I Stared At My Wall and Got 70 Posting Ideas

If you’re wondering if I mean that literally- the answer is yes.

Now if you’re thinking how I did it, well, there’s this one missing secret. I’m not just staring at a bare wall. I'm staring at something hanging at my wall.

→Launching of the 70 Ideas for your Next 70 Posts

If you hate writer's block, if you constantly need ideas to blog about, if you have problems in finding inspiration, and if you want a base you can use to build up more ideas (be it for networking, making money online, professional topics etc.), then I got an answer as simple as something you can tape right at your workspace.

Red light's blazing! The official launch has begun!

What are the results?

..."Inspiration right at my workspace!"

..."It's not just about being able to write a new topic at my will, it's about having to choose what exactly I want to write about! Today, I'd write about mmo, and poof! I got an idea!"

..."Writer's block? Why is that a problem again?"

Why paid exactly?

I don't sell ideas. That's a sure thing (though of course you can only get the complete 70 list if you purchase the poster). What I do sell is the design for the poster compilation of the 70 ideas.

The design isn't exactly something that I'd just finish overnight. That did took a great deal of artistic effort, research on design tricks and perseverance in putting everything together. This is my first shot too on trying to merge together my two interests- blogging and designing.

→THE 70 IDEAS FOR YOUR NEXT 70 POSTS - POSTER EDITION

Why not delivered made-to-order poster?

My first plan was to really sell made-to-order posters of the 70 ideas. But as I was searching for good companies that could offer the service, I came to realize one thing. I'd be needing to raise the price so that it can accommodate the expenses for the printing and delivery.

Of course, I don't want to raise the price. I thought too, we both could save a lot if I don't do made-to-order and I'll just give you the rights to print it in any way you want.

Because of this, of course I have managed to keep a low price plus be able to automatically send you the poster image plus the complete list.

If you don't want to print it and just use the list in your pc, that's just fine too!

Join the Contest!

For the official launch, I'm giving away 5 copies for free! All you have to do is to either retweet this post or stumble this page. Oh, and please do personalize your tweets.

People who follow me in Twitter and subscribe to my blog are automatically entered in this contest too (you have to comment below though for me to know). Just to be sure, do as many things as possible. Well, a retweet and a stumble is just like a finger exercise right?

Just leave a comment below so I'll know that you've entered the contest.

One winner will be announced per day until all 5 bonus prizes are given away.

Winners' List!

• • 1st winner (02/27/10) congratulations to Ben Lang of Ben-Lang Dot Com!
• • 2nd winner (02/28/10) congratulations to James Richmond of TheInfoPreneur!
  
• • 3rd winner (03/01/10) congratulations to Fazreen of Fazreen Dot Com!
  
• *end of draw. minimum number of contestants for the 4th and 5th draw not met*

Winner drawn using the random picker of random.org


Why buy it now?

Surely something as affordable and as extremely useful as this is one heck of a good deal.

Oh, did I mentioned that I'm giving you a 25% Discount if you type in "LIANEROCKS" on the promo code box? That's only for the first 100 people by the way. if you won't use that, I bet someone else will.

Be inspired. Be free from writer's block. Be empowered by ideas.

→THE 70 IDEAS FOR YOUR NEXT 70 POSTS - POSTER EDITION

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A Creative Lesson From Steve Jobs

Within a few days, I’d be really so busy in officially launching my first product ever. And yes, for you who’ve known the soft-launch of it, it’ll be over soon.

What I’d like to talk right now is a vague idea called creativity. It’s so much abstract to tell you the truth (heck, even abstractness is called creativity), and what I’d want to do now is to translate it to something more tangible for you to use.

You see, creativity makes the difference. If you think hard work, or perseverance, or talent, or plain geniusness is enough- then you’ve totally forgot what your preschool teachers have told you.

You need to be creative, too.

Because, believe it or not, in this world, creativity, or the lack thereof, can make or break you. Steve Jobs knows. I took his example.

“Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal”

When I first heard this quote from Steve Jobs (the God of Apple), I automatically understood what he meant. In fact, it came to me as a sort of epiphany- something that I’ve been looking for and just felt glad to finally discover.

Nobody owns a single idea.

Sure, we have patents and the likes to protect ones own invention or trademark, but when it comes to ideas, all of us have equal rights to access them in any way we want.

The only catch perhaps is that it’s always better to be the first to conceptualize and use it.

But if the first one who though of it didn’t make things right (or you can make it better), then steve jobs gave us a golden rule to follow: “Good artists copy, great artists steal”.

Better Steal Than Copy, Says Steve Jobs

What’s the big difference between both you say?

People who copy create duplicates. They adjust a little, tweak a little, but overall, it’s just the same thing. If you where the buyer and given the choice between the original and the duplicate (or the copy version), who would you choose?

Of course, you’d still stick to the original. Even if the price difference would be a huge figure, the original would still be the winner. No one, and I mean no one, would like to settle for a ‘copy’.

People who steal are in to create a bigger game- their own game. Steve Jobs is not the first one to invent a laptop or even an operating system (say hi to Bill Gates). But he was creative. He saw where Microsoft Inc. fall short (in terms of the feel of their hardware and the massive vulnerability of their OS) and decided to make things even better.

Of course, that’s the time he founded Apple Inc.

