This is Day 13 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog, a group project 60+ of us bloggers are doing together in an effort to help each other become better bloggers.
Today’s assignment is to discover different ways to derive inspiration. As I read the assignment I found myself cringing a bit as it looked like I was going to add something more to my plate (as if most of us don’t have enough already). Then I began to realize it wasn’t adding anything at all but rather forcing me to get things done.
Take the Time
As I thought about the idea of pushing myself away from my computer and going to the mall it became apparent I was going to have to leave the house. Not something I really like doing (at least going to the mall part). But I decided, begrudgingly, to follow the suggestion to see what would happen.
As I entered the mall I began making my observations and it suddenly became interesting. I saw the people, the businesses, the advertisements and the structures differently. I started asking myself some questions. Who are these people? Why are they here? What attracts them to such a crowded space? I started to see people rushing by but I could sense they each had a purpose and a direction. Each store was intentionally designed to reach a certain people group. They used colours, displays and other attractions to grab these people’s attention. It was interesting how the mall itself was laid out to make it easier for people to find their particular niche store.
I accumulated a large amount of data in a very short amount of time. So, I sat down in one of the chairs and began to record what I had observed. I even took time to ask myself some more questions and reflect on the answers. By the time I was done I could sense I was ready to write this post.
Be Prepared
Prepare yourself with the right attitude. Keep in mind this is something that will make you a better blogger. Also equip yourself with some tools to help keep you on track. A standard pen and paper is a start. However, I also found that I would like to take along some tech tools to help me. These could include: an ipod or iphone, a notebook, a digital camera, a digital recorder or other tool that would help record my thoughts.
Review the Process
Go – somewhere and intentionally make it interesting for yourself. In order to refuel and get some addition insight I found I need to get out and go to the mall, the library, the park, the sports arena, the amusement park or some other place of interest.
Observe – the things that are happening all around us. Many bloggers are already keenly observant. But this skill needs to be continually worked on or it becomes dull.
Question – like a child. Asking questions can be difficult but it is the way Jesus got His disciples to discover things for themselves.
Who?
– Who is at the mall?
What?
– What are they buying?
Why?
– Why do the stores use certain colours?
When?
– When do the stores see the most activity?
Where?
– Where are the displays put for the various stores?
How?
– How do the malls direct traffic?
Record – your observations so that you can take time later to go over what you have heard, seen, felt, smelt and touched.
Reflect – on what is going on around you as often as possible. I have found that I need to intentionally make the time for quiet reflection in order to bring together and make sense of all the experiences I have in a day.
Share – what you learned with others. Blogging is often just answering questions that you or someone else may have asked.
Discussion
- Where are some of the places you find you are most inspired?
- What are some practical ways you gain inspiration?
- Post a link to a post you have written with a comment telling what inspired you to write the post.
The Extra Mile
A few other things you can do to take your blog, other bloggers, and this project even further today…
- Reply & give other bloggers feedback on the little things they do.
- When other bloggers include a link to a new article they’ve posted today, click, read, and comment on it.
- Check previous posts in the series for new comments.
- Tweet, share, & bookmark this post.
- Please review Seiji Yamashita’s blog, The Ignition Point, and give him some feedback.
Rob Ross is the coordinator for Oikos Ministries (a network of organic churches). He is a disciple of Jesus (Making Disciples) who lives in Calgary, AB with his family. Connect with Rob on Facebook or Twitter.
45 Comments
I think it depends a lot on what type of blog one has. My blog is much more doctrine/theology orientated. So, instead of cruising the mall, it may be a good idea to hang around the local Christian book store to see what people buy.
Hmmm….I have a similar situation, since my blog is about prayer. And yet, if I can reach non-Christians and convince them that prayer is real and effective, because there really is a God to whom we can pray (because He loves us) then that would be a great thing.
Similarly, I think theology and doctrine can speak to non-Christians. Too many Christians hear the the words "doctrine" and "theology" and instantly fall asleep out of boredom, and yet those things tell us who God is and what He like, and they can have very real ramifications on our day to day life.
LOTS of people are seeking spiritual truths – not just Christians. Acts 17:27 reminds us that God has placed everyone in their particular place and time so that they might look for Him and perhaps find Him. What does going to the mall tell you about what people are seeking? How can you address those things on your blog?
Those are excellent points. By studying the people and our culture, we know better how to minister to them! (I love that verse from Acts too.)
I agree with the idea of still getting out there, and that things like prayer, theology, and doctrine apply everywhere. I think that those things are best when applied to the culture.
I nodded off at doctrine…zzzzz 😛
For your blog, hanging around the Christian book store sounds like a great idea! I hope it goes well.
BTW, with kids in school and homework and assignments and all, who has time to hang out at the mall? 🙂
I get it, I do. But I will not be swayed by sales on boxer shorts…
http://greeninventionscentral.blogspot.com/2010/0…
How often does this 31dbbb run?
