Social Media Roundup: Stirring Your Creativity

What should you do when you’ve exhausted all of your possible blog topics, you’re way ahead on your editorial calendar, and you’re experiencing writer’s block?

Some may say those circumstances are prime time for a meltdown, but others suggest you take a step back and re-evaluate your content and creativity.

How to find inspiration in the most unexpected places, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Cue Creativity

Inspire me! How to Stimulate Fresh Thinking at Your Events http://t.co/k1bqgMtnzd  (opens in a new tab) via @EventMB  (opens in a new tab) #eventprofs  (opens in a new tab) #mpi  (opens in a new tab)

— Ray Hansen (@rayhansen) April 30, 2014  (opens in a new tab)

Brain boosters: Stuck in a content-creation rut? Before throwing up your hands, look for inspiration in places you’ve never thought to explore and consider ditching your traditional writing routine.

Event Manager Blog‘s Cathy Key explains that creating stories from the same tired sources  (opens in a new tab) doesn’t help creative types generate new thoughts or ideas. Although most writers find inspiration on social media, in their RSS reader, or in their constantly filling inbox, other sources—such as books, blogs, coworkers, family, friends, and events—can generate new ideas.

Your next small meeting or huge conference can stir your creative juices by simply allowing you to network with interesting people who have awesome stories to tell. If you can’t travel, a change of local scenery could help, too: Maybe hit a new coffee shop tomorrow. (ht @rayhansen  (opens in a new tab))

“The Learning Centers of the Future”

https://twitter.com/SarahLugo/status/461506445557510144

Associations focus heavily on creating effective educational opportunities, but they’re far from alone: Corporate training departments also have a foothold in this market. Can you borrow anything from them?

Jack McGrath, president and creative director of Digitec Interactive, gives nonprofit professionals a peek  (opens in a new tab) at the strategies that corporations use to train their employees.

There’s plenty to learn, he notes: While large organizations are creating corporate universities to enhance their employees’ skills and provide professional development for their workers, associations are missing out on expanding their learning benefits.

McGrath explains how nonprofit professionals can incorporate five big-business training components into their educational offerings. From having subject-matter experts on hand for regularly scheduled check-ins to establishing communities of practice at conferences, associations can lead their members toward more advanced careers.

“Corporate training departments are good at leveraging resources,” McGrath writes. “By designing learning objects that have the ability to be shared across courses, or across audiences, you can maximize the benefit and expense of designing learning programs.” (ht @SarahLugo  (opens in a new tab))

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