Does it ever feel like you are writing virtually the same article over and over? You probably have different sources. It might be about a different topic. Maybe a few new examples. But when push comes to shove, it is just the same old thing, in the same style and format that everyone else is using as well. You know, a variation on “7 Ways to Do Something Super Boring” or “5 Secrets That Everybody Already to Something You Really Want.”

Each time I do this (and I am very guilty of this), I am just making more content. I’m not really adding to the conversation or helping my reader think of a solution in a new way. And when it comes down to it, these aren’t the pieces that I am most proud of or that get the best results for my clients.

Yes, I have actually unintentionally written almost the exact same article twice

As I listened to Jay Acunzo’s session “Unthinkable: How the World’s Most Creative Marketers Do What Others Wouldn’t Dare” at Content Marketing World last week in Cleveland, I remembered the déjà vu feeling I had a few years ago as I did my final edit on a blog post about how to improve your credit score. As I got to the end, I had a nagging feeling that I had already written this article before. And OMG, I actually had. Several of the sentences were almost identical as well as four of my five main points. Thank goodness I realized before hitting the “Send” button that I had written a nearly identical article the year before. It was a huge wake up call that I was in a huge rut and desperately needed a fresh dose of creativity in my work.

As ashamed as I am to admit this in print, this is a totally true story. I confessed to my client the next day and told her that I was going to help her find another writer. I obviously was on autopilot and she deserved better.

Make your own best practices

Since then, I have tried to be more creative. Some days I succeed more than others. And yes, I have still turned in more boring listicles than I would like to admit. As a freelancer, it is hard to be creative because often times the client assigns us the topic, tone, and format. I’m often brought in at the end of the process with an editorial calendar already set in cement. The bottom line is that clients want what they want. And I have bills to pay.

So this is why Jay’s message about good marketers following best practices and great marketers making their own was one of my biggest takeaways from the conference. It gave me the solution I have been searching for over the past few years. Instead of blindly doing something because it has always been done that way, he says that the answer is to follow your gut and do something different. I absolutely loved his quote, “Are you willing to do the unthinkable? Are you willing to use your intuition to create your best work?” And you know, the more I thought about it, there are plenty of times that I could suggest creative alternatives. Or even specifically seek out projects where creativity is valued.

Eddie the Terrible Dog

I loved Jay’s example of Eddie the Terrible Dog, who was by all accounts a pretty undesirable household pet because he was a bit on the antisocial side, to put it mildly. The dog was so unadoptable that he spent two years of his life at the Humane Society. To get a dog adopted, most of us would gloss over the faults and play up the strengths, but instead Finn Dowling with the Humane Society of Silicon Valley wrote this fantastic post doing just the opposite. And to drive home the message, she also created a video starring Eddie the Terrible titled “Adopting Bad.”

Soon after she hit publish, Eddie the Terrible Dog was everywhere–he appeared on shows like Good Morning America, People, Inside Edition, just to name a few. Jay said during his presentation that, all told, 7 million people heard about this four-legged menace, as opposed to the couple hundred who would have known about him if Finn had written a typical Humane Society style post with the words “cute,” “slow to warm up,” and “future best friend.” And yes, Eddie finally got his forever home.

Obviously, Eddie’s life was changed forever, not to mention the impact on his adopted family, who posted that his name is now Teddy and he loves his new (childless) home. But what about all of the other people around the country who saw the ad and were moved to adopt a pet that wasn’t the typical idea of the perfect dog? I am positive that this one blog post saved many dogs and brought love to many families because it made people think about something from a different angle. And all of this happened because a blogger took a chance.

I write way too much boring content

This example made me stop and realize that I play it safe way too much and that I am missing out on making a difference many times because it. While no, not all of my clients will let me be as creative as Eddie the Terrible Dog, but I do think that there is more opportunity than I tell myself in my lazy moments.

I don’t have the answer for you on how to do it for your clients. If there were a single answer to overcoming boring content, then it wouldn’t be a magic bullet because everyone would do it. And it would immediately be boring. But this is the thing: you already  know the answer for your client and project if you silence what you think you are supposed to do and listen to your intuition. If  you really know your audience and the brand, then let your creativity flow and follow your gut, you can create your own version of Eddie the Terrible Dog.

So I am making a vow to have the courage to think outside the box and suggest something that will make a difference next time I have the opportunity. Yes, there will be times where I have to write “7 More Boring Ways to Do Something That is So Boring You Want to Fall Asleep” to pay my mortgage. But if I let my intuition guide me, there are plenty of times when I can create something unique that speaks to my audience. Yes, it is scary. Yes, it takes courage. But I really think that Jay is right on the money when he says that following our gut and doing the unthinkable is really the only path to creating the content that our customers want and deserve and, in the end, to do work that makes us proud.

Do you follow best practices or make your own? How do you find inspiration to create great content? What are some ways that you can follow your instincts with clients to create content that matters? How do you find clients that allow you this freedom?