Artists, Designers, Illustrators

	Jerlyn Thomas, NYC
I’m a senior interactive graphic designer at the 2nd largest advertising agency in the world. I am a hybrid: Designer/Developer. I love constantly learning and love being busy, looking to network with people who love to create :-)!

	Curtis McHale, Chilliwack BC
Web designer and developer. HTML, CSS, jQuery, javascript, wordpress, design, frontend coder, Ruby on Rails designer Frontend coder working hard to find some exciting design/dev work. http://www.curtismchale.ca/

	Allan Knopp, Essex, UK
Graphic design, Illustration, Artwork, Giclee prints, Large format prints, Canvas prints, Watercolour prints. Freelance, providing a full service including design, artwork, visuals, and various styles of illustration from graphs to 3D modelling. I also supply wide format prints on canvas and a variety of other materials

Zak Morris, St Louis, Missouri

Drawing, digital graphics, webdesign and consultation, user experience A chaotic creative with perfectionist expectations. Facinated by all things techy-sporty-webby-human..y. Always looking to collaborate and network. Portfolio

	Will Guy, San Francisco, CA
cartooning, illustration, flash art creation, unusual, irreverent, when theres no other word for it but goopy

Krisztian Szilagyi, Budapest, Hungary

Web, motion and dream design. Ohh wadda beautyfull life. It’s like lickin’ honey off the knife..! http://pegazoo.hu/

	Jamey Miller, Atlanta, GA Roanoke, VA
Hey, Im Jamey, I have about 8 years experience in Graphic Design and Web Design. I have done a lot of logos and web sites but can also do wordpress themes and myspace. I am available for full time or freelance in the Atlanta, GA area or Roanoke, VA areas. Check me out. www.jameymiller.com

	April Baird, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Hey, I’m April. I am an Artist of all sorts. I mainly focus on illustration and graphic design work. I do play around with photography from time to time. I also do a lot of crafty stuff. I’m from Halifax NS. Check me out @ www.aprilmdesigns.com

Nik Hurwood, Kent, UK

Web and print designer, writer.. You can tell a story many ways, I choose to tell it with other peoples imaginations. http://bloglander.co.uk/

Samuel John Klein, Portland, Oregon

Digital layout, illustration, writing. Portfolio

	Leslie & Mauricio Los Angeles, CA
Mauricio and Leslie own a partnership in a design firm Land Mind Design (LMD) and we are always open to projects, along with inspiration! We specialize in print design but also dab in web design, illustration, and motion graphics. We are in the Los Angeles area, but are looking to expand.

	Melinda Stanley Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Melinda, Halifax, NS - I’m an illustrator, graphic designer and in another lifetime—photographer. I also design for the web and I’m currently learning Drupal and Joomla. Since January, much of my attention has been on illustration; research, marketing, and expanding my portfolio.

	Ren Rieskamp Northern Illinois
Print design, print publishing, prepress, illustration. I’m a fun-loving graphic artist in the greater Chicago area, specializng in print!

Don David Vera , Bogotá D.C

Hi! I’m dondavidvera.com now working full time as UI Designer… but able to do some freelance projects… greetings! Experience with flash websites, actionscript 3.0, social media marketing, e-cards, microsites, flash components, cms, html websites, blogs, seo, illustration.

	Mariya
i’m mariya. working as art director and designer at templatemonster.com for 6 years. freelancer, always seeking interesting projects, open to work. owner of arriba.cc online magazine.

Martin Maruša, Bratislava, Slovakia

So hello, i’m Martin, from Bratislava, Slovakia (Europe I’m a student and starting freelancer in web design and web programming, I’m open to new projects. Graphic Designer and Web Designer available for hire. http://mattonik.deviantart.com/

Pierre Pradal, Romans-sur-Isère

Hi to all. I’m Pierre. I’m an experienced Game Designer, Multimedia Author and Project Manager currently working on various video game and serious game project. I’m french and available as freelance. Will be happy to provide help on any project. http://www.linkedin.com/in/pierrepradal

	Andrea Cutler, USA
I am Andrea Cutler, a graphic designer, looking for projects. I do logos, identity collateral, packaging, poster design, and front end web. I am available for freelance work.

