Home improvments are bad for business!

This room in my house has been a dining room, exercise room and now seems destined to become an artist’s workshop.

It’s a great room because it’s very light, overlooks the garden and has doors straight out onto it, so for keeping an eye on the kids when they’re outside, or bringing food out to the garden when we’re eating outside in summer it’s wonderful.

But I like it because it’s my perspective changer.

Years ago I used to play in bands and actually earned my living as a musician for a while. I dabbled with songwriting but quickly found that when you’re used to playing a guitar or piano your hands automatically go to the same chord progressions time after time. 

Any muso reading this will know that if you’re writing a song in D (major) then your fingers are going to find their way to A, G, E minor and possibly B flat if you’re feeling daring.

So unless you’re wildly talented (I wasn’t) then many of your songs are going to sound (the dreaded) ’samey’.

To get round this I used to try to write songs in different keys, such as F sharp or A flat so my fingers weren’t as used to the chrod progressions and didn’t head for the same ones every time.

Well guess what – (yep) – internet marketing is EXACTLY the same.

When I sit down at my home office desk I tend to think about things in the same way, and even do things in the same way. Sometimes it feels as thought it’s ’samey’

Which is when I grab my netbook and head off to another part of the house. Wireless networks are a marvellous thing!

For example I was asked to contribute to an internet marketing book last week. The deadline was Sunday – two days ago.

I tried writing it at my desk on Sunday morning and all that came out was….well crap really.

So I made a cuppa and took my netbook to the kitchen table, put the radio on and started to write. I was pretty happy with the result and I finished the whole article in 20 minutes.

I’ll tell you about the book few days - you can get a copy on 1st December and it’s a worthy cause – all the proceeds go to charity and when you see some of the contributors I’m sure you’ll  want a copy

Anyway – the room in the pic above used to be my refuge when I wanted a shift in perspective. Working somewhere else gives me a totally different outlook on things – you should try it.

So I took this picture with some regret because I’m sure when it’s finished and is complete with work tables, drying racks, drawing boards and other things I don’t really understand it will still be wonderful to work in…

…but I’ll probably not be allowed in!