Inspiration!

What do you do when you have none?

[Marketing Guy]

Just re-designed a site of mine. Its my main site - ive put the most work into it of all my sites. Its a fairly original site, not in concept, but in its industry.

Now im stuck!

I just cannot think of anything to add to it.

Its an information based site - so ive got loads of articles. Ive have a resource (links) section. A discussion forum. A site news page. News headline content feeds.

Its not the type of site that a newsletter would be of much use.

Bah!

What do you do when you're out of ideas? (Yes Ive been to see the competition - they're all morons! :)).

Cheers
Scott

[Mike12345]

I always find when i get stuck for ideas, the best thing to do is to forget about it for a few days, time permitting of course!, and then come back to it with a refreshed state of mind.

Sometimes my best ideas come when im not even trying.

:) Have Fun

[troels nybo nielsen]

> What do you do when you're out of ideas?

Something else. :) Right now I ought to be writing an article that I promised my readers to write, but the inspiration isn't there, so instead I revise some old stuff.

[edit_g]

quirky news section relating to whatever industry it is in (or just gererally) as a welcome distraction?

Most read/most viewed type feature.

[Marketing Guy]

See ive been thinking about it for a while now - but i just cant come up with anything! :(

So im just spending lunch raising my post count! ;)

>quirky news section relating to whatever industry it is in (or just gererally) as a welcome distraction?
Most read/most viewed type feature.

All covered in site news and forum. :)

Scott

[sem4u]

Why not write an article about having a mental block? :)

[Marketing Guy]

>Why not write an article about having a mental block?

Not really relevant to my users unfortunately! And I wouldnt give my competition the satisfaction.....

Scott

[OntheEdge]

you could always go back over your old articles, starting at the oldest, chances are, you can add an update to them.
Also you could look for connections between you newer articles and your older ones...add crosslinks.

[Marketing Guy]

Redesign is one week old. All articles are updated and newly crosslinked! :)

Scott

[rogerd]

Hmmm, other than taking a break to clear the mind, I'd suggest surfing a variety of sites in different industries and looking at their features and content. Imagine how you could adapt that to your own site.

I attended a seminar in which the facilitator gave us clipped out magazine ads and told us to use the ad as a basis for a new ad for our company. The exercise was mostly a mental loosening-up thing, but I found the results surprising. As we reviewed each participant's ideas, a few popped out as being really good - far better than the canned dreck we were getting from our agency. A key part of the exercise was making yourself do it rather than just rejecting the ad. I.e., instead of saying, "That ad is for beer, and my product is widgets" you need to give it a try anyway. Not every one works, but ten tries might net an idea or two. Try it with other websites & see what happens!

[Mike12345]

Go for a walk, and chill, then do some work :)

[Marketing Guy]

Thats a good idea Roger, I think ill give it a go! :)

Mike, just been for one! :)

Scott

[SlyGuy]

Hey Scott,

Check your sticky, hope it helps..

- Chad

[Marketing Guy]

Yep got it! :)

Cheers

Scott

[stever]

I'll agree with Mike12345 here - but I don't think he was talking about just a walk round the block.

The best inspirations come when I'm hiking, pounding the treadmill, sitting on the chairlift - in other words, totally switched off from thinking about the problem in hand and doing something active where I can get into a "zone".

[martinibuster]

Sword Master Musashi wrote that it's important to develop skills apart from your main occupation. He wrote that seemingly unrelated work held lessons and observations that could be applied to your main occupation.

Thus, Musashi was an expert painter, calligrapher, carpenter, etc, and learned the values of patience, a steady hand, and sharpened his way of seeing by becoming a painter, etc. As a carpenter I'm sure he learned lessons about support structures and foundations in a more profound way than just talking about structures and good foundations.

When I need a boost I go to the museum and look at the sculptures, paintings, and video installations, then browse their bookshop and handle the various knick-knacks for sale.

[edited by: martinibuster at 4:11 pm (utc) on Mar. 3, 2003]

[Marketing Guy]

I had a very book which was a compilation of quotes and theories by Bruce Lee that I used to read for inspiration.

But I gave it to a friend and now she's travelling around Thailand. Go figure. Don't think I will be getting it back anytime soon! :)

But, Steve and Martini - you're both right, I think I'll get away from it for a bit - been working a lot lately! :)

Cheers all!

Scott

[edit_g]

Hmmm...

http**://www.inspiration.com

;)

[webwoman]

A good reliable Muse is hard to find these days :(
Hmmm....not a bad idea for a new website - Muses for all occasions....

[Marketing Guy]

Cheers all! :)

Thanks to Slyguy and Liane for the sticky's and the rest of you for the posts!

Ive got a few ideas, which kind of began as possible articles (suggested by Liane! :)) which are rapidly progressing into becoming entire sections!

Dammit.....no time off for a hike up a mountain then.... ;)

Thanks again folks!

Scott