Little Red's Big Ideas

Send this Press Release! -- July is Recreation and Parks Month

Here is a cut, paste and edit press release for you to send to local media to spread the word that JULY is Recreation and Parks Month.  Send it the last week in June or the first week in July suggesting a few story ideas that highlight your most noteworthy or visual events and activities.

Celebrate! July Is National Park and Recreation Month

 

For Immediate Release

Media contact: Your Name

Your Phone

Your Email

YOURTOWN, Your State .- July 2008 - Since 1985, the National Recreation and Park Association has designated the month of July as National Recreation and Parks Month. Here in [your town] July is a time for many celebrations such as [list festivals, events, parades, etc.] each of which is made possible because of the work of [your agency name here]. However, recreation facilities and parks are busy with campers, athletes, picnickers, swimmers and other parks and recreation enthusiasts all year long.  For those who haven’t explored [community name’s] many beautiful parks in a while, July is a fantastic time to experience the many benefits of parks and recreation.  Log onto [www.yourwebsite.com] to learn more about summer programming, volunteer opportunities and community events.

This year, [use this paragraph to highlight new or renovated facilities, special events, or other newsworthy items that can be highlighted as part of Recreation and Parks Month]. 

Explains [your spokesperson’s name here] “As we observe Park and Recreation Month, we recognize the vital contributions of employees and volunteers throughout our community who maintain, staff and plan parks and recreation facilities. These dedicated professionals and volunteers keep our public parks clean and safe for visitors, organize and coach youth sports teams, provide educational programming on health, nutrition, first aid and gardening, advocate for more open space and better trails, and fund raise for local improvements.”  [Spokesperson] adds, “They work tirelessly to ensure that public parks and recreation facilities are safe and accessible places for all [city name] citizens and visitors to enjoy.

As part of a summer full of activities and community celebrations, help [your town] celebrate this month that highlights the hard work and passion of public park and recreation supporters across the country, and the joy that comes from our places and spaces.

For more information on Park and Recreation Month activities call [your name/number] and log onto [your website] or log on to www.nrpa.org.

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Have a Ball Watching this Video

I just recieved a link to review a very fun and creative YouTube video promoting Oceanside, California's greatest natural resource and tourist magnet.  See for yourself how adding a little humor and some special effects can transform a basic marketing appeal into a dynamic, memorable message.

Creativity at Your Fingertips

Every once in a while I find a wikiHow article that catches my eye liek this one about creativity.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  I especially like the Creative Exercises and recommend using them at staff meetings, training workshops and as ice breakers to move your team into the "right" side of their brains.

How to Be Creative

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Can creativity be taught? That’s a question without a simple yes or no answer. Creativity may not be able to be taught directly, but what you can get better at is frequently aligning the circumstances of life which foster the greatest chances for true creative expression. Creativity is not like a lightning strike, but more like something which manifests itself inside those who learn to foster it and create the right conditions for it to prosper.

