Squidoo – Creating fun and Sharing

June 1, 2008 at 1:09 am (Create with Writing)
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Squidoo?? What is that?  There are many ways to create.  Arts and crafts are some of the first things we think about.  Authors are some very creative people also.  I have had a dream since about ten to be a writer.  I remember writing short stories, poems and narratives that I didn’t know what to call them.  Today we all have that opportunity to be a published author with blogging.  The main problem is that it has been many years since I did much writing so I do need the practice. 

I joined the OSI RockStars about seven months ago to help with my progress in becoming a Powerseller for eBay.  In the process I have learned about Blogging, My Space, and Squidoo.  Now Squidoo is a fun place to create.  You can write, educate and share your passion.  There are modules where you can link to eBay, Amazon.com, and CafePress all to share products you love – or are trying to sell.  While you are building, having fun and creating, Squidoo is ranking your lens. (The formula for rank is a mystery but activity helps.) Now it gets exciting to see your lenses go up the ranks.  It can become addictive.  I have been playing over at Squidoo a lot this past week and realized I hadn’t written anything here.  Like I say it is creative and addictive. 

If you haven’t been there, try it.  My latest lens is one in which I am sharing my experience as a LAM patient – that is short for the true name  – lymphangioleiomyomatosis.  Squidoo lenses have the ability to earn money through affiliate sales and ranking.  This one will earn money for the LAM Foundation.  Squidoo supports charities of all types.   I’ll post the link as soon as I publish it. Publish! the dream of every writer.

Lenses can be varied.  My highest ranked right now is Going Green is Groovy. It highlights conservation and new ideas.  I share some about my eBay store in Comfy Cottage Crafts and Comfy Cottage the Smoothest eBay Store Ever.  I firmly believe that we direct our own destiny in life by our Attitude.  Two lenses that I have on Attitude are The Best Attitude Ever  and Fighting Cancer with Attitude and Food.  Actually the Goofiest Lensmaster Ever is an Attitude lens about dealing with chemotherapy.

Squidoo is a free site that allows affiliate links, lets you share in their affiliate links, and pays you to play!  Try it out for your reading pleasure or for using your creativity.  Check out my lenses, rate them and leave comments in the guest books.  I’ll look forward to seeing you there.

2 Comments

Create for Sanity

May 12, 2008 at 12:37 am (Creativity)
Tags: , , , , , ,

Creativity can be a lifesaver.  Each person has some  aptitude to create – build, sew, make, draw, paint – something expressive.  Sadly many times we are stifled as children.  Someone corrects a child, “No, trees should be green with a brown trunk”, “Apples aren’t blue”.  There should be nothing wrong with being imaginative and following our dreams.  That is what creativity is.

Why can this save lives?  Because in this fast paced world we need to relax.  We need to sit back, slow down and enjoy what is around us.  For many of us that can be with hobbies or crafts.  It doesn’t have to be sitting in front of a TV or computer screen.  Encourage children to get up and try new things, collect interesting objects, paint pictures.  They can do so much more than watching that big screen. 

When I started cancer treatment at the Goshen Center for Cancer Care, one part is to meet with a Mind/Body Connections Counselor.  One of her questions was “What hobbies, activities do you have to help in your healing?”  They know that if we have creative projects we can do it will help the mind to deal with the treatments.  Many crafts and arts don’t take lots of physical energy but do keep the mind active.  Keeping the mind active will be comforting and not let you dwell on your health.  At the Cancer Center there are jigsaw puzzles set up in about every room – for patients and their families to keep busy during treatment or while waiting.  In the infusion room (where you may spend hours a day getting chemotherapy) they have art supplies, colored pencils, optical illusion diagrams to color, as well as a couple jigsaw puzzles.  Many women bring their own knitting or crotcheting.

Building wooden projects, whittling, carving, refinishing furniture, or gardening can all be creative activities that let us relax and recoup from the stress of a hard day at work or dealing with problem people at home.  The wide range of creative activities gives us so much opportunity to deal with situations that are beyond our control.  Creativity can be a short vacation for us in our everyday lives.

 

2 Comments