How Creativity and Free Speech Meets Censorship

When Picking a Title or Product Name Causes Controversy

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Not even praise from School Library Journal,
and several other respected literary publications could
spare award-winning Meg Medina, an author,
former educator and mother from having her YA book banned.

 Little did Medina realize
that her novel would land her in the middle of controversy.
Her novel was about a tough New York school environment
and the challenge of a teen Latina girl who moves to a new city
and finds herself tormented by a bully. And she crafted an arresting title:

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass.

Meg Medina was one of four authors featured on a C-Span panel who had their books banned or censored for content.  But in Medina’s case, the title of her book seemed to be the root of censorship.

Medina could have substituted another descriptive word or phrase, such as gluteus maximums. posterior, rear end, behind, tush or A**, which arguably would have been absurd.The concise title chosen spoke to a specific audience and  conveyed content, emotion and violence underlying an all too common experience.

Takeaway … How politically correct is the field you are considering? And is your personality and temperament suited to handling pushback?
Medina might have first consulted a cross-section of her target market for feedback on her choice of a name. She may not have thought she needed to do so. 

One could argue Medina did not have to. And if she had may not have changed her title but at least she would have been forewarned.

How would you handle a similar situation?

Note: Sometimes, it’s not the field but the target market. Check out the title of this Warner Business book featured in USA Today bestseller list  http://tinyurl.com/ndunfke

Dee Adams is the author of
Finding Your Niche: Discover…

References
C-Span
Banned Books
Freedom of Speech
Note: Content advisory: Adult themes and language
http://www.c-span.org/video/?328609-1/banned-books-week-event-david-levithan-meg-medina

Meg Medina.com
http://tinyurl.com/l6c4j8z

Para-Publishing.com
Book Titles that were Changed/PDF
http://tinyurl.com/o893qr8

Xlibrispublishing.co./uk
How to Name a nonfiction book
http://tinyurl.com/ot4kg75




Playing Chess and Hacking Computers in Africa

Using low-tech Game to Teach Computer Skills

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During a recent panel discussion on the Future of Reading
at the Boston Book Festival, one of the panel members from
MIT admitted that his organization went to Africa with a supply
of laptops for students who had never seen one.

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The goal was to teach reading to the students. However,
a strange thing happened during the visit.  At one point, the
Americans discovered that the students had somehow figured
out how to hack into some of the computer equipment, equipment that
they had never seen before…

And consider, if you free associate images and terms with Africa a 15-year-old
Ugandan teen girl who plays chess would not readily come to mind… at all.

We all have stereotypical notions about what certain people can and cannot do.  However, someone forgot to tell the students who hacked into the laptops or the Ugandan chess player that are supposed to be limited on their skills and abilities…

Lesson: What limits do you place on your own skills and abilities?

References
Boston Book Festival/C-Span/2013
http://tinyurl.com/bq4sqdn

Queen of Katwe
http://tinyurl.com/c9fs2yw

Chess & Intelligence
http://www.chess.com/article/view/the-cognitive-psychology-of-chess




The Serious Business of Laughter

 Applying Humor to Different Fields of Interest

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_F4wV314kM?feature=oembed&w=1200&h=675]

From the moment, Jimmy Kimmel and company stepped out of a
New York City cab wearing pink tutus and tights, and determined to
take ballet lessons, humor was afoot.

YouTube registered 22k views yesterday but within 24 hours,
views had climbed to more than 380,000.
The hysterical skit with ballet  superstar Misty Copeland underscores
the skill involved in a successful execution of comedic content.

Applying humor to any field can be an effective way to get attention
or even identify a niche. For example, back in the 1970’s, college student
Sandra Boynton added her brand of humor to her sketches for greeting cards
and chocolate and she built a multi-million dollar company.
Humor then and now still works for the multi-talented artist,
writer, and producer.

Dee Adams is the author of
Finding Your Niche: Discover…

https://nichecreativity.com/finding-your-niche-ebook/

References
Elle.com
Note: Photo shoot o of ballet performance.
http://tinyurl.com/q5mebj8

Abc News.com/Good Morning America
Sandra Boynton Releases
New Version of Chocolate
http://tinyurl.com/pffjlvb

American Profile.com
Sandra Boynton Greeting Cards
http://tinyurl.com/onaez79

Inc.com
Grow your business with humor
http://tinyurl.com/p2m5b44




Motivational Lessons from Child Entrepreneurs

8 International Profiles of Mini Millionaires

Child Entrepreneurs

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Entrepreneur magazine provides takeaways at the end of
each profile but the article also provides an interesting checklist
of interests, industries, aptitudes, skills, and talents used in their
wildly successful startups.