Matt Quirk, Tempe, Arizona

Hey all! I’m open for projects on a weak deadline. I work full time @ TwitterBackgrounds.com creating Free and Custom Twitter backgrounds. I’m looking for some extra work on the side to beef up my portfolio: logo design, layouts, print collateral, etc. Located in the Phoenix area. =)

	Daniel Luciani, Tuscany, Italy
I’m an illustrator and comic artist from Italy! Open to collaborations also in multimedia field..

	Sruli Broocker, Pittsburgh, PA
3D Character Animation (Maya), 2D Character Animation (Flash, Anime Studio Pro), Concept Design, Freelance Animator, Designer.

Cam Marshall, Kelowna, BC

Hey yo! I’m Cam and I’m an interactive web designer from British Columbia, Canada. I’m open to working on mixed-media projects of all types. I have experience in the markerting/advertising and web design/development industries… http://www.cammarshall.ca/

Michael Cohen, Vancouver, BC

I’m Michael, and I’m an Illustrator and Graphic Designer in Vancouver, British Columbia. Open for projects in print/web/brand identity. Currently looking for a kick butt web developer to work with, as well as a great copy writer to add value to my graphic design company, http://www.awscreative.com/

	Nicholas Jackson, Bemidji, MN
Graphics, Illustration

Dane Stevens

I’m Dane, a Web and Graphics Designer. I do mostly front-end design and a little bit of back-end. I am currently working on a social networking site as my first real back-end project. (It’s always good to have some extra work.) XHTML/CSS, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, Photoshop, Web & Graphics Design Professional http://www.dsmedia.ca/portfolio/

	Ricardo Gimenes, São Paulo, Brazil
Cartoonist, Illustrator

Marc, Aotearoa

Hi there everyone! I’m Marc and I’m a graphic and Identity designer. After graduating University with a Masters, I’ve been plying my trade with various clothing and print companies. I work for myself as a graphic & strategic designer. http://artisticbloom.blogspot.com/

Photographers

	Frederique Porter, NYC
Hello, I’m Frederique. I’m a freelance photographer based in NYC. I’m open to projects, networking and sharing ideas. I love creating art with my images and adding text!

	Chad Wright, Austin, Texas
Photography, Design, Ideas I’m a husband and father living in Austin, Texas and hustling every day to help others.

	Matthew Hoffman, New Hampshire
Digital and Film Photography, Graphic Design and Typesetting Adventurer with a camera in tow.

Printers

Jim Dittmer, Portland, Oregon

Photoshop-Social Media- Color Management-Printing Geek! http://www.jdapdx.com/

Coders and Developers

Josh Salverda, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I am a freelance Web Developer currently located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I have been designing web sites for the past three years and have worked for a few different web development companies. http://www.joshsalverda.com/

Jason Peltier, Houstonish, Texas

I’m Jason Peltier. I’m a freelance/contract developer working mainly in PSD2HTML/CSS projects. I’ve just started with an iPhone dev group in Houston and will be doing their graphics. I’ve developed a few Wordpress sites in different roles and am moving my online portfolio to WP right now. Focused on front-end development. Interested in all things web. http://www.mesmerlab.com

Paul Stewart, Chicago, Illinois

Arck Interactive: We are engineers who develop web-based solutions that help your organization make money, save time, increase productivity and improve internal/external communication. We make programming sexy.. http://arckinteractive.com

Brian J. King, Bowling Green, OH

Flash Media Server, OS X Server Management, UI, AdWords, Social Media, E-Commerce, Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal, Marketing, Management, New media marketer & designer striving to change the world. http://brianjking.com/

Kim Beasley

WordPress, Drupal, Membership websites, Training, Custom Templates, and business consulting Create membership websites using WordPress or Drupal. Love blogging, singing and writing books. http://promembershipservices.com/

Anne Cossette, Flagstaff & Phoenix, Arizona

Hello I’m Anne, a user-experience (front-end or user-interface) site designer & developer. I specialize in front end coding & web development and do some graphic design, tho’ my strength is def. coding and development (usability + content architecture), and SEO too. http://dewlillydesign.com/

Nathan Williams, Rancho Cucamonga, California

I’m Nathan. I am a Web Developer from Southern California. I have been coding php, html, css, javascript, actionscript for over ten years and within the past year have been developing in Ruby on Rails and iPhone. I have a full-time position but I also work part-time freelancing. Ruby on Rails, PHP, CSS, XHTML, Actionscript, and iPhone Dev

Sean K. Stewart, Winder, Georgia

Front-end Web Development, CMS Customizer, UX Design, CSS/XHTML, SEO I’m a web developing audiophile… let’s rock and roll http://www.clubwinder.com/portfolio

