Boost Creativity in the Workplace (republished with permission from eCare4me)

“I’m just not a very creative person.” Have you ever said these words or heard a colleague say them? If so, it may be time to re-evaluate how you see creativity and start training yourself to think more creatively, which often means more effectively. After all, creative thinking is often a driving force in a company’s progress. According to Charles Hulten, professor of economics at the University of Maryland, the modern business world is demanding more and more conceptual thinking and with this, comes new innovations linked to creative thinking. “Every job is a creative job,” he says “A barista, for example, can create new drinks and greet customers in a variety of ways to add to the coffee shop experience.” No matter what your job entails, a bit of creativity can go a long way in helping you streamline your tasks and enjoy what you do. Creativity is intelligence having fun Einstein said it best when he linked creativity with both fun and intelligence. It is important to acknowledge that while creativity is often linked to fun and may seem like a time waster, it can result in powerful outcomes. Allowing yourself to think creatively gives you greater flexibility in your thinking and widens your perspectives. It also helps you to explore alternatives and foster a more open-minded work environment. According to Forbes magazine, creativity is much more of a skill than a mystery and with a little practice; you can master it.  So, how can you invite creativity into your work life? Here are some suggestions. Doodle Keep a notepad on your desk at work that is purely dedicated to doodling. Draw pictures, write words, and see what happens. Using colour is also a good idea. When our brains are in an unconscious state, we are often able to make clever connections and solve problems easier.  Experiment Try doing something different in your life, even if it’s not linked to work. Go to a new restaurant, take up an unusual hobby, watch a movie or read a book that would normally not interest you. You’ll be surprised at the new insights you can gain by exploring new experiences. Play As children, we expressed our creativity by playing. Playing games in the office, where appropriate, can stimulate fresh thinking, foster team relationships, and up innovation. If you’re focusing on a task, pop in some earphones and play soft background music or ambient sounds. Research has found that this helps to stimulate our imagination which is a key component in the creative process. Think in opposites Creativity is about exploring the unexpected. Change the order of how you see and do things at work: start a meeting from the end of the agenda; present from the back of the boardroom; send an email with a few answers before asking the questions. Laugh Humour can inspire creativity at work. A jovial discussion and a playful environment can encourage people to come up with unconventional solutions to problems and alleviate day-to-day stress.  Challenge yourself to think out-of-the-box this week. This will help to inspire you to see things in a new light and the possibilities that come with this are endless. It may also motivate your colleagues to be more creative too. Let us know what creative techniques work for you by sharing it with us on Facebook, Twitter, or via Email. Copyright HealthInSite - www.healthinsite.net

Tips, Tricks and Tales: Using Mindmaps

To be honest I am not a plotter, but a pantser. I have tried plotting and for some reason my characters will always do what they want and never as I planned the story. So if you are a pantser like me, there is a tool that can help you to give some structure to a story - even if you let your characters make their own choices and mistakes. It is called a Mindmap.
The funny thing is that even if you are a plotter (and actually manage to control your whole story universe) this tool can also be useful to you.
There are software packages out there that you can buy, and then there are free options too. Check out the best options for your pocket and application.
Mind maps are exactly that. Mapping of a problem or a solution or a process that helps you think about it, and change it according to a set or rules (or not!) that you define.
And it has an infinite number of applications, even if you are not a writer at all!

Let's look at the example below:

Since I write mostly romance, what you see here is a basic starting point for a romance story. The details are not limited to a certain type of romance sub-genre, and you can adapt and change as your story moves along. Even if your characters make unexpected choices, you can then map possible outcomes and decide from there which one would suit your story or characters the best.
This is especially useful if the story is part of a series, and you need to keep in line with the overall plot of your series.
You will notice mapping of some background details - like the place and time to help you keep track of those. But the basic idea is simple: whether you are a plotter or a pantser, here is a tool that could help you in writing the story you have always wanted!

Do you use mind maps? How do they work for you?

