Repost: Inspiration: Sites That Spark Creativity

BABY FOOD FOR CREATIVES: Inspiration: Sites That Spark Creativity: One of the best things about working in Advertising is that gallivanting across the whole world wide web isn't slacking off, it's pa...

50 Resources That Will Make You An Awesome Writer

Here are 50 Free Resources That Will Improve Your Writing Skills. As usual, this isn't just to
benefit writers - all you art directors and designers have can learn too.

50 Free Resources That Will Improve Your Writing Skills

• By Vitaly Friedman
• 
  

Effective writing skills are to a writer what petrol is to a car. Like the petrol and car relationship, without solid skills writers cannot move ahead. These skills don’t come overnight, and they require patience and determination. You have to work smart and hard to acquire them. Only with experience, you can enter the realm of effective, always-in-demand writers.

You're Underselling Yourself

Bios, resumes, profiles and self-evaluations. You're going to have so, so, so many times
where you're going to have to talk about yourself. Times where you have to talk about why you're great, all the great things you've done and why you deserve to be hired/promoted/given more money.

This is a challenge for some people (ahem, me, ahem) because it feels awkward to boast and talk about yourself in that way. It feels awkward to say "I'm awesome! Look at all the fantastic things I've done!"

But you know what, if you're great, you're great. And if you're great, you deserve to be hired/promoted/givien more money. So you have to speak up.

Funny things is though, the minute you start putting it all on paper, on something someone else will read, it feels like you're doingthemost.com. 

The Truth is I'm Great

Finding that sweet spot of talking yourself up enough to not be boasting is quite a
challenge.

You don't want to undersell yourself, you don't want to oversell yourself and you definitely don't want to turn anyone off.

It's a delicate balance and one that will serve you well throughout your career.

Here are a few tips from previous posts:

Past Me Gets It

Funny thing happened recently - I searched* my blog to look for advice.

Luckily, Past Me is kinda smart and super helpful when Present me is kind of a mess.

I kicked myself pretty hard for being a dummy. I know that stuff. Past Me was on the ball. Present Me needs to get her life together ASAP.

Then I was reminded of the fourth lesson of the Four Agreements: Always do your best. 

Your Annoying Office Habits

There's always that one coworker... that one person that just brings out the inner Stanley in you.

You try to fight it. To hide it. To smile and grin and bear it. But Lord knows your eyes just start creeping to the side all on their own...

I've written before on How To Annoy Your Coworkers and How to be an Asshole (know the signs before it's too late). I recently came across this article below that I'm immediately to adding to the list of Things To Avoid Doing Ever.

As you read through, take a moment and make sure none of these apply to you. Before you go pointing fingers at someone else for sniffling all day or playing their music too loud, check yourself. 

If you can't figure out who the annoying coworker is in your office, chances are, it's you. 

Inspiration: Making Up Is Hard To Do

Love means never having to say you're sorry. Advertising, however, has a lot of apologising.

Brands want to build a relationship with people, and just like real relationships, there are going to be rough patches. And break ups. And make ups.

There are so many things that can turn people off from a brand - a bad customer service experience, poor product quality, a change in policy, an offensive ad or something as little as a change in the packaging or logo. (Or is that just me?) 

Then brands have to do the ultimate "please forgive me" crawl and beg customers to like them again.