Paul Rule, Sydney, Australia

Hi, I’m Paul, and I’m primarily a java based web app developer based in Sydney, Australia. I work across the board with html, css, javascript and Java/JEE. Personally working with Grails and Groovy these days. http://javathinking.com/

Chris Charabaruk Toronto, Canada

I’m Chris. I am currently developing an online task manager called Taskerrific. I’ve been a programmer for almost four fifths of my life and I’m interested in breaking into social media consulting. C++, C#, Drupal, application development, web development, Programmer and social media geek. Available for hire for short-term work.I’m from the Toronto area (in Canada). http://coldacid.net/resume

John Wright, Southern California

Hi Everyone, I’m John Wright and I’m mostly a backend programmer type doing all the nuts, bolts and functionality of an app. My programming background includes work in .NET, LAMP, Java, C++ and many other libraries, tools etc. Currently I use LAMP. I’m good with XHTML, CSS, and jQuery also. http://wrightlabs.net/

Jon Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Hi, I’m Jon in Newcastle, UK. I’m an all round web developer of 6 years. My favourite area at the moment is in HTML/CSS and JS (I love jQuery), though am a fully-competent PHP programmer too.

Cesare, Italy

I am Cesare, from Italy. I am an interaction designer. I design and develop Rich Internet Applications. Recently focusing on mobile user experience. Always considering kick ass projects. If interested drop me a line.

Robbie Spencer, Columbus, Ohio

I’m Robbie Spencer and I specialize in internet startups and digital art. I’m currently running three different projects, specifically one dealing with Blellow and another with Twitter. If you have experience with Windows Mobile, iPhone, or Front end web design, drop me a line! Web Design (XHTML, CSS), Graphic Editing, Customer Service, Administration, Investments. Social Media Addict who seeks to use the Internet in new and creative ways. http://linkedin.com/in/robbiespencer

Social Media, Internet Marketing, Sales

Mark Sherrick, Connecticut

I’m Mark Sherrick. My experience is in sales, customer service, CRM, market research, marketing, advertising, sales, motivation, brainstorming, creative consulting, general design, and R&D. I’m in Connecticut and I’m looking for work. http://www.linkedin.com/in/marksherrick

Ruhani Rabin, Malaysia

Hi I’m Ruhani Rabin, Living in Malaysia. Currently working as Chief Tech Architect of one of the leading Interactive Media agencies. Almost 11 years experience with software, networking and web development. Focused on Web 2.0/SocialMedia/UX for clients. Available for quick Wordpress based projects or open source products, installations etc. http://www.linkedin.com/in/ruhanirabin

Bo Cable, Orlando, Florida

Hi I’m Bo Cable. I live in the Orlando area. I am an iMedia Coach. I teach and train corporations, small businesses and individuals how to leverage the internet for profit. Otherwise known as an Internet Marketing & Conversion Strategist. I am always looking for opportunities to work with others. http://www.bocable.com/

Damien Robinson, Jacksonville, Florida

New Media, User Interface Design, SEO, Web and Database Development, PHP, mySQL, XML. I’m looking for business executives, entrepreneurs or community leaders who seek to implement social media into their organization. I’m the Managing Partner and Vice Pres. of Technology & New Media with a brand development & technology company located in Jacksonville, Florida. http://www.cime4.com/

Craig Childs, San Antonio, Texas

I help people create and market their brand. http://www.onlinebricks.com/

Music, Audio Engineers

Dan Mazal, San Antonio, TX México DF

Music/audio production and postproduction. Sound design. Copywriting and editing. Marketing. Advertising. English/Spanish translation.

Nate Trier, Connecticut

Hi! I’m Nate Trier, I live in eastern CT (no, not the part with all the yachts I’m a musician, music teacher and audio engineer. I’m also a writer and editor (I also slice and dice!). I’m currently getting into e-learning and online content delivery (a must for any indie musician). http://www.triermusic.com/

Robb Blatt, Brooklyn, NY

Audio and Video Production, WordPress customization, An Emmy and Oscar award winning audio engineer and podcaster http://blattcaveproductions.com/

Film, Video, Broadcast

Marcos Horacio, Rio de Janeiro

Hi, I’m Marcos Horacio and I’m a film editor / filmmaker. I live in Rio de Janeiro, where I own a trailer editing company and freelance as well, but I’m moving back to the US over the next year. Film, TV and video Editing, Motion Graphics, After Effects, Photoshop, expert in trailer and TV spot editing with experience in documentary work as well. http://www.marcosh.com/marcosh.html

Kamaur Bonfield, New Jersey

Hello my name is Kamaur. I’m open to doing projects that makes me think. I work doing broadcast motion graphics. I live in New Jersey, USA. I’m open to collaborate on projects.