If you think about it, Sergey Brin and Larry Page (founders of Google) weren’t the first one to make business with search engines too. Of course, there was msn (hi again Bill Gates) and altavista and they were truly big players at that time.

But Brin and Page thought something more could be done. And so they came to built the biggest, fastest, most widely used search engine ever in the planet. Google.

Creativity is About…

… looking for solutions. Always better, brighter solutions. Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be complex, and I quote Jobs again when he said....


... “simplicity is the ultimate innovation”.

UPDATE: The quote "good artists copy, great artists steal" is actually by Picasso. Looks like someone beat the great master at his own game. Quite ironic indeed! Thanks to Ben for the clarification.

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Liane is Back! (and she's got loads to tell you!)

It's kinda weird talking in the third person. Lol. Anyways...

While it may seem like I disappeared from the face of the web for a complete month (because of my pledge), trust me, taking a break was the last thing on my agenda.

First thing’s first. About the reason why I disappeared.

You can read about my take about the Haiti Earthquake here and the pledge that I made because of it. While it may already seem history to you, it’s still the middle of the crisis for a lot of people in there. So for the umpteenth time, please do help.

I’m happy to because it seems my pledge didn’t turned out to be futile. I’ve received messages from bloggers about how it made them mobilize their own Haiti relief campaign. Thank you very much for all those who’ve supported me in this one. It’s not much but every single effort counts right?

So now that I’m done (for this post) talking about that, I’m gonna move on to the second part. What did I do for the past month? I’m so excited to tell you all about it right now.

From January 16 to February 16

To be honest, I thought I was really going to be taking a break for a month (since of course I can’t blog). Then again, there’s still some marketing work I could do… or guest posting (which I kind of slacked at). I tried doing those things, but eventually felt it was all in vain since you can’t really market much if you don’t freshen up your content.

After almost a week, I thought I was gonna end up breaking my pledge. I’m itching to post a new article. It felt as if I were cheating on my blogging regimen.

Operation Refocus Passion

But of course, I can’t just pull back and say it’s been some kind of rash mistake about the one month period. I was adamant (or stubborn you can say) to stick with it till the end.

So I figured out, I should find something else to do. Rechannel all the blogging energy to something that could turn out as productive.

The solution was simple- I found back my passion to graphic designing. I downloaded as much tutorial ebooks, brushes, gradients and all sorts of cool downloads. After a few short days, I was happily busy again.

I also focused it into writing and creating projects which I plan to release once I get back into blogging (meaning now!). I designed, I wrote ebooks, I learned new things.

What’s surprising is that within a month of supposedly idleness, it turned out to be more productive than I could ever imagined!


How Productive? Here’s What I Accomplished Within One Month

First Accomplishment
I founded a freelancing business. (holy cow!) I call it, Twarks Twitter Designs
Visit site: http://www.Twarks.NET

Brief Story: In my previous post, you can very well see my addiction to both designing and twitter. Well, one day, I was just visiting profiles after profiles and I came to realize something, that there are so many twitter profiles out there that doesn’t have their own professional twitter background. What a loss for branding right?

There I found an opportunity. Since I’m fond of designing my twitter background, why not turn it into something profitable? Viola. Twarks Twitter Designs was created!

This is my first shot to being a freelancer-slash-entrepreneur and I’m pretty hyped up with this venture. I might be biased if I tell you all good things about this, so if you’re interested to know more, why not read George Serradinho’s review of Twarks.


Second Accomplishment
Release of the 70 Ideas For Your Next 70 Posts – Poster Edition (see it here!)

And guess what, it's happening right now!

Brief Story: Remember the post "The 50 Ideas For Your Next 50 Posts"? Since a lot, and I mean A LOT, of you found it to be extremely useful (imagine having a hard time coming up with a single post idea when you can have 50 of them right away), I thought of a way to make it even better.

I came up with two things. First, I expanded it to 70 Ideas (an additional 20 more post ideas!) and second of all, since I'm into designing for the past month, I created a ready-to-print poster which you can mount right at your workspace (say hello to instant ideas!)

And I have a surprise for you, I'm doing a soft launch of it right now!

See the soft launch of the 70 Ideas For your next 70 Posts - Poster Edition


You can see the larger, upclose preview here

I plan to make an entire new post dedicated for it on the launch. But since I’m pretty game to making my comeback a blast, might as well do the soft launch now. The poster looks stunning you have to admit.

Learn more on how to get the poster of the 70 Ideas For Your Next 70 Posts.


My Comeback Surprise For You (Hint: Discounts!)

Since the past 30 days (or one month) had been such a success for me (even being unable to blog), I want to give you something useful. No other than promo codes! Since I'm just starting out with Twarks, I'm very much looking for the first batch of clients.

If you order right now, you're going to get 30% OFF on your professional Twitter background. Just place 30% OFF Order in your message subject line. Go to twarks.

Plus, since now's the soft launch of the 70 Ideas Poster, how about a 30% OFF deal too? Use the promo code "LIANEISBACK" when you get your poster. Grab your poster now.


In Summary

I'm really happy that I've accomplished my pledge, and at the same time thankful for those who've supported me (and was eager for my comeback!). The whole one month, thank goodness, didn't turn out to be a lazy month. Well actually, it been more than a blast! I founded my first business... and... I created my first ever product!

Not bad for missing in action for a month right? Just glad to be back :)

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