I feel like this is sacrilege in the creative space but here’s the truth:
What it takes to actually get ready to go on a trip (especially with 2 children) is almost enough of a dealbreaker to not go.
If I didn’t have plane tickets with my entire family’s names on them to go to London and then Southern Italy, I might have decided to stay home.
Our airlines all have different baggage restrictions, and somehow our luggage that USED to qualify as carry-ons somehow are way too big for everything and so now we’re bringing duffle bags instead of suitcases. Mary all of the sudden got a fever out of nowhere yesterday afternoon and so Michael is cuddling her all day today.
And I’m having a moment of clarity that’s slightly disappointing.
As I was planning my next couple of weeks, I realized that what sounded so cool last month, “Hey! We can go to London for longer and I can get work done, because hey! My job is cool and I can work remotely,” means that I have to actually stay in and get work done while everyone else goes to the British Museum to see all of the treasures the British unwittingly stole from ancient cultures all over the world.
So I’ll miss out on the complicated feelings that can only come from seeing world treasure-status items kidnapped, profited-upon, yet very safely kept (like the Rosetta Stone and Pantheon sculptures) that may have otherwise been destroyed. And yet they’re still in Britain…(reply to this email if you have strong opinions about this).
But it’s happening.
And I’m finally starting to get excited.
I’m planning to share little pieces of what it’s going to be like to travel, and to be honest, I’m slightly nervous to share because I’m a little worried I’ll just fall into cliche land! It’s so easy to just say things like, “so beautiful,” or “I love this place!” or “missing it already,” or “when can I come back?”
So, I’m going to take my OWN advice and do what I teach in this week’s videos ALL about how to avoid cliches!
If you literally draw a blank every time you get to the writing part of posting on Instagram, this video is going to give you all of the tools you need to write more creatively, stop being cliche, and write something that people love reading.
The truth is that most people’s captions sound exactly like everyone else’s. And if there’s one thing to understand about business and having a brand, it’s that if you look, sound, or act like “everyone else,” you’re going to get lost.
I’ve shared the strategies I learned in my creative writing masters program to stop writing cliches and start writing creative, more valuable captions with hundreds of students who are finding the same as they do it! (This isn’t like anything you’ve heard before).
Leave a comment and let me know what you struggle with most about writing captions and which of these tips was the most helpful for you. I’m right on the other side with a long flight ahead, just waiting to hear from you!
Related
Emma Natter is a business coach and writer. Her work intersects entrepreneurial strategies with the creative process so career hopefuls can find success, impact, fulfillment, and confidence in going their own way.
I’m Emma Natter, a path-to-success paver and art-trained business coach who first shattered her own career expectations by selling out of handmade styling goods from her little NYC apartment. Now as a strategist to thousands of creatives, I teach you to harness your passion so you can do the same.
A weekly newsletter delivered straight to your inbox from the EN | School of Creative Entrepreneurship to promote scholarship and creativity within the business arts.