Clarity of Vision

clarityofvision — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:23:00 +0000

Blog Post Caches

Hi folks. It's been a few days since my last entry, which brings up my topic for today. I was laid low with illness and am just today feeling like being upright and at a computer.

So, what did I think about when I was laying in bed? That I wasn't able to post a blog entry! Ironically, the day before I got hit with the bug, I had taught in the Social Media webinar I'm co-hosting that it's a wise idea to have a cache of blog entries that you are working on, so that if there's ever a day that you can't sit down to write a post, you have some stored for quick access and easy posting.

Here's a simple way to stimulate ideas and then write up several short discussions to keep on hand:

1. Go to Google, Yahoo, or another search engine and type in keywords that match your target audience.

2. View some of the blogs that come up in the search.

3. Read through some of the posts and, whether you agree or disagree with what the writer is saying, write down the topic of what you would say in response (if you have some time and the blogger allows comments, by all means do that; it's good practice and your responses will cause people to want to see more of what you have to say).

4. When you have about 5-6 topics in your area of expertise, start with one and write a 3-5 paragraph post based on your own experience.

5. Do that again with each post, saving them as drafts. In an hour or so, you should have them all written.

6. When you need a new post, take one of the drafts, read through it again, edit if necessary, then post it.

7. Go through this process at least once a week and you will continually restock your cache.

Now you don't have to panic when you don't have time to think and write a blog post.

And now, back to my own cache-building...

Write On!
Marilyn Schwader

clarityofvision — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:46:00 +0000

Writing For the Web

The next few posts are going to be on the subject of writing for the web. This includes writing posts for blogs, writing online articles, writing for social media, and writing for your website. Later, I'll get into writing marketing copy.

There are probably a few of you reading this who are new to the Internet and are a little overwhelmed with all the possibilities and where to start. What is the best way to keep from having the feeling it's just too much to learn and you'll never have the time to know it all?

Yes, getting up and running can be overwhelming at first. Actually, even at times when you have more knowledge :-). Remember to take smaller steps first and build up from there.

There are two important things to keep in mind. First, is to look at social media as a new board game that you are just learning. First, you learn the rules, then you set up the pieces, then you start at square one, roll the dice, and start. Sometimes you'll take great leaps forward, sometimes it'll seem like a crawl, and sometimes you might even go backward a step or two and have to do it over. The critical thing is to have fun while you are doing it! And know that everyone on the Internet started in the exact same place!

The second thing to remember is that the Internet, and all the gadgets, widgets, and resource websites are tools. And if you remember the first time you used a hammer, you didn't just pick it up and know how to use it in the best way. You got better each time. Now when you pick up a hammer, you don't even think about the learning curve. So, in the beginning you'll be learning how and setting things up, step-by-step.

Also, remember what I started with on the call: Belief causes Action causes Results; Bigger Belief causes Bigger Action with Bigger Results. First you have an idea, then you create a plan of action, then you take the first step. Everything else will be dependent on each step, and that’s all you have to focus on in this moment. When something works, take another step. If you have a set-back, learn from what didn’t work and try it slightly different the next time.

Taking action is a success. You've already taken a big step by being in the class!

A small step is to set up your blog. If you want to do it in a few easy steps, go to www.wordpress.com and play around with setting up a blog. Wordpress.com is a free blog site and is very user-friendly. You can try different templates (if you choose one, make sure it has the capability of using unlimited widgets). You can also go into Wordpress's help menu and read some of the information they provide. It will help you get familiar with some terms (they even have a glossary).

If you are more technical and want more development tools to use for your blog, go to www.wordpress.org. From there you can learn how to upload wordpress to your server or webhost control panel. This route gives you the ability to add your own banner and other HTML code, flash, and other tools to the blog. It also gives you the ability to direct your blog to a specific URL.

You can have a web presence with a blog even if you don't have a website. In fact, many websites are now simply blogs that have been made to appear as websites. With either Wordpress, you can be online in a very short time, whether you use their templates and easy building tools or want to use the more extended tool. You can also build it and play with it, change it and none of it has to be public until you are ready. I'm getting ready to migrate from Blogger to Wordpress because of the expanded capabilities I can use in the latter.

If you are still overwhelmed, but would like to keep building your online presence, find someone to add to your support team, then delegate the setup work to them. Then you can do more of what you enjoy and are good at to build your business.

