Top 7 Tips For Finding Your Voice

By Alt SLC speaker Karen Walrond.

1) Stop comparing - It's natural to be curious about what others in your field are doing, but one of the biggest wastes of time is comparing your work with theirs. Particularly since it is patently impossible to create effectively in someone else's voice -- the inevitable result is disappointment. Accept that you will do what you do differently from everyone else. Believing in this will be incredibly freeing.

Given this, I want to be sure to make the distinction between comparison and inspiration (because I do think that inspiration is critical in being a creator):

• Comparison will make you feel bad about yourself, or stir ugly feelings of resentment or jealousy. It is completely destructive, and should be avoided at all costs. 
• Inspiration will spur you to try harder and do better work. Inspiration encourages experimentation of your own techniques. Inspiration is a good thing, and should be strongly encouraged (but always giving credit where possible). 
• I won't touch on flat-out copying someone's work, because I think we can all agree that plagiarism of any type is wrong. Copying should obviously be soundly discouraged.

2) Practice seeing - I encourage all creators to keep their cameras close at hand - your camera phone will do nicely - and take time each day to photograph something beautiful, inspiring, or thought-provoking. You don't have to share the images if you don't want to, but it's a great way to gather a body of work, that gives you evidence of what it is that you are passionate about.

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Alt NYC 2013 Dates Announced!

 Photography by Justin Hackworth. 

We're thrilled to announce that Alt will be returning to NYC for 2013! Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia will be hosting us for a second year on June 20, 2013. Registration opens March 1st at 12:00 PM EST so mark your calendars and get set for another year of Alt takes on Manhattan.

Did you miss Alt NYC 2012 and want to learn more? View photos from the event here and here and check out the 2012 schedule for a hint of what you can expect.

Three great reasons to get organized online

By Victoria Hudgins. Photography by Paul Indigo.

Being organized will help you to streamline content
One of the most difficult issues with blogging and can be finding what you need, when you need it! You know you have the perfect cake stand for today's round up or the correct credit on a photo you loved, you just cannot remember where you put them. When you establish organizational systems online it will help your content to be tight and fabulous. Using programs like Evernote or Flipboard can be a great help to getting your online inspiration in order.

Being organized will increase blogging efficiency
Have you ever opened your computer to start a project and then checked in on Twitter, and then scrolled over through a page of Pinterest, and before you know it three hours have gone by? If you are able to organize your tasks and schedule on the computer you can eliminate what I like to call "aimless wandering syndrome." With a successful social media organization system, you will be able to get projects done on-time. You'll also be able to find the right inspiration, when and how you choose to do it.

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Breathing Life Into the Voice of Your Brand

This post is sponsored by Method.

As a brand, your voice is one of the most important ways you connect with your community. Think of the most beloved brands and blogs you know. They don’t all sound the same, but they communicate with authenticity and with a voice that aligns with their mission and values.

Your voice should reflect the unique qualities of your brand. At Method, that means playing with words, dispensing delightful quips, and telling short stories. We describe it as being like a conversation with a funny friend—if your friend only talked about cleaning products.

Put stakes in the ground and be consistent

The same informal tone and quirky humor can be found on our packaging, website, advertising, and marketing communications. Maintaining consistency doesn’t mean having a formula for developing your voice, but creating guidelines can go a long way. For example, we define the Method voice by what it is: witty, without airs, chatty. And what it is not: crass, highfalutin, preachy. This allows us to think of each new product or message within these parameters and let it speak for itself. Whether you’re just starting out as a blogger or you already have a readership of millions, creating a simple two-column list of what your voice ‘is’ and ‘is not’ is a worthwhile exercise. This is especially important if you are considering adding contributing writers to your community.

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Getting Started Online: Customizing Your Domain

By Alt Channel teacher Melanie Burk. Photography by Christine Buckton Tillman.

One of the simplest ways to make your blog more professional is to buy your own domain. It isn't hard, and it isn't expensive. However, the benefits are endless. It will make your blog more professional, plus it feels so much better to say yourblog.com, instead of yourblog.blogspot.com. While I love blogger and it's platform, if you are seriously about blogging, you should make the switch.

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