Cover Reveal: THEIR+1 by Linzé Brandon

Tilane always knew that there was something inside of her that was different. Defying her parents’ expectations had been the first step to stop denying her own needs and desires. When she had found her place in the world, she couldn’t be happier.
She had been pestering her boss, and lover, to get more help at work. As the office manager to contracts lawyer, Mark, she was his equal by day but surrendered all control to him at night. But lately he had been distant and not paying her much personal attention at all. She tried to be understanding, but had to wonder if he wasn’t getting tired of her.
Until the day she met his new partner and was told to provide Paul with all the personal attention he required. There was no doubt in her mind that she would do anything to please Mark, until the new partner, turned out to be the man that broke her heart seven years earlier.
Thrown together on a daily basis, Tilane found herself torn between the two men, who were both acting out of character and confusing her even more. Where she and Paul managed to sort out their past, the rift between her and Mark only grew bigger.
It was only when she had to take Mark to task for behaving like a jerk, that the relationship between the three of them was pushed to the breaking point.
Would she have to take matters into her own hands, or were Mark and Paul going to man up and be the ones to see to her needs, or was her happiness about to be shattered once and for all?

Erotic Romance COMING SOON!

Follow the Storyboard on Pinterest

Guest post: Time Management by Carmen Botman

I started writing at a very young age and completed my first novella at the age of 17. Of course, back then, I had all the time in the world, didn’t I? But then life sort of happened, as it tends to do, and no matter how much the writing bug kept gnawing at my insides, I managed to convince myself that writing wouldn’t be possible because there was just no time in my busy schedule. I mean, come on! I work 8 to 10 hours out the house. I have no domestic helper. My husband works and studies full-time, plus I have two lively Labradors needing unending attention. Feeling a constant emptiness somewhere deep inside of me, I finally surrendered to it. I had to write. And as soon as I started again, the emptiness was filled.

And now, a mere two years after my first earnest start again, I managed to finish an 82 000 word manuscript last year. I’m currently 22 000 words into the second novel with a number of smaller projects on the side.

How did I manage all of this, you ask? Well, as the heading boldly states, Time Management. Of course we all come from very different scenarios and there is no clear-cut recipe for success, but why not try out a few of the things that have worked for me:

• Set aside an area in your house that’s just for you to write in – preferably a place with only the minimal amount of distractions.
• Make certain that the family knows that when you’re in that space, you’re working, so disruptions should be kept to a minimum.
• Print out monthly calendars (two or three months at a time) and put them up where you can see them easily when you’re working on your laptop or PC. On these calendars you can jot down deadlines of competitions you’re planning on entering, your word count goals, etc.
• Make a clear list of all the projects you’re currently working on with all the due dates, so that you can stay on top of everything and not get flustered. Stick this up somewhere close to your workstation as well.
• Set daily, weekly or monthly word count goals for yourself. This way you’re committing yourself to something. I always work better when there’s a ‘due date’ or in this case a ‘due word count.’
• Don’t be too hard on yourself when you’ve not managed to stick to your schedule. Life happens. Just remember that next time you sit down to write, you have to write just those few extra words to catch up.
• Join up with a local writing group. You’ll never know what a comfort it is to know that other people out there are in the same boat as you. If they can do it, then you can too. And the support you’ll receive is phenomenal!
• If you find yourself in a serious need to catch-up, it may be worthwhile entering the annual Nanowrimo project, which will push you to limits you never dreamed possible.
• Most importantly, you have to know why you’re writing. If you always remember the reason that you’re writing in the first place, your passion will keep you going no matter what life throws at you.

Like Toni Morrison says: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” So what are you waiting for? Get writing!

Linzé's note: Carmen is a YA fantasy author that joined the Pretoria Writers Group this year.  She is taking part in our STORM anthology which will be released in the middle of June 2014. You can follow Carmen on Twitter and Facebook.

Guest Post: The Process by Rob McShane

I am right in the middle of a process (yep, another one! Ain't life great?) This process goes directly to my writing or, more appropriately, how to get my writing out into the public domain so that people can read it....and buy it!