What You Can Learn From 8 Kids
Already Making a Million Dollars
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241189

Dee Adams is the author of
Finding Your Niche: Discover…

https://nichecreativity.com/finding-your-niche-ebook/




Fastest Growing Social Media Apps

Choosing A Social Media Platform: Tips for Beginners

Social Media Lego
Social Media Lego

Updated periodically

If you are trying to figure out which social media to try,
check out the following articles on Blogtrepreneur.com

Productivity Hacks for Writers
http://tinyurl.com/prv6b23

Social Marketing: How to Promote your
Blog on Social Media
How to Promote your blog with
Social Marketing: A Beginner’s Guide
http://tinyurl.com/ox2ns5n

And take a look at one article about  social media trends
found on Business 2Community.com

The Future of Social Media:
25 Experts Share Their 2015 Predictions
http://tinyurl.com/qyypk2u

Fastcompany.com/Infographic
http://tinyurl.com/ofpuazf

Blog.Buffer.com
How Often to post
https://blog.bufferapp.com/how-often-post-social-media

Tip: with so much conflicting data on the web about social media,
check the stock activity of social media platforms and professional
forums for further insight. For example, Facebook is bursting with
earnings revenue, according to recent Nightly Business News segment
while Pay to Play is one opinion offered about the direction of Facebook, notes an  independent information pro.

Dee Adams is the author of
Finding Your Niche: Discover…
https://nichecreativity.com/finding-your-niche-ebook/




Rissi Palmer’s Country Music Path

Rethinking Music Industry Opportunity

https://youtu.be/eIYjbCvIX5U

 

https://youtu.be/ZDVbkrU189k

A major takeaway from Rissi Palmer’s recent PBS interview includes
her skillful ability at honest self-assessment and reexamination of her
values after entering a challenging niche in the music business.

Back in 2007,
Palmer was the first African-American woman to chart in country
music in 20 years.

But the focus was not on her talent as a singer, guitar player, and songwriter
who picked country music because it was an important part of her upbringing,
instead, Palmer confronted issues over her race hair texture…
apparently major concerns for country music executives.

Rissi Palmer’s message is that you find your niche by staying true to
your authentic self and identifying how to communicate
with those who want to listen.

References
RisstPalmermusic.com
http://www.rissipalmermusic.com/

Rolling Stone.com
Rissi Palmer on Soulful Comeback: ‘It’s Scary and Empowering’
http://tinyurl.com/obx39dd

Today.com
As a Black woman, Rissi Palmer is a country rarity
http://www.today.com/id/21307946#.Vh1gS-xVhBc




How Music Improves Potential and Productivity

Choosing the Right Songs for Results

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Takeaway: Just flipping on your favorite music
or jamming while working on tasks is not the
answer to using melody to boost creativity or productivity.
Choosing the right selections first requires careful thought…
consider starting with a customized checklist as the first step
and testing the results of several choices.

Dee Adams is the author of
Finding Your Niche: Discover…

https://nichecreativity.com/finding-your-niche-ebook/

References

Huffington Post.com
Music, Creativity,
and Unlocking our Full Potential
http://tinyurl.com/nlmxfns

Help Scout.net/blog
Music and productivity
http://www.helpscout.net/blog/music-productivity/

Business Insider.com
The Best Music to listen to for optimal productivity
http://tinyurl.com/ppzrs33




1 Key Tip on How to Use Writing as Personal/Biz Development Tool

How to Improve Creativity and Problem Solving Skills

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Check out the article on Help Scout desk for details
But be aware that choosing the wrong writing tools,
engaging in the activity at the wrong time, and choosing
the wrong format may transform a productive act
into a dreary chore.

The routine selected should empower.

Selected Tools

Antique quill pen
Fountain pen
Specialty lead pencil
Legal pad
Journal
Brightly colored index cards
IPad
Laptop keyboard
Smartphone and Evernote. Or…?…

Dee Adams is the author of
Finding Your Niche: Discover…
https://nichecreativity.com/finding-your-niche-ebook/

References

How Writing Regularly Can Improve
Your Creativity and ClarityCorrect
Help Scout Desk
http://www.helpscout.net/blog/build-writing-habit/

Pen Collectors of America
https://www.pencollectorsofamerica.com/

Morning Pages
Julia Cameron.com
http://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/

Blog.evernote.com
http://tinyurl.com/ms4fbsa

8 IPad Apps for Brillant Writing
Copyblogger.com
http://www.copyblogger.com/ipad-writing-apps/




Entrepreneurship And the Meaning of Passion

Good And Bad Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

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Update: This post first appeared three years ago…
Don’t Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Effort  is the title of a post by
billionaire Mark Cuban who believes “follow your passion” is bad advice
for budding entrepreneurs.

based on firsthand experience and researching business and
medical data on the ill effects of mismatched individuals and work,
I disagree completely with nearly every statement in Cuban’s article.

 His example, it could be argued illustrates that the word passion
is being misused by those who want to believe they’ve found a
calling and that they will prevail if they just think righteous thoughts.
Cuban is not using examples of people
who found and followed their path.

In a class on critical thinking, Cuban would have a hard time proving
his conclusion. His argument is an example of a theory based on
debatable points.

On the other hand, Cuban’s e-book preview contains a lot of
common sense content. It’s almost as if two different people
wrote different sections of the blog post.

Lesson: 
Even billionaires err. There are countless points of view of
what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.  Identify the definition
and philosophy that inspires and empowers.

Dee Adams is the author of
Finding Your Niche: Discover…
https://nichecreativity.com/finding-your-niche-ebook/

References

Blog Makerick.com 2012
Don’t Follow Your Passion…Mark Cuban
http://tinyurl.com/7sl92c3

Harvard Business Review.org/2010
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/01/the_danger_of_entrepreneurial.html

Former Billionaire declares Bankruptcy/2011
Forbes.com
http://tinyurl.com/84bklp7