Today I was like a kid in a candy store at Target.  I went in to look for a patio chair, but I didn’t find one, so as I was walking to the exit, I spotted some desktop organizational items (letter holders, pen holders, etc) that weren’t too exciting.  But when I turned around and looked behind me, there they were – a set of 30 Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils!    I love writing with pencils, but I just don’t see them around much anymore these days. And here are 30 colored pencils that I can twist up and down, in and out and all that.

Of course, now that I had pencils, I need many more things that I didn’t need when I first went into Target – colored markers, index cards and notebooks.  I’ve previously posted about why you should Doodle Your eBook – going back to the old school way of writing out your product. To me, that’s definitely a more intimate way of connecting with your work.  But I also like to sketch out things and ideas because I’m a visual person. Normally that’s done in black or blue ink on white paper – but now I have a great selection of colored pencils and markers.

In any case,  this post isn’t about my love of colored pencils and markers per se.  It’s about thinking outside of the “computer”.  When you are creating an information product, you tend to want to think you have to be glued to the screen, pounding out words on your keyboard for days.  Well, you don’t really have to do that.  I think that’s part of the reason why many people get bored and give up – who wants to sit in front of a computer for days.

So, how can Crayola help you?  Well here are some ideas:

1. Create your own graphics for your product on paper and scan them.  Yes, draw your own images (or doodle if you can’t draw) to include in the pages of your product!
2. Storyboard your video project. Use colored pencils to sketch out the slides of your PowerPoint presentation or the frames of your video.
3. Print out your product and edit it using colored markers. Why spend your time proofreading on the computer?  Take a look at your product in a different format – you will spot errors you would have missed editing on your computer.
4. Create a colorful mindmap of your product or to brainstorm ideas!  Traditionally, mindmaps are hand-drawn and very graphical. Play around with drawing your mindmaps by hand, rather than using a software for it. You might find they work out better for you because you aren’t fighting with the technology!
5. Layout your first draft.  Way back in the day, when we created papers and reports, these were often handwritten first. When the first draft was done, THEN we typed it up on a typewriter. Computers have made things too easy.  Lay out your first draft (or maybe your outline) on paper using color coding and hand-drawn mock-ups.
6. If you are a workaholic, or a product creator on a tight deadline, go to the beach and do one of the above.  Try that with your laptop!  (I sure hope you don’t take your poor laptop to the beach).