There is so much information available to help with this process that you would think this to be easy. Not so, well at least not for me! I have now read so many blogs and help pages that it all seems one large swirling mass of mist. Where do you start? What is all this branding business? How can I know before I start what will work? What do I want my on-line persona to be, or reflect? What words shall I use to build myself and my brand? What ideas do I use, what do I discard? Which social platforms shall I get involved with? How do I get involved? What message do I want to send? How do I want to send it? How much time do I have in a day? etc. etc. So many questions....and the more I look for answers, the more questions I come up with!

One of the best things I read during this process was along the lines of 'If you want to be a writer, write. If you're talking about what you write, how much, or that you are a writer, you're not!' I'm sorry I can't actually quote it, or tell you who wrote it as it is sitting somewhere in the plethora of docs in the 'First steps research' file!

Point being, it got me thinking hard (again!) about how much we can over think this process. So, I have decided to make it simple. I am going to stick to writing my books and maybe the odd short story (good practice to keep my writing concise!). I'm going to need a platform and, on the advice of Linzé and many others, a blog seems to be the way to go, so I'm going to set up a blog. Then I'll pick one social media platform and start to 'get the word out' there. 

The main idea is to start. As with my writing, I believe the next steps will naturally appear out of the mist. I now have the overall plan and as I move things will pop up, characters will appear, sub-plots will develop and the process (like my books) will almost take on a life of its own. Isn't that also just like real life?

How exciting!


Author Bio:

Following a full life as a classical musician, actor, nurse, midwife, salesman and marketer, Rob now spends his time writing and dealing with the challenges of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and life. He has written many articles for various publications and web sites but now concentrates on his books. His first book, The MageStaff, a fantasy novel with a deeper message, is now available and he is busy with both a prequel and a sequel (on the request of his readers). He has plans for further novels once his fantasy series is complete.


Links:
The MageStaff is available at: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/325170
or on kindle at: : http://www.amazon.com/The-MageStaff-ebook/dp/B00BF09MY4/ref=tmm_kin_title_0
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12903360-the-magestaff

Linzé's note: Rob is a member of the Pretoria Writers Group and the two of us had met at our favourite coffee shop, Cherry Berry Café in Centurion. I was writing, he was playing the piano in the shop and we got talking. And we haven't stopped since!

Guest Post: The Writing Life or Lack Thereof by Vanessa Wright

I woke up this morning to find that my muse had packed up and left the building. She seems to be doing this a lot lately and heaven only knows where she disappears to; only to come sauntering back with a healthy tan, an umbrella drink sporting psychedelic colours and a straw concoction on her head. She is a whimsical, elusive creature.

At times I think she would be happier and more forgiving if I travelled the world, sitting in dark corners, plying my talent. Alas my shoestring budget would be strung to non-existence and the bullion ship I have dreamt of my whole life would sink in the harbour.
Thus my solution remains to apply ample butt to chair and bleed words; at this stage even nonsensical ones would do. The litany of advice runs through my head: write what you know, write what you observe...just start writing damn it! There is nothing as daunting as a blank screen or a blank canvas for that matter.
The best advice I have ever received (thanks Jeff Goins) is to just write something on that empty screen, even if it is just CX&&*()*&%%$$%#5- it’s a start and no these aren’t swear words in ancient Gaelic. Eureka - the screen isn’t blank anymore and you have made a start to a magical story where people speak in symbols and chocolate rivers run through villages. Keep at it even if you never use the story again; it has transported you to that area of your brain where you paint with words...... and you have kicked the elusive muse to the kerb and told her in no uncertain terms to sit still and be quiet.
Happy writing one and all! Remember that arguing with your characters is only the beginning to a mad cap world filled with wonder.

Bio

46 year old visual artist and home body, suddenly decides to pick up her writing again and just couldn’t stop.
Vanessa has been published in two anthologies: My Kort vir Jou Sop and Write for Light.
She is currently in the process of self publishing a short story book called Twisted as well as putting the finishing chapters to a crime thriller called Artifacts.

