Bloggers Block (Tuesday, 13 September 2011 By Guruvantage Team)
Can ‘Jugaad’ be taught??
Ever experienced a situation, when you WANTED to pen your thoughts but were unable to even think of anything remotely stimulating? When there is so much to say and words don’t come easy? When there are blog ideas germinating all the time, but hey! You draw a blank when u actually schedule your blog time accordingly. If yes, then I’d rather congratulate you on being normal! It happens to the best of us! The most avid blogger is at times fumbling through the corridors in his head to figure out his communication. This is a typical symptom of Bloggers Block!
Very recently, over a conversation with an avid social networker-turned-blogger the discussion inadvertently turned towards the Bloggers Block. His dilemma –that over the last 2 weeks, he had come across numerous blog subjects… pondered over them…. constructed his view-point….opinionated about them…and when he put on his bloggers cap….poof! - drew a blank!
Hence, I thought of dedicating this blog to my thoughts on the Bloggers Block syndrome and the means to avoid the mind vacuum. Towards the end of it, I hope there would be some self-improvement thoughts as well!
Self Training for the Bloggers Block!
The many years spent in the training space have taught me that, there would be typically, only a (very) few skills that cannot be improved by adequate and fulfilling training sequences. Surprising as it may seem, even Bloggers Block can be addressed by a relevant and focussed trained approach. While collating my thoughts on topic at hand, I have categorised the solution approach in the form of 3R’s method. The first R in the line is
Rummage through – Go through, explore, seek, and ruminate through the visuals, audios, emotions, experiences all around you. Pick up hints and ideas from all around you. Try to identify a pain or a need or a want relevant to the topics that you (and your audience) care for. Be open-minded and look at a target subject from a four dimensional aspect. Be unbiased and unaffected by whatever you may stumble upon, it may only help you to be observant from a distance and thus, be distinct in your opinion and view! From a blog standpoint it will always pay you to be ruthless and objective in your observation.
Rudyard way – Reminds me of a para-phrase by Rudyard Kipling -
I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea,
I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
I give them all a rest.
I have noticed over a period of time, it is always wise and appropriate to note your observations or deductions in whatever mode that you may so want. However, in most cases, the historic technique of documenting always (well, almost always) works. With the trend now-a-days, It is always a good idea to ‘Google’ or lately, even ‘Bing’ your subject for a more elaborate rounded-off point of view. Personally, I find talking to people around me - a super way of gathering information and even ‘debated’ points of view. To think of it, you could actually have information about anything…absolutely anywhere…. almost anytime. Towards the end, It’s just a question of keeping your input senses open to absorption and nurture a keen sense of interest in the - What, Why, When, How, Where and Who…
Report – Now, is a critical one. Take out time, put words to your thoughts, key in sentences and represent your deductions – but do it as soon as time permits. Delaying will only result in the stream of thoughts to get vague in directionless. Moreover, the tempo of ‘at-the-moment’ will only get further diluted with any further wait in the cargo area!
You might be able to derive the information you may want, but it becomes ‘relevant information’ only if it is shared with the target audience….rest as they say is all Bah! Humbug!