Been reading a few of you and I can see improvements.
This is the first time OurChurch has done it I believe and first time for most of us too.
Hi Mark, like Scott said, this is the first time we've done 31dbbb here. It sounds like a lot of the people participating are learning a lot and their taking significant steps forward with their blogs. So, there's definitely a possibility that we could do this or something like this on a regular basis.
I'm going to wait until this project has finished and then also ask for feedback from everyone participating before making any decisions about future 31dbbb projects.
Won't be going to the mall today. They are forecasting severe thunderstorms and baseball size hail in our area for the second time in a week. One video from Oklahoma City made national news and you can find it on youtube.
Hail storm-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFv2W7Duqiw
My video blog for today-http://ronniespoon.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-am-stre…
The mall. The mall? Ugh! I guess I am like many men, I have almost an allergic reaction to the mall. But I get the point, the marketing, what drives people, what they are looking for… Okay, I'll do it. Pray that I'll have a better attitude about it. I'll post later what I find.
It might be worth trying to just get out and go for a walk. I know the book suggests going out and gazing at marketing and such, but it's probably just as effective to get out and away from the computer. I think that going for a good long walk could be almost as good as long you don't TRY to think about anything. Once you get out of your own way, chances are that writing will be easier and you'll get some great ideas ontop of it. Like how all your best ideas come to you when you are doing something completely unrelated to writing you know?
I DO know. Some of my best ideas have come when I'm in the shower, not thinking about anything at all!
I agree about the best ideas coming when doing something other than writing. I was just talking to a friend the other day about this very thing. He asked me if I wanted to be a writer, and I told him, "No, I want to be a Christ-follower who lives the kind of life worthy of being called a disciple of Christ… and then make sure that I'm writing about that."
The point is well taken that our blogging should come from experiences that we have in the real-world, not just thoughts we have while hiding behind a computer.
Go strong, bro! We're all in this together. You can do this!
Excellent post Rob! Telling personal experience seems to connect well to people like me. Unexpected, rich experiences challenge us.
Like some of the other work we have done, this one is about observing. Of course there was the observing what is happening in marketing (i.e. pop culture and shopping trends). That seems to evoke some pretty severe allergies in some bloggers. But, it can remind us of the variety of things, colors, types of pictures, that create an inviting presence for a blog or post. The help is probably in the details not the big picture there.
To me the main value is observing people and relationships. That's relevant to anything we write – how does it (or God) connect to people. What aspects of our created being (even our fallen being) have I become numb to or never seen before that God wants to use in communicating the message(s) in your blog?
http://guidedreflections.blogspot.com/2010/05/he-…
I can't exactly go to a mall today due to where I live, but I am walking downtown and back so will observe what I see during that time. Some of the places I'm most inspired are online – church experiences, small groups, Facebook, here, while chatting with friends. I also get inspired through physical church services, things I do, playing with kids, reading blogs, looking outside, etc.
I gain inspirition from friends online or offline, reading other blogs, doing things online with other people, youtube videos.
The Children: How I Started Blogging (inspired by a video on Tony Morgan and his sister Jen's blogs)http://tijuanabecky.wordpress.com/2010/04/27/12/ Jen's video of the children inspired me to start blogging. I wanted to share it with my friends on FB or Twitter but it was beyond 140 or 280 characters and just wouldn't fit, I needed somewhere I could write several paragraphs about it. This inspired a public blog and it went from there.
Tony's blog –http://tonymorganlive.com/
Jen's blog –http://www.jenmorganonline.com/
Sheesh. I'm back. I'm flabbergasted at how amazingly full my plate is because of some things that were handed to me. I work for a church, and Christmas and Easter are usually very busy, but those pale in comparison, and now, on top of everything, my daughter and wife are both sick.
Hence, I missed yesterday's assignment. I'll go back and revisit that one later. And I'll stop whining now 😉
I found today's assignment pretty interesting, and I didn't really get why going to the mall would be that helpful until I read his blog post describing what he learned by going to the mall. Now I get it.
Whenever I'm out and about, I've always got an agenda, so I've never seen things that way. When I'm at the mall, I'm usually just annoyed by all of the in-your-face-ness of everything, and it never occurred to me to stop, look, and listen. We can learn a lot about our culture there, and then be able to speak into that culture.
I'm sorry your wife and daughter are sick. I'll be praying for their speedy recovery and for you to be able to breathe and take one task at a time!
I like malls early in the morning and late in the evening when there are few people about. I'm kinda claustrophobic so too many people crowding around me messes me up. The real question is the goal of the exercise. If you want to study marketing techniques, people, or just breathe. Anyways, Today's blog(s) are here 🙂 http://justapen.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/simple-r… http://justapen.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/31dbbb-f…
I like to study the people!