Steps

1. Ruthlessly limit your selection of tools to only the most vital. The more limited your set of tools is, the more creative the output will be. Having a limited set of vital tools forces creativity and really challenges you to use what you have to produce the desired results. As a byproduct, you’ll get incredibly good with that small set of tools and refine your use of them to a point you can literally do anything you like with them. You’ll be far sharper than someone who merely dabbles with a larger set of tools. Learn how to be resourceful.
2. Don’t listen to feedback, keep following your own path. The problem with asking for feedback is invariably the feedback will be given infused with that person’s preconceived notions of what the outcome should be. Others will unconsciously push you in a direction that they see as best. This is done with good intentions; however, it actually hurts your internal creativity. Now this is different than sharing your work--by all means share, but listening to feedback is not a good decision if you want to truly find your own path of creative self-expression. Once you're finished with your creative work, whatever it may be, then you can listen to feedback. Just don't let criticism (even the constructive type) stifle your creativity during the creative process.
   • Keep in mind that people will generally display resistance to your idea, because good ideas change the existing dynamic, and people, for the most part, like things the way they are. When you present something that challenges the status quo, many people (friends, relatives, co-workers) will feel threatened.[1]
3. Having a routine is actually not a bad thing. Routines are positive if they reinforce a healthy, creative consciousness and negative if they destroy that. While breaking your routine once in a while to force new ways of thinking is good, what if growing/learning/experiencing new things was built into your routine as a given? The people who get stuck in a monotonous existence and speak negatively about routine have simply not developed a routine that puts them on a path of internal growth. The key is to discover creative rituals that put you in a more creative mindset.
   • Many writers not only have a minimum number of words they must write each day, but they also have almost superstitious requirements for the circumstances under which they write. The 18th century German writer Friedrich Schiller, for example, kept rotten apples at his desk and soaked his feet in a tub of ice water while he wrote![2]
   • Don't be afraid to seize control of your environment and make it work for you. Ray Bradbury wrote the book-burning story Fahrenheit 451 by leaving his house and writing in a library. Stephen King insists on utter silence while writing, while Harlan Ellison listens to high-volume classical music.
   • Set aside a block of time each day to foster your creativity. Kick the session off with a creative exercise or ritual that triggers a flexible state of mind. Whether it's meditating, freewriting, listening to a particular song, or rubbing your lucky rock--do whatever gets you "in the zone" and set a daily goal (e.g. one sketch per day, 1000 words a day, an invention or song a day).
4. Let go of perfectionism. Your natural output uninhibited by concern for creating something correct or incorrect will always produce creative results. There are limitless paths to achieve creative success; there are so many shades of gray. Imperfection is human, and sometimes the most creative artists leave mistakes unfixed on purpose. Nature itself is beautifully imperfect. Many try to be so perfect that they scrub away what made their work special in the first place. In a world saturated by overproduced, unnaturally perfect, and clean--the unpolished is the most creative and in many cases most inspirational.
   • Work on the "bad" ideas--even if you are only coming up with what you feel are "bad" ideas, you are still being creative, so develop them, and it could turn into a great solution!
5. Ignore trends. If you want to be truly creative, you absolutely must ignore trends. Block them out--pay zero attention to them. Trends are the polar opposite of creativity. In many forms of art (especially music) the masses of artists are following whatever the hot trends set forth are. Then there is the other, smaller group of artists that are pursuing their own path and not really paying attention to external trends in their form of art of choice. There is certainly more money, fame and instant notoriety for following trends, but most of what is popular is hardly creative. If you want to make something truly unique, trends are irrelevant. Looking inside yourself is where you will discover a greater wealth of creativity than available in any hot trend. Here are some more suggestions for insulating yourself from trends:
   • Don’t watch TV, don’t listen to the radio, and remove the vapid elements of popular culture from your life. These things aren’t bad for you in moderation, but they are great at normalizing your thoughts with the rest of society, and do not foster true internal creativity. Realize everything that you experience, every piece of content you consume plays a role in shaping your personality, even if at a subconscious level. It is all influence one way or another. You are in many ways a product of your experiences and stimulus. In one sentence, your creative output can be thought of simply as a personal interpretation of external stimulus. The best part about this is you get to control the input.
   • Don’t try and fit into a genre. Actively trying to fit your art or work into a genre is severely limiting and a detriment to its quality, if creativity is desired. Don’t try and write for a genre, don’t try to follow trends within a genre, in fact don’t even consider genre when working. Labeling it in a genre is a necessary evil for people to be able to find your work, and you will probably have to do this--but it shouldn’t be something that crosses your mind when trying to work. Genres, styles and methods don’t matter for creativity and originality.
   • Spend a lot of time alone. You don't have to be anti-social, but many people find their creativity really starts to open up when they are removed from others and able to have quiet focus for their creative work.
6. Ignore the past. Want to be really creative or original? Ignore or forget the past; ignore what the world has created up until this point. Sometimes considering the past will make you place a sort of unconscious time stamp on a style. That’s the antithesis of creativity and originality. Create things from within yourself that don’t draw inspiration from what has come previously or even consider it, and you’ll be on a path to creative output. In a creative state of mind, time doesn't exist--a few hours can feel like seconds, a moment can seem to last for hours, and you're completely immersed in the present.[3] Learn how to live in the moment.