Matthew Balthrop, NoVA

HI EVERYBODY! I’m Dr. Nick!…No, wait. i’m Matthew. I’m a Creative Director and I work with companies nationwide on their marketing and branding campaigns. My focus is in the effective implementation of video into campaigns and creating that content at a reasonable cost. www.g14media.tv Creative Director, Broadcast Producer/Director, New Media Creator, FCS/Avid Editor

Shaun, Las Vegas, Nevada

My name is Shaun. I live in Las Vegas. I have been in talk radio for 12 years. Local radio and internet radio experience. I was the guy that started the nuts campaign to CBS in 2007 that saved the TV series JERICHO. I am still talking TV on my radio show/podcast TV TALK. http://shrinkify.com/ic6

Writing

Guy Cross, UK, Scotland

Blogger, writer, product evangelism, community manager, ideas, facilitation - a nice guy who works hard

Deborah Aldridge, South Florida

I’m Deborah, and I write about mostly green living and gardening. I’m published online on Associated Content, Suite 101, Bright Hub, Examiner, and eHow. I also have a personal blog and two others, one on gardening and one on Urban Homesteading. I’m available for private writing assignments. http://greenlasagna.com/

Erin New Jersey

Writer, editor, virtual assistant services. Music/art loving freelancer available for contract work.

Let's Get Green! by ecstaticist

Floating On Green by adettara

so...very...green by Gilfer

green ON green by tropicaLiving

Green Tsunami! by Ibnu Yusuf

Daddy-O, That's a Cool Green Machine by Kat Davis ©

Green Energy by Paulo Veiga

Lovely Green..!! by Fliker_2000

shades of green by scienceduck

Green Goblin by Tomatoskin

1. Fiery Space Explosion - Psdtuts.com

2. Realistic Star Field - WebDesign.org

3. Alien Invasion - Imarc.net

4. Planet Scene - Tutorz.com

5. Alienize - MarcoFolio.net

Did you know we have a Photoshop group on Blellow? Come join and ask questions, share resources, or just talk Photoshop!

1. Tell your friends!

A social network is only as great as the people who show up.  The more people that are part of the Blellow community, the more helpful it’ll be. So, if you are a member of other social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Groups, help us spread the word and grow the community by talking about Blellow and asking your friends to join.

2. Join a group and tell your friends!

One of the features we offer is the ability to “turn down the noise” and just focus on conversations that appeal to you. Groups allow you to pick and choose topics you want to discuss or people you want to reach out to. We’ve added a nifty invite to group button, so if you know someone who would also find benefit or be a great resource for a group, please invite them!

3. Buy an Ad!

If you have a product or service that would appeal to the Blellow community, please take a look at our Advertising page and consider buying an ad.

4. Be a guest blogger!

We want YOU to be a guest blogger on Blellow! Got an idea for a story or tutorial that will help freelancers and professionals? Post on our blog and we’ll help get the word out. If you’re interested in guest blogging, let us know and we’ll get you set up!

5. Post your jobs and projects!

Another great reason folks come to Blellow is for the jobs and projects boards. If you are looking to hire someone or need help on a project, post it to our boards. It’s free and we’ll help you spread the word to qualified freelancers!

6. Post your meetups and events!

If you are hosting, sponsoring, or even attending a meetup, then post them to our meetups page to let others in your area know about it.

7. Log in daily!

Sounds simple, but it is the easiest way to help us keep the momentum of the  Blellow community going. Simply logging in and posting a response to “What are you working on?” can help spur conversation. And who knows; someone may have posted a request for help that is right up your alley and is searching for a freelancer with your skill set for a new project. We’ve created some great notifications that let you know if you have received a reply or if your group has new messages. You can opt in to see all messages posted to your favorite groups. We love seeing your smiling faces on Blellow, so don’t forget to stop by and see us daily!

8. Digg, Delicious, and StumbleUpon us!

You’ve already got them installed on your toolbar, so don’t forget to tag us so others can find out about the cool stuff going on at Blellow. We’d really appreciate the link love!

