My friend Michelle Schaeffer recently posted an article with 103 ideas for creative blog posts. Some of them looked like fun so I decided to try a couple out, starting with:
If Keyboards Could Talk
If keyboards could talk, what would yours say?
I have no idea. maybe something like…
“Holy cow woman, get a life and leave me alone for a while.”
“THANK YOU for the silicone keyboard protector that protects me from the food and drink crumbs that spills on me way too often.”
“Seriously, cat? You’re going to lay down right on top of me? Get off, get off!”
If keyboards could talk, would yours share your process for writing and editing your posts ?
“Process? She’s supposed to have a process? Don’t make me laugh – you can’t imagine how overused my DELETE key is!”
Hey now, there’s no need to be unkind.
I’ve heard that some bloggers set themselves daily word count or time goals and don’t leave their keyboards until their goals are met. I think that’s a great strategy if you can swing it, but there’s no way that would work for me.
Sometimes I have a story that’s just bursting to get out, like when I wrote about losing our baby or about McDonut and the Shotgun Wedding. Other times I start with a series of photos and use them as a springboard, like when I wrote about our neighborhood block party or when I post recipes and sewing tutorials.
And sometimes I’ve got writer’s block, and no amount of staring at a blank screen is going to help. That’s when I look for ideas in places like Michelle’s article and end up writing posts like this. Trying new things is good, right?
“As long as you’re not trying out new keyboards; you know I’m the jealous kind.”
If keyboards could talk, would yours whisper a few secrets about the challenges that happen in your home office and how you deal with them?
“A home office? What’s that? It sounds lovely; why haven’t I heard of such a thing before?”
Shhhhhh! We don’t have a home office, but my keyboard doesn’t know what it’s missing and I’d like to keep it that way!
Not having a home office is a challenge in and of itself. I spend most of my day in the play room, dining room, and kitchen, so I set up a “mini-office” area in the corner of the kitchen counter closest to the play room. Since our kitchen and dining room are . There’s a stack of small drawers filled with office supplies, my To Do pile, Teacher’s To Do pile, my laptop, and a bunch of miscellaneous stuff that ends up on the counter. It’s a nightmare to keep organized and I end up with food spatters on my paperwork more often than I like to admit, but it’s the best option I’ve come up with so far.
If keyboards could talk, would yours share how you’ve grown and evolved over the last few years?
Well, I’ve gained back 5 of the 7 pounds I dropped a couple of years ago but I don’t think that’s what Michelle had in mind. You still look good for someone who had six kids! Awww, thanks keyboard!
My keyboard has been witness to many changes over the past few years. Between the economic downturn and the boys being potty trained, my cloth diaper business has dwindled down to almost nothing. I’m not ready to give it up entirely, but right now I’d rather spend my time elsewhere.
A big change is that last summer I was asked to teach two courses for the brand new Family Child Care Certificate from Fox Valley Technical College. Of course I jumped at the chance and was hired as an adjunct instructor, teaching Curriculum for Family Child Care last semester and Special Topics for Family Child Care this semester. Fleshing out the courses has taken quite a bit of time, but it’s also been extremely exciting and rewarding! I’m hoping to have more opportunities in the future to teach other courses or present more trainings and workshops.
If keyboards could talk, would yours give away the secrets of your schedule and productivity?
I’ll let you handle this one…
A couple of years ago Teacher and I discovered David Allen and his productivity book Getting Things Done. Although I don’t manage to follow all of his recommendations as much as I should, I have managed to make his strategies for organizing paperwork and email a habit.
We also purchased the OmniFocus app, one of the tools that David Allen recommends. I have a feeling that if I could get in the habit of using it consistently instead of scribbling notes and lists on scraps of paper I’d be even more organized.
One step at a time, right?
So, that’s what I think my keyboard would say if it could talk.
What do you think YOUR keyboard would say?
