marketing Archives - Piloting Paper Airplanes

Why is it that inspiration always – and I do mean always – comes as I’m getting ready in the morning or on my walk to work? Moments when I can’t jot some notes in a post draft. “I’ll do it when I get to work,” I always say. “All I need is 3 minutes to type a few notes so I can write about this later.”

Hm, right. I get to work, make my tea, chat with co-workers, open email, check some articles and any creativity I had is gone. One a good day I can remember a shred of what I wanted to write. Most days it’s lost. The result is that I don’t post regularly.

Because here’s the thing. I’ve never been one to push out blog posts everyday just to publish something new. I write when I’m inspired and motivated. I write when I have something to say. When I’m building my mileage again and have thoughts on running; or chatting with a friend about yoga and want to share how I practice at home; or when I’m writing a marketing article for work and it seems a good fit to adapt for the blog; or when I’ve made a new piece of clothing and do a style post.

I never blog for the sake of blogging. I blog for the sake of creating.

For me, in this space, that’s personal. PPA has a .518713% chance of ever generating revenue because that’s not how I’ve built this blog. My post “schedule” is random, the content is varied and social media marketing for PPA is sporadic at best.

Maybe I’m rebelling because digital marketing is my day job and I want a break here. Maybe it’s because my ideas and interests change on a whim so I don’t like being tied to one blog theme. I realize this doesn’t add up to blogging best practices and I’m more and more comfortable with that. In the past I’ve struggled with this creative chaos; now I’m embracing the ebbs and flows of inspiration.

One week I want to write about everything, another I sew 2 new tops, and another I take apart old jewelry make something new. I’m embracing the fact that sometimes these projects go unfinished as my inspiration moves on. It doesn’t have to be about the final product, but simply about the joy I have in the process. (Even if that means unpublished posts and storing a collection of art supplies).

I want to create. I want to share and learn and teach and vent and process. I want to grow through what I write in this white box. It will never generate high page views but it will inspire me. On a good day, maybe it inspires you, too.

Thanks for reading, friends.

How are you most creative?
Do you thrive in creative chaos
or with organized lists?

{PilotingPaperAirplanes.com} how to take quality photos, photography, camera

Quality photos can make or break a blog post, even with the best content. Visuals matter, plain and simple. Whether you want to improve your Instagram photography or step up your blog images, there are some standard techniques to apply – phone camera included.

1. Composition

The rule of thirds is the key to great composition. Imagine tick tack toe across your image. Line up your subjects where those lines cross each other.

2. Zoom with your feet

Don’t become dependent on the camera zoom – instead move closer to your subject. You’ll get a better composition and avoid zoom distortion.

3. Avoid the flash

The camera flash won’t go more than a few feet and creates harsh shadows. Turn off the flash and use natural light as often as possible.

4. Be aware of your light source

Watch for bright light behind your subject – this will cause your camera to overexpose the shot making your subject dark. Likewise, avoid direct light in front of your subject that produces hard shadows – and causes people to squint.

5. Know your equipment

If you do have a camera with manual mode, here are the basics you need to know.

• Aperture: hole in the lens that lets light in and controls depth of field. Smaller number (F/2) = wider opening that allows more light and produces a shallow depth of field. Larger number (F/16) = smaller opening allows less light and produces a larger depth of field.

• Shutter: opening in the camera body that lets light in. The speed – duration for which the shutter is open – is measured in fractions of a second.

Faster shutter speed (1/1000) allows less light and freezes the subject sharply. Slower shutter speed (1/25) allows more light and produces more motion blur. Shutter and aperture work in tandem.

• ISO: sensitivity to light. Higher ISO (1000) is more sensitive and less light is required for correct exposure. Lower ISO (200) is less sensitive and more light is required for correct exposure. Keep in mind that a higher ISO lowers the image quality by producing more “digital noise.”

I am a communication professional by trade and happen to have a photographer for a husband. You can thank him for teaching me these tools!

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