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The key is finding the will to write. Sometimes I write like a woman possessed for hours on end. Words drench the pages like a summer storm. Other days could be accurately described as a drought.

Sometimes the block sneaks up on you. You start a brand new series with zeal only to have that passion fizzle out a few entries in. Then the block stays just long enough for your inner critic to set up house in the forefront of your mind and tell you all the reasons why you shouldn’t even bother writing in the first place. (Most of which seems to begin with, “You don’t know how to start that sentence.”)

But, in learning to fight this internal demon — the block — I’ve discovered there is really only one thing you can do to disarm him: Write. Write a postcard, write a fleeting thought, or write a grocery list. What you write doesn’t matter so much as the fact that you’re writing.

Then, write a little more each day and keep it flowing. And if that demon begins to rear his ugly head again, pick up your sword and cut him deeply with your words.

Tags: creativity, writing

I’m currently testing out the new Word 2007 and its built-in blogging functionality. Quite frankly, the color schemes it has are less than stellar – I’ll just stick with the blue for now. Maybe they’ll come out with more in the future.

My main concern when it comes to blogging from MS Word is how the HTML will be presented after publication. Though I probably shouldn’t be as picky as I am, it does bother me when a desktop publishing client uses sloppy or invalid (X)HTML code.

One thing I do like about using MS Word for blogging is the convenience. It’s literally as simple as typing a document and hitting the publish button. Another question that comes up, though, is how to view the HTML of the page to format it for publication; I have a number of special CSS tags designed for image and page layout, and I would love to use them instead of cluttering up my code with superfluous inline styles. But, we’ll have to see.

Tags: blogging, blogs, desktop blog editor

It took nearly six months, but I finally listened to a Jerry & Esther Hicks MP3 file (courtesy of my friend Belle) that I had put off. The topic was You Create Your Own Reality.

To me, it was odd — possibly perfect — timing because since returning from my trip to Jamaica, my emotions have tapered off. In Jamaica, though it was sometimes hectic, I was able to relax internally a lot more than I do at home.

In fact, I remember one distinct afternoon that flowed into the evening like perfection. The day didn’t start out as a perfect one. It was loud, it was frustrating, the internet was acting up and it was only 9:00am. I thought, for sure, the day was going to be a poor one, but thankfully my sister brought the niece and nephew out to the pool which allowed me some quiet alone time.

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Sometimes the pressure of real-life and the mounting bills can dictate where the money you earn from your online business goes; however, it always seems to go to places other than back to your online business. This was a lesson I learned early on — if you don’t reinvest in your business to help it grow, it will stagnate.

Reinvesting in one’s business is crucial to the growth of that business. It’s also the topic I’ve been reminding myself to discuss for the longest time. But, after some thought, I figured it would be fun to work on a small reinvesting experiment.

It would be prudent, at this point, to mention this isn’t a short-term experiment. The end goal is to build a sustainable passive monthly income of $5,000 or more (and growing) at the end of a 12 month period. What’s the catch? I plan only to start with a budget of $20.

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It’s astonishing how easy it is for one to lose one’s soul in internet marketing. So many e-mails flying around promising to reveal the next massive money-maker and so many, often contradictory, articles and reports promising the best way to earn money. Suddenly, it doesn’t seem so astonishing. In fact, I wonder how more people aren’t lost and disillusioned on this crooked road. Continue reading →