9. Use our API

We’ve just opened up our API. If you are a developer, we’d love for you to create an app for Blellow. A few Blellow members already have a few ideas and efforts in the works for an iPhone app, Wordpress plugins, Blackberry app, and a widget using Google Wave. Check out the API group for the details.

10. Send us Red Bull and protein bars!

So it’s not exactly the breakfast of champions, but we gotta keep going somehow. Late nights, early mornings, and jam packed hours in between are all part of a day’s work for us. Now, don’t get me wrong, we LOVE it, but every once in a while a pick-me-up would come in handy!

There, that’s it: 10 ways you can help Blellow. Questions? Let us know! Ideas? Let us know!

Now if you will excuse me, I gotta get back to work!

If you had asked me two years ago what social media was, I probably would have guessed it was a decked-out kegger party bus of full of fun-loving journalists traveling about the country. But thanks to a great freelance job working for MediaRich, a web development and marketing company owned by our same favorite CEO, Mandi Leman, I was launched in to this wonderland of tweets and unconferences. Slowly but surely this thing called social media finally started to make some sense, but every day is still a learning process.

A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to become a social-media-rock-star-in-training by attending a Social Media Workshop hosted by Giovanni Galluci. I am including in this post some high level highlights of things that really stuck with me after the workshop. Hopefully I’ll give you just enough to whet your social media whistle and encourage you to jump at the opportunity to attend one of his workshops.

Meeting Gern Blanston

From the very beginning, I knew it was going to be a great workshop thanks to a quick introduction to Gern Blanston. You can check him out on Twitter and once you figure out why he made it into Giovanni’s workshop, you’ll gain a whole new perspective into this beast we call social media.

Surprise, You Had No Idea Who I Was

While you can and should develop a plan on who and how to target your message, sometimes a person you least expect to have influence can be the catalyst to getting your message to gain momentum. Giovanni presented a couple of great case studies for his client Viewzy, a visual search engine. It seems almost unreal how a simple tweet can get you on CNN, but it happens. So, talk to everyone and assume nothing.

SEO, You Know What it Means. How Do You Do It?

Giovanni took some time to dig in a little to SEO. If you are like me, it’s something you know about and could rattle off vocabulary words like key word saturation and anchor text. But do you really know how they work to get you found by search engines? For those of you who don’t, just remember 5-7% keyword density is optimal, and for those of you who do, a good refresher now and then is always good!

Where to Promote and Wearing a Gray Hat

One of the things that has made Giovanni so successful is his willingness to toe the line and challenge the expected norm. Understanding to what extent some “gray hat” techniques can be used is important if you want to adopt an aggressive online strategy. I won’t give away the secrets he revealed about where that line is when it comes to Facebook promotions and using Linked In, but it was certainly (dare I don my own gray hat) insightful and potentially very useful.

We’re Off to See the Twitter

Twitter is the social media beast I am the most familiar with, after Blellow of course, but I still took away some great tips on how to use it more effectively. Ultimately, Twitter is a powerful tool. If you are willing to squint and blur the edges of what “normal” behavior is, it can be one of the most powerful ways to market your idea, product, or service.

Sow Your Oats

If you want to be searchable and gain some notoriety for what you do, you have to be willing to go out and sow the field with things that are going to lead people back to you. Giovanni gives great advice on how to use blogging and commenting, social media bookmarking, and news aggregation sites like Digg to help you to “plant” your name and product/service in many different places.

Be Seen & Be Heard

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, so if you are not currently using audio, video and imagery as part of your marketing strategy, you should be. But there is more to it than just uploading your video or photos. During this session of the workshop, you learn how to use these sites to their maximum advantage.

Less Work, Same Benefit

Is it possible to exist as a marketing rock star without working your fingers to the bone 24/7? Using some of these marketing methods can be time consuming. You actually have to do the work, but there are some tools out there that can help you do it faster and more efficiently; places like Friend Feed, FeedBurner, and Ping.fm. If you are not already using these tools, you should be. Gio gives great advice on how to use these sites to save you time and effort but still achieve great results.

Other Tools & Measuring Success

And last but not least, there is a whole slew of other software and tools that you can utilize to just be better at this thing we call social media. A couple that I know personally that have made things easier for me are Tweetdeck and Twitterhawk.