Connect with Vanessa
Twitter
Blog where you can enjoy various short stories
Facebook 
Pinterest
Story board for Artifacts

Guest Feature: Stand out in the crowd with Book Trailers by Amanda Robins

You have spent hours pouring your energy into writing your master piece aka your book. Even more time and money was spent formatting, editing, proof reading and all those other little bits and pieces that needed to be done to get your book ready for the world to read.
Now you are ready to release your book into the market place but there is one problem. So are 1,000s of other authors on the exact same day as you. That’s right no matter what day you choose to publish your book there will be 1,000s of fellow authors doing the same thing resulting in over 15 million books just THIS YEAR!
Don’t be disheartened. There are ways very clever authors just like you use to stand out above the rest. One of these powerful ways is by creating a book trailer to give readers a sneak peek into your book.
Just take a look at the author and eBook groups on Facebook where people post their books to gain exposure. Each post has the book cover, blurb and a link to Amazon.com. They all look the same. Now imagine how your book can stand out in the crowd with a book trailer.
As people scroll down the page they see your video and within less than a minute they have experienced your book the way you envisioned it.
Let’s not forget about the power of YouTube with 163 million unique visitors each day. Imagine the potential of getting in front of just 1% of all these visitors not to mention Google loves YouTube videos (they do own the site after all) and next thing you know you are at the top of Google search results as well.
A book trailer is also a fantastic tool for your Amazon Author Central page.
It is the little things that you do that will increase your book sales and your author success.
Book Trailers are an amazing tool that even the great Stephen King uses to promote his books.
These are just a handful of ways Book Trailers can be used to increase your book’s success. It is now time for you to become a smart book marketer and use your own book trailer to promote your master piece.
If you are ready to get your very own book trailers simply visit http://www.MesmerizingBookTrailers.com for a very special offer.


Author Bio
Amanda Robins is the author of the International Best Selling Book “How To Turn On A Tired Housewife”. Amanda credits her book trailer to the quick success the book has had. She is now on a mission to help fellow authors create mesmerizing book trailers to boost them to the top of their field. For more information about Amanda and her book please visit http://www.TiredHousewife.com

Guest Photographer Francois Venter: Lesotho - The People

 

Lesotho is a land of contrasts in many forms. On the one side you have the farmlands where a man only wants to provide for his family and on the other side you have this vast wonder of technology. The Katse dam.

Most of the land in rural Lesotho is probably being utilised by sustenance farmers. Having said that you only really realise what that means when you start moving around the countryside. Most people are regarded as doing well when they have gumboots, a balaclava, a blanket, a donkey and a dog. If you have a horse and a few cattle, then you are wealthy. It was very interesting that there were no cats around. It is also clear that the dogs are just as “poor” as their owners. Most of them have shaggy coats, grave signs of inbreeding is visible, and in general they are totally under fed.

The contrasts in Lesotho are evident everywhere. These contrasts are sad, beautiful and inspiring - all at the same time.

Blog Tour: Collateral Damage by Frederick Lee Brooke

About the Book - About the Author - Prizes!!!

About the prizes: Who doesn't love prizes? You could win one of two $50 Amazon gift cards or an autographed copy of Collateral Damage! Here's what you need to do...

1. Enter the Rafflecopter contest
2. Leave a comment on my blog

That's it! One random commenter during this tour will win the first gift card. Visit more blogs for more chances to win--the full list of participating bloggers can be found HERE. The other two prizes will be given out via Rafflecopter. You can find the contest entry form linked below or on the official Collateral Damage tour page via Novel Publicity. Good luck!

