’ve really enjoyed preparing.
I also relished designing the fresh summer cover -
ReSource Edition 17
‘Generation Y’ has featured strongly, it wasn’t an intentional thing, simply that it was topical amongst the people I was speaking to.
Generalisation about any group is not ideal, and can be dangerous, and we acknowlede that there are always exceptions, yet Don Tapscott, Marshall Goldsmith, Kate Sweetman and Marcus Buckingham are all talking about the differences between this group of 16 - 31 year olds and the ‘boomers’ - the message is that they are flexible, value-driven and aren’t impressed by materialism in the way previous generations have been - they won’t compromise their ideals.
Kate Sweetman talks about the fact that Gen Y ’s values, needs and wants are very similar to those that women have traditionally upheld -
“I predict that companies that can solve the C-level gender gap will also win the Talent war for the best and the brightest in Gen Y. What women have always wanted and what Gen Y demands are virtually the same things.”
Don Tapscott advocates listening to young people and acting on their input. He says of the Net Generation:
“they are the first ever global generation, and they are defined by these eight norms. If you are designing a company, a brand, a marketing programme, or a government, it doesn’t matter what it is, these eight norms need to be at the centre of it.”
Marcus Buckingham (in London next week - check out his June 10 event here - ReSource will be there as a media partner) noted:
“All the research that I have seen shows that Gen Y is a ‘volunteerist’ generation, and an optimistic generation, but they are clueless about what it takes to perform”
Marshall Goldmsith has some great advice:
“For young people, my advice is that the world you are growing up in is a much more competitive world than the world I grew up in. Make sure you love what you do, or you are going to be living in what I call ‘New Age Professional Hell’“.
These are just a selection from the host of valuable, great articles covering a range of topics from business leadership and personal success to spirituality and well-being - check out www.resourcemagazine.co.uk and subscribe so you don’t miss out on a truly great ReSource!
What’s more, it’s de rigueur in one corporation, NGenera, headed by Wikinomics author, Don Tapscott……..
Christine Miller interviews Don Tapscott
In my early morning London interview with Don, his most recent publication, Grown Up Digital, was up for discussion and we talked about the need for a different method of talent management, what’s happening in business education and how to engage the variously named ‘generation Y’ - the net generation, the Millenials, or the young people aged between 16 and 31, now entering the workforce and with very different ideas and values.
Here’s an under 3 minute audio clip (excuse my first slightly clunky efforts at editing!) which gives a tiny taste of our conversation…..full, fascinating interview is in the upcoming edition of ReSource Magazine.
I have two children born into this generation, and from my experience of them and their friends, they are different in terms of looking for and insisting on certain values being present in the organisations with whom they choose to work or align.
Gib Bulloch, head of Accenture’s Development Partnerships, which provides consultancy services to the Development sector on a non-profit basis, recently told me that there were more volunteers than placements for consultants willing to take large salary cuts in order to make a contribution, and says “Today’s consultants are increasingly interested in making a difference, and it’s a win for everyone when our clients benefit from getting our expertise and services at a fraction of the market rates”.
More clips to come….