And in this business, it can be a little bit harder to step up and put your money where your mouth is. I sat in awe during this session as Giovanni explained his method for putting a value on what social media marketing can mean. He shares an awesome case study of a campaign he worked on with Will Hurley that shows how two days worth of work earned the equivalent of $850k worth of more traditional marketing methods. Holy cow, Batman, I think I see a rockstar!

Here is a link to his site and schedule of upcoming events. You’ll never meet a more humble, down-to-earth guy who is willing to share so many great insights and techniques with you. I left his workshop fired up and motivated and ready to take what I had learned and apply it. So, whether you are just getting started or are a seasoned SM professional, take a day and sit in this workshop.   You could be the next social media rockstar!

(Click on any image to see the full size source, and give these photographers kudos for taking such beautiful pictures!)

Are you a photographer? We have a photography group on Blellow and we would love to have you as a member. Come check it out!

The Boom Towns
If you’re looking to make a move to the Social Media Frontier then your best bet is to take up residence in places like Twitter-ville and Facebook-ington. There you’ll find plenty of folks to learn from and network with. They are literally thriving metropolises where it is easy to find people you have something in common with, but equally as easy to get lost in the crowd.

The Trains
Just as it was in the middle of the 19th century, to get anywhere in social media you have to ride the train. All aboard the Tweetdeck and Friendfeed Express and get your message to its final destination as quick as a speeding locomotive.

The Telegraph
But trains aren’t the only way to be heard by your network. Thanks to the great telegraph companies like Ping.fm, one message can be sent to dozens of recipients all at the same time.

The General Store
Something for everyone and something when you need it, most folks visit the Digg & Delicious general store every so often. Great place to meet knew folks, swap stories with friends, and get a 10-pound sack of tutorial links or a barrel of the latest industry news.

The People
But as it is in any town, the people are really what make social media happen. And just like the fearless pioneers who set off to make their way in the wild world that was, social media has its pioneers and townsfolk as well.

The Gold Miners
They work their craft like miners with their pan and tenaciously and meticulously use every social media tool out there to spread their message. They revel in the small nuggets called connections and every once in a while hit the mother lode by writing a great blog post or passing along that one link that sets their network abuzz with excitement and discussion.

The Cowboys
Just plain fun to be around and listen too, these hard-working, trail blazing social media types are enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. They can be hard to get to know, but once you make friends, you have a loyal companion for life to help you spread the word and rock solid sources of great advice.

The Gunslingers
These social media bandits use every creative idea they can think of to spread their message. These guys aren’t necessarily dangerous, but definitely toe the line when it comes to breaking the social media interaction laws. These fearless, headstrong pioneers dare to challenge the accepted norm and if nothing else, provide the Mashable & TechCrunch Gazettes with excellent gossip.

The Traveling Medicine Shows
These charlatans arrive with a cleverly crafted message that sounds like a cure to what ails you. But upon closer inspection, you discover they’re selling you and every other person they can get their sticky fingers on, bottles of  the very same dehydrated water with a mysterious SPAM label on the bottle.

The Sheriffs
Every community needs a peacekeeper and social media sheriffs do their part to keep the peace when necessary. They wear badges like “Community Manager” and “Social Media Coach”, work to make sure everyone understands what the rules are and are quick on the draw to let you know if you’ve crossed the line.

And for the most part, life in Social Media town is peaceful with folks going about their business, connecting, networking, and discussing. But everyone once in a while, usually when a Sheriff and a Gunslinger disagree, it’s all bets off and the Open Forum & Blog Comment Corral is full up with tension and the lively gunshot-like prattle of a social media showdown.

Blellow Town
Now where does Blellow fit into this scene of a western landscape? We’re a brand new settlement, not yet connected to the depot but laying down tracks to make it easier for folks to come visit. We’ve got big plans for our little town with the industry of sharing knowledge and experience driving our every move.

Yessiree, the social media landscape sure does have an old west feel to it, but like those that conquered a new and dangerous territory, we are now embarking on that same kind of adventure. Full of dangers and trials, but in the end, we know it will have been worth all the struggles and hard work.

We have a great Social Media group on Blellow. If social and media are two words you can’t live with out, come join in the conversation. We’ll see you there, partner!

Just like a professional athlete stretches and warms up before a big game, you can do a few writing “warm up” exercises and get those creative juices flowing.

Writing Prompts

When writer’s block has you stumped or you are just having a hard time getting going, try adding your own creative thoughts to a simple writing prompt. Who knows, you may end up finding the initial fodder for a brand new fictional masterpiece.

