Inspiration for the Creation of Content

Insight from the SIPA Conference’s opening Keynote Presentation with Joseph Kayne

Inspiration isn’t always the easiest thing to come by. This isn’t just true in the world of content creation, but throughout all walks of life.

Many of us become consumed with the tasks of every day life, and forget to keep our eyes and ears open for inspiration. We experience stresses and frustrations, and often times close our minds to the inner child that lies in us all; the little voice that still believes anything is possible.

Joseph Kayne, the vice president of education at Imagine It!, has not forgotten about the hopefulness of the inner child, nor has he forgotten the power of creative thinking.

Kayne opened the SIPA Conference in Washington, DC with insight overlooked by many. It was a speech that touched me, rekindled the passions I often misplace and bestowed hope and wonder to an audience of special interest publishers.

Highlights of the Keynote Presentation

Some presenters will stand in front of a room and talk about their ideas, their business or their success. These types of presentations can be valuable to some, but they don’t necessarily give food for thought to everyone, especially if the type of business discussed isn’t closely related.

The types of presentations that grab attention are the ones that ask questions. It has been a concept that I’ve wrestled with for years. Even now I think about my public education experience, where I was rewarded with good grades for memorizing dates or theories. I was rarely asked to think outside the box and devise a plan or concept that was new to the class.

Doctor Kayne did ask the important questions though. His speech highlighted the importance of paying attention to what happens around us all. He posed the questions of, “What is this observation trying to tell me? And how might it be relevant to what is going on.”

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He discussed synchronicity, which is defined as the experience of two or more events that are seemingly unrelated, yet occur together in a meaningful manner. Making a connection between two things that aren’t related can be the catalyst in creating a new product or developing unique content.

Four more pieces of insight for opportunity-obsessed individuals

Kayne discussed these four tips to help keep boundaries off the mind:

-Suspend judgment
-Ask dumb questions
-Pay attention
-Don’t get stuck in one mindset

These tips are valuable in life and in business. From now on I will keep them in mind when I am busy creating content for Mequoda, just as you may want to do.

I implore you to try it out next time you’re meeting with colleagues or simply when you’re out around town. Pay attention to your surroundings, and ask your colleagues why you promote for a specific product over another one. Explore ideas brought up by others, even if they are different than typical ones.

If you’re an editor and you are stumped on your next article, take a different approach. Connect the subject you’re writing about with something completely different, but something you’re passionate about. It may lead you down a road full of intrigue. In the article itself, ask questions to your audience, even if they are simplistic and “dumb”. You may be surprised by the outcome.

Keep your mind open, push away some of the usual constraints you face from your job and society, and always keep “looking for the next right answer”.

Now that I have shared this information, what is it that inspires you? I’d love to hear your answers.

Comments
    Joel G.

    A great article. The importance of creative thinking. It is time that we get out of the box, stop limiting ourselves, and observe the demands of the market. Visit my website for tips and Advice about how to earn your freedom from your J.O.B.
    by earning money online with your own online business.

    Reply

    What an interesting piece. I hardly ever bother to comment, but actually wanted to say how much I agree with Joseph– and I think it is the playful side of ourselves that can deliver the goods if we have that mindset. I work with ideas around residential care for older people: you might think that is a serious and potentially ‘heavy’ world but of course there is scope for fun, laughter and creativity amidst all the hard work, effort and struggle that it can entail. You might say it is my mission to do justice to the whole of life as it is experienced in such a setting, so while I can write serious stuff I love to let humour, absurdity and sheer silliness be the order of the day at other times;and that can be inspired by anything,e.g a snippet of conversation heard in the street, having one’s assumptions about a person wonderfully overturned, why there are so many spiders in my house, and given free reign it can go on an interesting journey (James Joyce and Stream of consciousness etc) a long way from the original starting point to a topical theme that will resonate with people;and people respond.

    And if in doubt, fall back on Edward De Bono- How to have Creative Ideas!

    Reply

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