Write On!
Marilyn

clarityofvision — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:24:00 +0000

The Other Creative Curse: Lack of Focus

Yesterday, I wrote about one type of Creative Curse: the belief that the genius of creativity is not a good thing to have. Today, I'm writing about an entirely different perspective that can also be called a Creative Curse: Lack of Focus!

Yesterday I was on a call as a member of the advisory board for SmartWomensCoaching.com, a site dedicated to helping women who are in transition in life. We were talking about the new technologies that are available and what I would be sharing on tomorrow's webinar: The ABCs of Social Media: How to Make Writing Online Easy, Fun, and Phenomenally Effective. Some of the coaches on the call were very excited about the prospect of using video, audio, blogging, and social networking to promote their businesses, while others expressed their feeling of overwhelm in all of the possible mediums available to use. The question came up, "What works best for you, and how do you do it all?"

That question comes up all the time in my work with writing clients. Whether you are creating your strategy, writing an article, or painting a picture, it's easy to go off in several directions. How DO you choose what will work best? That's the curse of creativity. There are so many possibilities, so little time. And yet, there's often excitement about the prospect of every one of those possibilities.

What do you do? You have to focus your intention and attention on one at a time – the one that fits your brand if you are developing your strategy, or the one theme if you are writing an article, or one subject if you are painting a picture. Creatives tend to want to go down one path, then veer off on another tangent, then they see another possibility that looks even more exciting. Ultimately, they don't get anything done because they are trying out all of the different things, spreading themselves too thin, and therefore, never completing a task.

The best thing to do is to always ask if what you are doing in this moment will lead you to your destination the most direct and simple way? If not, then set it aside for now and look at the next choice. Ask again. If it doesn't fit with your current objective, DON'T DO IT. If it fits, but is not your passion, build a team so you have the time to do what you truly love. No matter how enticing or how much adrenaline you get from the idea, learn to refocus your attention on what's most important in that moment to reach your vision.

One of the hardest parts of being a creative is to learn how to delegate. But once you have the support you need, you will accomplish so much more. You'll be doing what you love, and the energy you will start to have as a result will allow you to create works of art by following the passion of your heart.

clarityofvision — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:58:00 +0000

The Creative Curse

Last week, I attended a lecture by the bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert. The book uses the author's true gift of storytelling to relate her year-long journey to recover from divorce and find her true love. Gilbert's writing is irreverent, humorous, touching – everything I love my writing clients to emulate.

In her speech, Gilbert talked at length about what has happened to our view of creativity and using one's genius based on societal and cultural changes since the Renaissance. Because I've been writing and coaching about the topic of creativity for years (see A Guide to Getting It: Creative Intelligence), she had my complete attention.

The creative curse is the term I use to describe the social belief that being creative is a bad thing, that being a creative will not earn you the money, status, or ease of life that you would have if you just settled for a secure job. By placing this belief on children, by discouraging it in yourself, you are denying the world your genius. By not using your genius, you are saying to God, "I don't trust that what you had intended for me is right."

So, tap into your creative genius, learn how to explore what that looks like in your life. Move beyond the belief that being creative is a curse. You'll be amazed at the changes you'll see in your life when you do.

clarityofvision — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:26:00 +0000

The True Passion Test - What's Right in Front of You?

Last year at my niece's graduation, the keynote speaker was sharing how she had veered from her degree of psychology to her current position as editor of Food Day magazine. One day she was lamenting to her husband how she "just didn't know what her passion was" as she stood looking at a ceiling-to-floor bookshelf filled with cookbooks and other food-related tomes. He had to point out the irony before she was able to see what was right in front of her.

What most of us do early in life is look at the money trail to help us decide the direction of our careers. Then, along about mid-life, we realize that the passion is missing from the picture and start to look for what we can do differently to fill that void. This might not seem related to writing, but what I've experienced is that the more passionate you are about what you are writing, the better the result. So if you are looking for what you really want to be writing about, take a look at your bookshelf. Where is your interest and how would you develop that into writing that stimulates both you and your reader?

If you still have a question about what your true passion is, I highly recommend the book by Janet Atwood, The Passion Test. She is one of the subjects of the video, The Quest for Success, on which I'm co-writing the book that will accompany the show. In the research I'm doing, I have worked through her exercises and had some surprising results. What I had long denied as a possible course in my life is now being revealed as my true passion. I've still got a ways to go before I finish the book, but I'll give a bit of foreshadowing, I've already started to develop a new website that will reflect what I've learned.