About the book: When Annie Ogden’s ex-boyfriend Michael Garcia reappears, she has to confront a lie dating back to her time in Iraq. Will she go back to hot, passionate Michael, who has developed a disturbing interest in meth, or stick with her pudgy PI partner and fiancé, Salvatore? The calculus changes when Michael is arrested for murder. When Salvatore refuses to help investigate, Annie is forced to try to find the killer herself. Meanwhile her sister’s creepy husband, Todd, is making more of an ass of himself than usual. Annie's problems with three obsessive men suddenly pale in significance when she realizes the killer has set his sights on her. Having changed his mind about helping her, Salvatore finds himself in a desperate race against time, the only man capable of finding the killer before it’s too late. Get Collateral Damage through Amazon.


About the author: Frederick Lee Brooke is the author of the widely-acclaimed Annie Ogden mystery series - Doing Max Vinyl, Zombie Candy, and Collateral Damage. The books do not have to be read in order.
Having lived in Switzerland for the past two decades, Brooke has taught English, run a business and learned French, German and Italian. You can find him online at www.FrederickLeeBrooke.com. Sign up for his newsletter and read all about his travels, recipes, and upcoming works! Connect with Fred on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or GoodReads.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: A Writer's Heart by author CJ Peterson

I found the definition of author to be: ‘the maker of anything; creator; originator’. When an author writes a book, they write from the heart. They write what is inside of them. They write from what they know, or what they imagine. They put their heart and soul into every word they pen to paper.

I became a writer almost as form of therapy or escape from the reality that was my life at the time. There are many aspects of my own life within the pages of my books. The abuse, the violence, even the neglect and internal struggles were a daily fight between me and God. God walked with me through it all and loved me even when I fought with Him. At one point I even gave up writing. I had fought for so long, I was ready to give up the fight. Since then, however, God brought a man into my life that drastically changed the downward spiral I was headed in. My husband showed me the love I never had known before then. He treats me like a princess and never ceases to amaze me with his tender heart. He showed me what love is and what a healthy love looks like.

Growing up in a military family, my life was beyond structured. We moved so many times that I had no idea what it was like to have a ‘best friend’. People shifted in and out of my life with each move. After a while, I wouldn’t bother to even memorize our address or phone number. ‘Nomadic’ became a way of life.

Additionally, I have had a variety of vocations over the years. One of these included a catastrophe adjuster, which seemed almost made for me. In that job, I would bounce from state to state following the storms. I would also have a chance to help people in need. Someone once asked me how I could do that job. They said it would break their heart. While it did break my heart, I knew I was on the front-line helping people get back on their feet from the disaster that encompassed their lives. In another job, I was a on a volunteer fire department as an EMT. Once again, I was able to help people who needed it the most at their most vulnerable time of their life. There are still visions today that I cannot get out of my head. Another field I was in was a counselor. Being able to help people who were under extreme duress walk through the complications that plagued their lives was tremendously rewarding, but it was also draining.

When I met my husband and read some of the books to him, he encouraged me to print them. He said with everything I have gone through, and everything God walked with me through it would be a shame to keep them to myself. As I read them to him, I even saw them make a change in him. With him being a 24 ½ year Navy Veteran, there was so much he saw that it still plagues him even today. With three tours in Iraq as a Medic with the Marines, it left him with scars that he still struggles with.

I prayed about it and decided if the words in my books can even help one person, printing them will be worth it. When my first book STRENGTH FROM WITHIN released in NOV2012, I had such positive feedback that it has encouraged me to continue. The next book, which was just released in 01AUG2013, is the first of a trilogy, and this set is very close to my heart. When I wrote this trilogy, I was going through one of the toughest struggles in my life to date. The words in those books gave me hope and strength to continue on and to keep fighting. It is my prayer they will help others. THE CALL TO DUTY is now in paperback and in ebook form. A portion of the proceeds to this trilogy are going to a non-profit organization I have been personally involved with, that sends packages overseas to our soldiers, making sure they know they are not forgotten. You can find out more about Airborne Angel Cadets of Texas online at: http://www.airborneangelcadets.com/

Connect with CJ Peterson:

Facebook  Twitter   Pinterest
Goodreads

Web Page

I look forward to hearing from those who read my books, and I pray they will find encouragement and strength from the words within their pages.