Creative Exercises

• Think for a half hour a day exclusively on one subject. At first, this might be very hard to do. You can start off by thinking about a single subject for five minutes a day, then increase the period daily until you reach a half hour. At first it is wise to practice this when alone, but eventually you should be able to do it even in the midst of distractions, such as when traveling to and from work.[4]
• Write a letter or speak for 15 minutes without using the words I, me, my and mine. Make it smooth and keep it interesting, so that someone reading or listening would never notice anything odd about it. This forces you to turn your mind outward, and give up the preoccupations and obsessions of your own life.[4]
• Have someone doodle a line for you, then challenge yourself to make a variety of cartoons based on that one line. Don't resort to drawing faces, though--those are usually too easy![5]
• Take a familiar outline and challenge yourself to come up with drawings that could fit within that outline.
• Combine ideas. Choose two random objects, and describe each one in detail. What does it look like? What is it used for? How is it made? Then substitute one object with the other objects description. How can I make object A feel like object B? Or do what object B does?[6]
• Keep a journal, describing everything you do and feel with metaphors. Each day, challenge yourself to come up with new metaphors. (After all, how many different ways can you symbolize brushing your teeth?) See How to Write a Metaphor.
• Write a list of basic questions, such as 'What is your name?', 'Where are you from?', What did you do last Thursday?' Try to come up with at least 10 questions. The more you ask, the better! Whatever question comes to mind, write it down, even if it seems foolish. Answer the questions with song lyrics. (Try not to use the same song too often.)
• Play word association games. It helps to have someone willing to play along, but if no one will, you can do this alone. If you're doing it solo, write down your beginning word and spend 10 minutes or so just saying the next word that comes to mind. Compare the beginning word to the final word. They should be pretty diverse. This loosens up your mind to allow free association of ideas.
• See how long you can talk (and make sense!) without using a common word, like 'and','but', 'the' or 'that'.

Tips

• Spend time around creative people. The most reliably creative people are children. Their imaginations aren't boxed in, and "mind merging" with them can remind you of what it's like to think outside the box.
• Whenever you're challenged to create something, ask yourself: What's the most outrageous, preposterous, and nonsensical thing I can come up with?

Related wikiHows

• How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci
• How to Exercise an Open Mind
• How to Freewrite
• How to Be a Nonconformist

Sources and Citations

• TheFutureBuzz.com - Original source of content, shared with permission.

1. ↑ http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000932.html
2. ↑ http://lateralaction.com/articles/creative-rituals/
3. ↑ http://www.wishfulthinking.co.uk/2006/04/24/creative-flow/
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dorothea Brande, Wake Up and Live!, first published in 1936 (public domain)
5. ↑ http://creativecurio.com/2008/09/exercises-to-cultivate-your-creativity/
6. ↑ http://www.creativethinkingwith.com/Combine-Ideas.html

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Be Creative. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Twitter - Boring or Brilliant?

I was chatting (electronically) with a virtual business buddy about the value of Twitter.  I admitted that I think Twitter is a fantastic tool for public agencies needing to keep citizens informed.  I also like it as a tool for seasonal businesses, like camps, wishing to stay in touch with campers, staff and parents.  But, my use of Twitter is boooooring.  If you must, you can see what I mean for yourself.  Don't all rush at once!

If you're unfamiliar with microblogging sites like Twitter, think of it as a walkie talkie in which anyone who wants can tune into your "frequency."  Twitter post's or Tweets very short -- no more than 140 characters) and offer the opportunity for quick updates.  As a camp you might look to Twitter as a great tool to keep campers, staff and parents abreast of facility improvements, real-time registration information, changes in staff and even newsworthy weather that might be impacting camp. 

I thank my on-line friend, Ron Graham  who, in the blink of an eye, pointed me to the following article by Community and Social Media Blogger, Chris Brogan, which covers "50 Ideas on Using Twitter."

