Everyday Communication

Writhe What You Want To Know

By |2023-11-20T22:45:47+00:00November 20, 2023|Categories: Creative Confidence, Everyday Communication, Storytelling, Uncategorized|

Questions come in all sizes. There’s the age-old: where did I put my keys? The hometown fav: are you really going to wear that? And the esoteric: who would I be if I could be anyone? I’ve been pondering questions and how, as a writer, I can use them to my advantage.  Are questions good guideposts? I think about questions [...]

Does this count as a story?

By |2023-10-31T20:10:34+00:00October 31, 2023|Categories: Everyday Communication, Storytelling|

We tried not to talk about work. It was Saturday, for crying out loud! But over coffee this weekend, my new friend Jane and I couldn’t help ourselves. We both love what we do. And we’re still getting to know each other. So eventually our stories turned occupational.I make my living helping businesspeople choose and use the stories [...]

Why Can’t I Focu…SQUIRREL!

By |2023-11-20T22:36:16+00:00October 10, 2023|Categories: Creative Confidence, Creativity, Everyday Communication, Learning, Life, Storytelling, Uncategorized|

I am a writer who has earned her living writing and teaching storytelling for many many years, so you would think I would be a whiz at getting my work done. Work being, writing. Sigh. I so envy those creators who can sit at their desk, tune out the world, and produce amazing copy, stories, [...]

Metrics worth measuring for our messages and ourselves

By |2023-09-28T18:21:48+00:00September 28, 2023|Categories: Everyday Communication, Writing|

Last week Jeff Herrington told me about a clever set of metrics he created to help businesspeople master the lessons he teaches in his writing workshops. His approach is so smart, I’ve been thinking about meaningful metrics ever since. After Jeff coaches a group to create strong, action-oriented content, the client sends him periodic samples of [...]

6 online marketing lessons from smart businesses in my small town

By |2023-04-25T22:08:57+00:00April 25, 2023|Categories: Everyday Communication, Learning, Storytelling, Visual Communication|

About a year ago, I relocated to a small Midwestern farm town called Geneseo, Illinois. It’s a picturesque little community full of Victorian-era homes and tree-lined streets. Straight out of a Hallmark movie, you know? You really should come and visit us sometime. When my husband suggested we ditch the Chicago suburbs and move to Geneseo, [...]

We edited “story” out of our stuff, and I’m sorry about that

By |2023-03-30T14:48:46+00:00March 30, 2023|Categories: Creative Confidence, Creativity, Everyday Communication, Storytelling|

Whenever I tell people what I do for a living—helping people bring storytelling and creativity into the workplace—I’m met with immediate interest. “Wow! Cool! That sounds like so much fun.” It is! And not just fun, but useful. The ability to craft and tell a good story is oh-so-valuable to any business. My livelihood depends on [...]

Don’t Get Mad. Make It Up.

By |2023-02-28T17:12:24+00:00February 28, 2023|Categories: Creative Confidence, Everyday Communication, Learning, Storytelling, Uncategorized|

It started out as a joke, a silly way for us to blow off steam. We invented something out of sheer frustration.Ever since I started teaching creative writing, students have been asking me for the magical elixir: What is the formula for writing a story?I found this exasperating and annoying.After a deep breath to calm myself, [...]

Your quest to be more creative starts here

By |2023-02-28T14:24:20+00:00February 28, 2023|Categories: Creative Confidence, Creativity, Everyday Communication, Learning, Life|

How To Be Creative is a theme that surfaces again and again when I sit down to write. Not because people flock to me asking, “Oh Beth, you creative wizard, will you please publish your wisdom?!” Nope, that’s not the spark that lights my blog-posting flame. Most of the time, my creativity-focused posts begin from a [...]

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