Stay tuned for more on this in the coming weeks!

Have a fabulous day!
Marilyn

Write On!

clarityofvision — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:34:00 +0000

The ABCs of Social Media

Ted and I just wrapped up our preview call of The ABCs of Social Media webinar. If you didn't get a chance to register or be on the call, we recorded it and I will post the link tomorrow morning here at the blog. As we talked about on the call, one of the reasons why we are so excited about the information we will be teaching in the four-week webinar series starting next week is that we'll not only be sharing the steps to getting you up and running with social media, we will be weaving in how to write for this emerging technology.

Social networking is relationship building, establishing trust, getting people to know you. We'll talk about developing a personal style, how to build writing around key words and phrases, how to research current trends and leverage what's happening in the news to shine more light on you and what you offer.

As I mentioned on the call, I'm excited to be learning from Ted. He is teaching what has been working for him. As much as I feel I know about technology, I'm a novice compared to what he knows. What we covered was just the tip of the iceberg. There's much more fun on the way!

I hope you can join us!
Marilyn

Write On!

clarityofvision — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:34:00 +0000

Writing in the Moment

Have you been watching the online show with Oprah and Eckhart Tolle discussing his book, A New Earth? The main theme he writes about is how the ego mind works in our lives. This is a topic that comes up frequently for myself and my clients in regards to the writing process. To really get into the creative flow, it is necessary to set aside the ego (I encourage a visualization of seeing the ego as a person and you are asking him or her to step outside the room before you start to write). When you can truly do this, you will find yourself in the present moment, because the ego only exists when your mind is either in the past or the future. When you have no thought of the past or future, you are completely connected with self, with source, and have now stepped into the flow. The more you write, the more you'll experience this state, and you'll start to find yourself able to do it in daily activities as well.

To do this when you are writing, allow the words to flow in a stream of consciousness. What the ego thrives on is fears, judgments, anxiety, and regrets you cling to in your thoughts. What stops people from truly sharing their emotions, experiences, and their true self is either a fear of the future or a regret about the past. In either case, you are no longer in the moment and you will experience struggle. This is the ego mind in control.

One tip that helped me when I was first understanding this concept years ago was to say the phrase, "I am claiming the moment" 500 times a day. To that point, I had not been a believer in affirmations, but a spiritual teacher recommended I try this every day. It took about three weeks and one day I realized that I was truly in the moment. It felt so freeing and blissful, I wanted to never let go of that moment, which immediately took me out of the present! Now, when I realize my thoughts are in the past or the future, I take a deep breath, let go of the thought, and come back to whatever it is I'm doing in that moment. The enjoyment returns, and I express my gratitude, which further expands my positive feeling. When writing, that allows me to access what is immediately in front of me and the struggle disappears.

I'd love to hear your own experiences with claiming the moment! I welcome your comments!

clarityofvision — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:37:00 +0000

My Writing Journey

For years it’s been my experience – and one I’ve shared with my coaching clients – that the writing you are engaged in reveals your own process. As you know from my last newsletter, I am currently working on a book for the PBS show, The Quest for Success: The Hero’s Journey. My experience with this project has solidified that insight for me. The journey of writing follows the same path as the content of the book: being called to adventure, facing my fears, finding the magician within, becoming a hero to myself, being of service to others, and ultimately attaining success.

The call to write is that inspiration I feel within that I am meant to share my knowledge, experience, and learning. It’s my heart-brain wanting to express itself through the written word. It comes in the form of an inkling, an “aha” moment, or a lesson I learned. Consciousness forms around the message that wants to come forth, and I begin. This is my call to adventure. And what an adventure it is.

In writing about fears, I’ve been facing them all. Whether it’s, “What will people think about what I write?” “Am I an authority on the topic?” “Is the writing good enough?” or “Can I meet deadlines and length requirements?”, I’ve experienced them all the past two months. The good news is that the second piece of advice I give my clients has also held true: When you keep writing, you will be able to face and overcome those fears and grow from them. This has most definitely been the case for me.

Another insight I’ve had validated is that the learning you gain in the process of writing will help you evolve in both your writing and your life. Oh my, has this been happening. As I’ve researched the contributors to the show and book, read their books, and listened to their transcripts, I’ve seen my conversations change, my beliefs shift, and my passions revealed more deeply than ever before. Even if another person never reads the words I write, I have reaped untold wealth from writing them. That is the beauty of writing. It is as healing – sometimes more – to the writer as it is to the reader.

