Tag: bloggers

Getting over creative block

Anna PengLeave a comment

Right before writing this post, I didn’t know what I’d be writing about.

I didn’t think anything I had to say was worth saying.

I didn’t believe there was any value in my ideas.

It was easier to close my laptop and walk away from it all.

So I decided to write about it.

Here’s how I get over creative block.

  1. Take a deep breath
  2. Write about the thing that’s on your mind, even if it doesn’t make sense
  3. Don’t edit, don’t walk away, don’t lose your focus from the task at hand until it’s done
  4. Do it all over again tomorrow

For me, creative block stems from a lack of confidence in my own ideas. 

The only way to get over that is to write more and build up my confidence by being comfortable hearing feedback about it.

Content hack for when I don’t have enough time to write original content

Anna PengLeave a comment

Actually, it’s a way to exercise your headline writing.

Here’s what I do for content when I don’t have enough time to create something completely original: 

  1. Go into my previous posts (maybe up to 4 months ago) 
  2. Pick 1 piece that has previously performed well (had a lot of likes, shares, or saves)
  3. Rewrite that post’s headline, and copy/paste the body copy
  4. Publish

I try my best to write something new every day, but sometimes I just need my bare minimum. 

If you find yourself in a time crunch often, I hope this helps. 

Great writers never skip practice 

Anna PengLeave a comment

When I took piano lessons, my teacher would often ask if I practiced at all. 

That’s because she knew.

She could tell that I wasn’t practicing.

Because I would play the same as I did the week before, and the week before that, and the week before that.

The worst part of it is that this went on for years.

I just wasn’t interested in improving.

Writing is different.

There is no sheet music to follow when you’re creating copy for your piece of content.

Most people don’t have a writing teacher to check up on their writing every week.

However, you can still practice writing without step by step instructions.

You can still improve without having a coach sit beside you.

You can get immediate feedback by sharing your content on the internet.

The only catch is time.

You won’t see drastic improvements until you’ve made a drastic quantity of work.

And that takes time.

A Writing Strategy for Creatives Who Don’t Feel Like Showing Up Today 

Anna Peng1 Comment

I’m sharing this because I don’t emotionally feel on top of my game today. 

Because let’s be really human here. 

Everyone has bad days. 

Everyone has days where we feel uninspired, tired, sad, or in a mood.

I keep a blog, so I feel accountable to my community for coming back.

Here’s what I do to show up to my writing game, even when I feel like a puddle of *r**ad**as*****

  1. Open up your writing document
  2. Allow yourself to write and create whatever comes out
  3. Don’t be a harsh critic on yourself
  4. Wrap up whenever you’re done. This can be 15 minutes to 2 hours. It doesn’t matter, it’s whatever you feel, so long as there’s something on the document that is relevant to your practice
  5. Thank yourself for showing up and doing a piece of your work. You know it was hard but it’s over now

You might be feeling like *r**ad**as***** right now, but the hardest part is showing up. 

Feeling pretty proud of myself now that I’ve finished this piece up. 

What do great writers do that differentiates them from the rest?

Anna PengLeave a comment

Great writers write more than most. 

They practice more than anyone else in the room. 

They have written more bad pieces than you have pieces in general. 

They put in just as many hours as a full time job does. 

It’s the practice, dedication, and time that chalk up to great writing abilities. 

What defines your success in social media this 2023?

Anna PengLeave a comment

This year in 2022, I’ve posted 1000+ pieces of content across multiple platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Tiktok, and my personal blog. 

The biggest lesson I’ve learned through this process is asking the question below.

How will you define success?

Whenever you make content and share it for others to see, how will you know whether or not your content was good? That it did what you wanted it to do?

Where do you draw the boundaries for numbers that make you happy? 

When it comes to social media marketing for your business, it’s easy to confuse likes and followers with real business success. 

But when likes and follows don’t bring money to the table, you have to reconsider your numbers.

What defines your success in social media this 2023? 

How I went from hobbyist writer who writes maybe 15 times per year to full fledged passion committed writer 365 days a year. 

Anna PengLeave a comment

It’s really about 2 really simple things. 

If you want to take your writing habits seriously, all you need to do is the following: 

  1. Allocate a dedicated environment and time of day to write
  2. Write every day no matter what, no matter how short, regardless of good or bad. 

All great content creators and copywriters follow a routine that includes the foundational 2 items above. 

But I get it. Even with these 2 seemingly easy demands, reality proves to be much more difficult. 

If you’re serious about growing your writing skills, this is the way to go. I guarantee it. 

P.S. If you’re super serious about taking your writing seriously, I’m putting together a writing workshop so that we can practice altogether. The workshop isn’t out yet, but you can subscribe to get updates and be a part of the process here: https://mailchi.mp/25b1899732fe/writing-workshop

The Magic Question: Why Didn’t I Start Earlier?

Anna PengLeave a comment

I love writing content and marketing

I love it so much that I wonder, why didn’t I start earlier? 

And that’s the magic question. 

I couldn’t have started earlier, because I didn’t know I loved it till I tried. 

And that goes for every 20-something year old reading this. 

There’s so much more out there in the world—more than you could ever imagine. 

Try new things. Experiment. 

Have fun.