Here's an excerpt from the article

Ideas About WHAT to Tweet

1. Instead of answering the question, “What are you doing?”, answer the question, “What has your attention?”
2. Have more than one twitterer at the company. People can quit. People take vacations. It’s nice to have a variety.
3. When promoting a blog post, ask a question or explain what’s coming next, instead of just dumping a link.
4. Ask questions. Twitter is GREAT for getting opinions.
5. Follow interesting people. If you find someone who tweets interesting things, see who she follows, and follow her.
6. Tweet about other people’s stuff. Again, doesn’t directly impact your business, but makes us feel like you’re not “that guy.”
7. When you DO talk about your stuff, make it useful. Give advice, blog posts, pictures, etc.
8. Share the human side of your company. If you’re bothering to tweet, it means you believe social media has value for human connections. Point us to pictures and other human things.
9. Don’t toot your own horn too much. (Man, I can’t believe I’m saying this. I do it all the time. - Side note: I’ve gotta stop tooting my own horn).
10. Or, if you do, try to balance it out by promoting the heck out of others, too.

Read the entire article here...

HOW ARE YOU USING TWITTER IN YOUR AGENCY? DO TELL...

Sticky Website Features Part One

Keep your websites and blogs fresh, functional and up-to-date is no small task.  Here are some examples of how camps, parks and recreation agencies have incorporated features into their sites to improve form and function. 

Easy Does it-

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has an Activity Finder that allow visitors to visually choose from dozens of activities, amenities and services. 

Be Kid Friendly

I believe in creating pages especially for kids if you, like most park and recreation agencies are targeting kids.  Here's our National Park Service's Kids Zone.  I love the mouse-overs.

 

Here's an example of how Gesher Family Programs, an independent camp in New Jersey has made their site more kid-friendly.

 

Are you Game to Embed these Free Features?

Games are a great way to increase stickiness (the amount of time visitors spend on your site) and return visits.  GameGecko offer hundreds of free games that can be easily embedded into your blog or website.

People love lists almost as much as they love quizzes, contests, scavenger hunts and calculators. 

Does your website have features that attract and keep visitors coming back for more?  Please share your ideas or favorite sites below. 

Ice Cream, You Scream We all Scream for... Parks

Breyer's Ice Cream truly understands the value of parks and recreation and is luring people to their website by offering the chance to win a FREE trip for four to one of America's treasures.  No I'm not talking about Disneyland -- I'm talking about our spectacular parks. 

The grand prize winner of the Breyer's Ice Cream contest can choose from the following four destinations -- Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Central Park in New York City or Park City, Utah. The trip includes airfare, hotel, and a $1,000 gift card to be used for meals or other travel expenses. 20 first-prize winners will each receive a Naturally Cool Family Pack, which includes a picnic basket filled with board games, printed Breyers all-natural ice cream recipes, and printed family activity ideas, worth $75. Entry is open to US residents aged 21 or above. It only takes 30 seconds to enter when you visit the contest link.  But hurry, thee sweepstakes expires on August 5, 2008.

Contest Link

Two Ideas to Steal- First, I love that Breyer's lures visitors to their site with the sweepstakes prize and then gets people to share simple contact information on the first page of the entry and asks brief marketing research questions on the second page of the entry.  The questions help them determine which coupons to send to which people.  You have spectacular parks in your system, that if packaged with a gourmet picnic (find a sponsor for the food -- sandwich shop, caterer, supermarket, etc) would make a great prize to motivate visitors to share information with you, too.

The second idea is the soothing nature sounds that play from their website.  I've been listening to it the entire time I've been writing and am feeling all "ohm-like."  Sound is a nice addition to a website as long as it's not intrusive and the visitor can control or mute the sound.  (Notice the little wind chime on Breyer's site, bottom right allowing you to control the audio). Children laughing, birds chirping, waves gently crashing, crowds cheering, pool splashin -- could all be a fun way to bring your parks to someone's desktop.