If you’ve ever felt intimidated by the work it takes to be an author, remember that you are not alone. I’ve been in this business for 25 years, and I’m still experiencing emotions that I thought I had long ago moved past. Being reminded of this fact keeps me humble. It’s scary at times. And only when I am willing to alter my perspective from a view of disaster to one of humor am I able to keep moving steadily forward.

There is still a long way to go on this journey, and I’ll continue to share what I’ve experienced, because my educated guess is that you are having a similar experience – even if you are a seasoned writer, too. We’re all in good company.

clarityofvision — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:59:00 +0000

Click Here to Subscribe or Read on for Important Information

Dear Friends,

Clarity of Vision is committed to providing you with the tools and resources you need to see your world with new perspectives and an expanded vision. Begin your journey by subscribing to our monthly ezine, designed to support you in taking action to improve the quality of your writing and your life. This newsletter is for people who are committed to living high quality lives, and that are ready to share their learning with others.

To support this vision, each newsletter will be filled with tips, tools, and insights on the write path, plus a listing of upcoming events from Clarity of Vision. So please subscribe, and feel free to invite your family, friends and colleagues too!

When you subscribe by clicking on the link below, make sure that you include our email address (marilyn@clarityofvision.com) in your "approved folder" so the newsletter doesn't get filtered into a spam folder.

Please note:

* To change addresses, unsubscribe your old address using the link at the bottom of our newsletter and then subscribe your new address in the form above. You need to do this in two steps — you cannot do it with just one form.

* Most of the newsletters returned to us are because your mailboxes are full or the messages are too long and are refused. If you use a web-based email address, such as AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo or Excite, empty your mailbox early in the weekend to make room for the newsletter, or contact your administrator and make sure that you have enough room allotted to your mailbox to receive it. Also, if you have subscribed a new address recently, please be sure to UNSUBSCRIBE your old address.

Warmly,
Marilyn

clarityofvision — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:22:00 +0000

How I Work With My Writing Clients

My coaching, like the writing process, is dynamic and spontaneous. Whether my client is a seasoned author looking to polish their manuscript, or a new writer just dipping their toes in the literary world for the first time, I help bring the pieces of his or her creation together in an articulate, honest, and effective form.

What I help my writing clients do is to uncover their brilliance. I guide them to use their creative abilities, with the specific tool of writing, to shape the lives of their readers. My coaching is really igniting their creative intelligence to craft not only words, but also new life perspectives for them and their audience.

In addition to the creative aspect of writing, I coach my clients in how to more effectively use their writing to gain market visibility and generate multiple streams of writing revenue. Using my extensive knowledge of technology, the Internet, and the different types of media available, I guide my writers through the maze of e-commerce and physical distribution channels available in today's market.

Writers are unique, and their coaching process will be as well. I suggest that we have a telephone interview to discuss where you feel you are as a writer, what your goals are, and what you are committed to attaining in the coaching and writing process. We can then design a plan that will best suit your intentions.

I offer different coaching plans designed to help guide you in the writing process, product creation, and marketing both online and off. The different options are meant to help the beginning writer build a foundation, the seasoned writer to become prolific, and all writers become more savvy marketers. You can upgrade at any time.

To contact me about the possible coaching plans available to you, email marilyn@clarityofvision.com or call me at 503-460-0014. I look forward to hearing from you!

My Promise to You As Your Coach

As your writing coach, I will guide you on the write path, from concept to the marketplace. I will help you get to the heart of what you are driven to say, and to do it with clarity and authenticity. Here are the principles that I promise to bring to our time together:

A spirited and insightful conversation regarding writing and the topic you are bringing to life. Respectful and supportive comments, with praise when deserved and with nurturing guidance when needed. Clear direction as we build a foundation for taking creative risks essential for successful writing.

I provide two editing views of your writing:
1. That what you’ve written is what you want to say
2. From the observation of a new reader, including editors, agents, or publishers, to see what works in your writing, and what might be missing.

Why Work With Me?

My one-on-one work over the past four years with the 125 authors of the 10-book Guide to Getting It Life and Business Coaching series has given me incredible insights on the writing process and how it can be used to help in your readers' and your own personal, spiritual, and business life. Through my writing coaching and work with coaches, I have discovered a wealth of healing and growth available by using the creative process of writing.

