Yesterday we talked about why we feel like the freedom has been sucked out of us this time of year – because the phone doesn’t ring when it’s the subarctic, post-holiday time of year.
Today we’re coming up with irresistible ideas for slow-season sessions, and in the next lesson we’ll evaluate what ideas will help you make cash because people will WANT to pay for those sessions.
Today I’m gettin’ all tactical up in here. Less theory, more doing. And, if you’ve got a spare 5 minutes on your hands, be sure to do my idea generating exercise in this email.
So today = creativity. The next email = technical and evaluative.
But today, today, my dear photographer, you’re going to let your ideas flow.
But before we get started, it’s important I give you a few rules.
Rule #1: no idea is a dumb idea. Scribble down even the most insane, crazy-person ideas in your head that will “never work because…”
Rule #2: NO IDEA IS A DUMB IDEA. The more crazy it sounds? The more you need to write it down.
Today is about generating as many ideas as you can, without holding back. In the next lesson we’ll start axing things off the list. But today? Let’s go crazy.
The session-generating machine
Download the worksheet with the form below:
Write down 5-10 answers to the following:
What are things you ONLY do outdoors this time of year? (ex: sledding)
What are things you ONLY do indoors this time of year? (ex: sip hot cocoa)
What sports happen this time of year? (ex: hockey)
What can you throw? (ex: snow)
What can you punch? (ex: Lisa’s face…er…just kidding…scratch this from the list)
What do you eat/drink this time of year? (ex: tea)
What do you hate about this time of year? (ex: slipping on ice and falling on my face)
Where do parents have kids birthday parties this time of year? (ex: the pizza place with the carousel)
What do people wear this time of year that they don’t other months? (ex: Ughs)
What has a cult following that you just don’t (or do) get? (ex: American Idol)
What age groups / demographics do people leave out? (ex: tweens, retired couples)
Ok, I told you to NOT judge your ideas. But you did, right? You were judgy mcjudgerson, like Judge Judy yelling at the lady who didn’t pay the $500 back to her baby daddy that she borrowed to bail out her other baby daddy…
So go back and put those crazy ideas in there, alright? And as the weekend goes by, jot down more ideas. You know, those amazing ideas you have in the shower or while driving or while binging on Ghirardelli sea-salt, caramel, dark chocolate’s (the square ones in the blue wrapper).
Alright then, I’m glad we got that out of the way.
So here’s the thing – you’ve got some good, some bad, some darn UGLY ideas written down.
Tomorrow we’re going step-by-step through the process of how to evaluate which ideas will actually make you money (and how to turn seemingly crazy ideas into something people will pay for.)
And some of the craziest, wildest ideas may or may not make the cut – but even if they don’t make the cut? I’m going to show you how you can use them in your marketing copy, mad-lib style.
Plus?
I’m going to share an epic idea flop…an idea I was SO SURE would be a hit and make me tons of money, but just left my studio with a stench (literally) and less cash in my pocket than when I started.
Cheers to the crazy ones with crazy ideas!
Lisa Edwards