Courageous. Brave. Fearless. Valiant. These synonyms are often used to describe firefighters/paramedics, police officers, and military personnel. They face danger and lay their lives on the line when they leave for work. What are their struggles? Could that hinder their job proficiency? Who is taking care of those who are taking care of the citizens of this country?
Casey Carter is a 'newbie' to the firefighting family of Engine Company 15. Not only does she have to prove herself as a probationary firefighter, but she also has to battle misconceptions of females within her newly chosen profession. As situations begin to arise, can she count on the firefighter brotherhood to have her back? Will she be able to pass the tests placed before her, or are there aspects that she was not even aware existed?

Often in life there are two realms in play. There is the physical realm - what is right before you; the other is the spiritual realm - what is unseen. Each can directly affect you, whether you believe they exist or not. Can Casey keep them in balance when she is not exactly sure what she is fighting? Can a group of men help her see what cannot be readily seen, hear what cannot be readily heard, and be able to overcome what she never knew existed? Will they be able to show Casey her true Call To Duty?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EBIEIE6

Guest Posts in September

September announces spring in my part of the world. While we are still caught in a cold spell, here are some articles that will warm up the insides almost as well as a good cup of coffee.

It is my pleasure to feature guest posts by authors, aspiring authors and photographers on my blog this month.
The first photographer is Francois Venter - and you can check out his first post on Lesotho here.

2 September : A Writer's Heart by CJ Peterson
7 September: Lesotho (part 2) by Francois Venter
9 September: Post by Amanda Robins
12 September: The Writing Life or Lack Thereof by Vanessa Wright
17 September: Writing vs Real Life by Rob McShane

There are still two spots open for a post on the life of a writer (19 and 23 September) . If these dates call to you, why don't you let me know by leaving a comment here, send me a message on Facebook, or a tweet on Twitter (no DMs please)

Are you photographer? There are two spots left for you too! (21 and 28 September). Tell us a story about a place you have been, or a particularly difficult scene that you have wanted to capture. Three to four pics with a bio should form part of your article.

Please bookmark this page or follow then you can see what authors are typically up to when they are writing, and the places photographers visit for that next perfect picture.

Guest Post: Lesotho - Expect the Unexpected!

It is my pleasure to host the first guest post by my husband, Francois Venter, who is a passionate photographer. You can see more of his photographs here. Enjoy!

In 2012 a group of us undertook a trip by road to Lesotho. We were going to stay at the Katse Village. Katze village is approximately 110km from the Caledonspoort border post outside Fouriesburg in the eastern Free State.

We should probably have realised during the trip to Fouriesburg that the trip will not be what we expected. At Frankfort we saw the temperature drop to -7°C. And when we entered Clarens we saw our first real snow. The freshly ploughed fields were covered in snow. Even the golden gate national park mountains showed mountains covered in snow. It was roughly at this time that we did start to worry about the road ahead.

But wait more was to come. Nothing prepared us for the snow and ice that we would be driving on for the next 6 hours. As we drove along it just became worse and worse, testing a number of photographers who tried a 4x4 trip for the first time. There is however one point that nobody could argue with, and that was the beauty of the surroundings. In the short periods of time when you were not trying to keep the car on the road, you could admire the beauty around you.

From deep soft snow that is untouched to grass that peaked through the snow. Photographically you asked yourself a number of time where you should start. There was so many beautiful scenes. Travelling on through the mountains, ice and snow, you eventually reach Katse dam. When you see the dam for the first time, you think: We are there !!! Well you are so wrong. At that stage you are at least 40km away from your overnight village, such is the vastness of Katse dam.

Katse dam is 42km in length and 135m deep in places. It easily measures 500 to 800m wide in most places. Around every corner there is a new view of the dam. It is here where you start to realise that this country is presenting a face that you did not expect. It is barren, it is harsh but its natural resources are well utilised. These resources have be gathered and provide a number of excellent opportunities to its people. 

We later learned how poor the rural people were. However, many of the poor households in rural areas had electricity, stone built toilets and access to water for their farming activities.