My passion and strength as a writing coach is guiding writers to discover their true selves through their stories. I write from my own experience. I encourage my authors to write from theirs. I have found that there is tremendous growth and discovery as you write your own story, even though your intended audience is another reader. In the end, the greatest reward is that both you and the reader are transformed.

About Marilyn

As a Writing and Life Coach, I use humor, compassion, and a strong sense of a writer’s abilities to support and motivate my clients to become published authors. I have found that my purpose in life is to give a voice to subjects that benefit others. My mission is to provide truthful, clear, and motivating information to those who passionately desire more in their writing. My vision is to use my two passions—coaching and storytelling—to convey this information to as many people as possible.

I graduated from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon with a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Journalism with emphasis in Business Management. After working for several years as a technical writer contracting to high tech companies in the United States and Pacific Rim countries, I veered from the writing path and started my first business, M’s Tea & Coffee House, in Corvallis.

In 1998 I enrolled in Coach University and started Clarity of Vision, Inc., a Business and Life Coaching practice. The law of attraction soon worked its magic, and my experience in writing soon began drawing writing clients to my business.

Looking for a way to combine my coaching and writing experience, I decided to create a book series that would be written by coaches and that highlighted principles and ideas supported in the coaching process.

Thus, the Guide to Getting It Life and Business Coaching book series was born. There are now nine titles published in the series, with tenth available soon!

clarityofvision — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:46:00 +0000

Writing From Soul Writer's Retreat, June 18th - 21st on the coast of Oregon!

Imagine resting from your regular routine, seeing beauty in nature, and accessing your deepest connection to your self, then writing for hours on end! If you are ready for 4 days of simple, profound, and motivational advice from a published author in a beautiful setting, where you will learn to create compelling, transformational writing, join me June 18th - 21st on the rugged and beautiful Oregon coast for my next Writing From Soul Writer's Retreat. To learn more, go to www.clarityofvision.com/retreats.html

clarityofvision — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:01:00 +0000

Upcoming Webinar

The ABC’s of Social Media Marketing Success: How to Make Writing Online Easy, Fun, and Phenomenally Effective!

It's six months from now. You've increased your visitor traffic month after month, added new people to your prospect list, and established yourself as an authority in your niche. You're on the first page of Google for numerous search terms and you're an online celebrity. All of that without spending a fortune on marketing and search engine optimization!

Interested?

Then you'll want to invest the next 4 minutes with us as we reveal exactly how and why you need to be leveraging the power of Web 2.0 to establish yourself as an authority on the Internet.

Web 2.0 or Social Media is the essential new skill set necessary for navigating the connected marketplace. Leading marketers are using this incredible viral networking tool to increase their lists and to become known as experts in their niche. Once you know how to set up the system and get connected, you will start to see results almost immediately.

Learning how to leverage the power of social media, you will:

• Become an authority in your niche almost instantly
• Create stronger relationships with your prospects and clients
• Attract highly targeted traffic to your website or blog
• Fill your pipeline with a continuous stream of motivated prospects
• Convert more prospects into highly-paying clients
• Increase your profits dramatically
• Increase your referral rate
• Increase your client retention rate

How do you learn the secrets and tips to get started? Join us, Ted Prodromou from NetBizExpert.com and Marilyn Schwader from Clarity of Vistion, as we present a four-part teleseries on The ABC's of Social Media Marketing Success: How to Make Writing Online Easy, Fun, and Phenomenally Effective! Using live webinar video tools, we will show you the step-by-step process to get massive traffic to your blog or website quickly. At the end of the four weeks your blog or website will be rising in the search engines and you'll be building your list of new connections!

Here's just some of what you'll learn:

How to quickly and easily build a successful blog
How to become an expert in your niche by creating compelling conversations on the Internet
How to find the right blogs and websites to start those compelling conversations
How to tap your creative energy at any time to write with no effort
How to easily write compelling and provocative blog content while having fun
How to use keywords in your writing to attract traffic like crazy
How to leverage your writing and electronic media to generate multiple streams of income

We'll also cover how to use popular social media websites and techniques:

Microblogging websites like Twitter, Pownce & Jaiku
Blogging platforms like Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad
Podcasting - how to create podcasts and where to submit them for maximum exposure
Social networking websites like Ryze, LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook
Social bookmarking websites like StumpleUpon, Digg, del.icio.us
Photo sharing websites like Flickr and Bubbleshare
Video sharing websites like Blip.tv, YouTube, Revver

To register for our April 2nd free preview webinar, go to http://socialmediasuccessnow.com/abcs.ag.php