• 329 Writing Prompts
  This simple site had all kinds of great prompts to get your creative juices flowing. Simple ideas but highly effective, just hover, think and write!
  http://creativewritingprompts.com/
• Writer’s Digest Prompts
  Here are a few more great prompts for waking up your brain and putting words on paper. This list features about 100 great writing prompts.
  http://www.writersdigest.com/WritingPrompts/

Challenge
When you have a relaxed day and can find a few minutes to write, start a list of any and all ideas you can think of. Don’t spend too much time on any one, the idea here is just to list out as many as you can. Use this list of your own prompts to give you a boost when you get stuck.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

There are dozens and dozens of great photography sites out there but here are a few that feature some great pictures worth writing about:

• 92 Must See Creative Photographs
  Check out this great blog post from JustCreativeDesign.com. It features 92 amazing creative photographs. Some are funny, some are dramatic, but all are sure to help you starting thinking creatively.
  http://justcreativedesign.com/2008/04/08/creative-photographs/
• Geoff Ross Photography
  Amazingly beautiful landscape photography. What an amazing planet we live on, you can’t help but be inspired by his photos.
  http://www.geoffrossphotography.com/index.php
• 50 Stunning Architectural Photographs
  FromSmashingapps.com this blog post features 50 of the most stunning architectural photographs we have ever seen.
  http://www.smashingapps.com/2009/03/22/50-stunning-examples-of-architecture-photography.html

Challenge
Even if you are not a photographer you can still learn to see the world in a way that will help to inspire your writing.When you are looking for inspiration, try looking at your surroundings in a new way. Look at them upside down or sideways, or try looking at them through a colored-glass bottle or paper towel tube. Finding new ways to look at the things you see everyday can help you to find new creative ideas everywhere you look!

Use All Your Senses

Sparks of creative genius can come from more than just visual stimulation. Another great way to make sure help spark your creativity is to get up and go do something that involves one of more of your senses.

• A Nose Knows
  While I don’t recommend you go canine and start sniffing  people or everything around you, do start becoming aware of the odors and scents you encounter on your regular day and use them to feed ideas. Read this great post from RouseYour Muse.com for more idea: http://www.rousingyourmuse.com/creativity-and-your-senses-2.html

• Now Hear This!
  It would be obscene of me to talk about sparking creativity without mentioning music and sound. Music and creative writing have gone hand in hand since their practical creation. And we have no shortage of resources for finding and listening to all kinds of music, so close your eyes and open your ears for a little inspiration.Check out this great site for some interesting and subtle white noise.
  http://www.iserenity.com/environments.htm

  Or browse this list of 60 great music sites: http://www.webupon.com/Audio/Music-Rules-2-Top-60-Music-Websites-That-Deliver-the-Greatest-Free-Music.132133

• The Taste of Creativity
  This is perhaps one of the most adventurous senses but with some of the most power thought provoking abilities. Food and our sense of taste has a huge impact on our memory, which in turn can have a dramatic effect on how we see and react in our current setting.

Nobody plays with their food better than kids. This article was aimed at preschoolers, some of the most creative folks on the planet.  C’mon learn how to make your face and eat it too!’
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=646

Flavor tripping anyone? They can be hard to come by, but if you can get them, these little berries can take you on a flavor adventure that is sure to kick your creativity into overdrive! Check out this great article from The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html

Challenge: Find new ways to feel, taste, hear, see, and smell the world around you. Try closing your eyes while you eat your lunch or pick out your clothes only by using your sense of touch. Improving your ability to observe your surroundings using all of your senses, and then using those observations to spice up your writing can help to make the stories your write a much richer experience for your readers.

These are just a few ideas to rev up your creative engines and help you to just start writing. I’d love to hear any other ideas you have or techniques you’ve used to imagine new story ideas. Feel free to post in the comments section below or join our group Fiction Writers and share your ideas.

As one of the early Beta testers, I am proud of how Blellow has grown and flourished. The features and functionality of Blellow has been cultivated to meet the needs of the Blellow users. The interaction between users is awesome. Have a question, ask it and you are bound to get an answer quickly. You can even add kudos to your questions so that you can award the person who gives you the best answer.

I have found that Blellow has given me a platform to express myself, learn from others in a group environment and to create a sense of belonging with like-minded users. For those who are current users of Blellow, I would love to read your comments about how you are using Blellow to grow your business and to create business connections.