Well… It took me a while, but I have nothing to write about today. I swear that I am not being lazy, I even googled “overcoming writer’s block,” but nothing seems to relate to how I am feeling. The most annoying thing about this whole incapacity to come up with a good theme is that I really want to write, I really want to register this day. However, nothing comes up; nothing is substantial enough to deserve a blog post…

What you do when you have nothing to write about? Do you have any hidden spreadsheet where you keep track of your ideas? How to overcome writer’s block?

If you’re a novelist and is experiencing a writer’s block, this fun site might come in handy.

Having I said that, why is different this time? I have written blog post before promising to be loyal to my readers and write more often. Why is it working now?

If you have been a project manager before, you know that establishing clear goals and ways to measure success is crucial to keeping your team motivated and your project on track. The #366blogproject is no exception. I am committed to writing an inspired blog post per day and my success is based on publishing the post everyday before midnight. However, the definition of success can change along the way. In my case, the #366blogproject resulted in more traffic and blog subscribers as well as new offline interactions.

I know that it’s early to celebrate the “success” of the #366blogproject, but I thought I should share this experience with you before you give up on your New Year’s resolution. If I can still motivated after 26 days of blogging, you can stick with your plan too!

Read more:

Your Life Your Way by Tia Sparkles

(clique aqui para ler em português)

We have 1,000 reasons for being cautious while engaging in social media. Every single social network available requires a set of personal information and commitment that would have scared our grandparents away. We all know that our online activity is being tracked. If you are familiar with any analytics platform, you probably know that you can track your user’s experience and learn about their points of entrance and exit in your website. If you have ever been an advertiser on Facebook, you also know that, based on users preferences and activities shared in the platform, you can determine which ads will be served and how they are broadcasted to your target audience. If you stop and think about all the very resourceful social media analytics tools available, free and paid, you have all the reasons you need to fear social media and give up on sharing your thoughts online.

So, what are the advantages of using social media platforms? Why do we do it?

Apart from rekindling with the meanest girl from high school (and sometimes stalking her online #joking), I believe that we engage in social media because it makes it easier for us to connect with like-minded people and brands. We agree to be the product of all sorts of social networks because our shared experience is more valuable to us than the on and off ad that we learned to ignore. From a content production perspective, social media is gradually assuming the role of the link between traditional and digital media. The last generations have grown up discussing expensive franchises online, creating and participating in forums, and have made posting online responses to mainstream IPs a daily practice. We don’t give up on social media, because there is more to come and we know it! The experiential opportunities created through social networks are endless and we know we are curious to explore more before giving up on them. So, before you get scared about your online presence and shut down your accounts, think about what you want to share and who you want to share it with. The Social Media Today has an old post on how to stay safe in a social media world that still relevant. The Microsoft Safety and Security Centre has also 11 tips for social networking safetyto share with you. Also, use your social networking websites’ help centres to understand how the platforms work and how you can protect yourself online.

What about social media makes you freak out? Have you closed any accounts lately?

Você tem 1,000 motivos para ser cauteloso nas mídias sociais. Cada uma das plataformas sociais requerem um número de informações pessoais que seriam inadimissíveis pelos nossos avós. Nós sabemos que toda a nossa atividade online pode ser monitoradas. Se você usa alguma plataforma que analize online data, você sabe que tem acesso à informações como os pontos de entrada e saída dos seus usuários no seu site. Se você já anunciou no Facebook, também sabe que baseado nas preferências e atividades dos seus usuários, você pode determinar como e quando o seu público-alvo receberá os anúncios. Se você parar pra pensar em todas as ferramentas de análise disponíveis, você sabe que tem todos os motivos para ser cauteloso e ter medo de dividir a sua vida online.

Mas, quais são as vantagens de manter a sua presença nas mídias sociais?  Por que a gente continua?

Eu sei que você mantêm o seu perfil pra monitorar a vida da menina mais chata da sua escola (brincadeirinha!). Eu acredito que a gente continua nas plataformas sociais porque elas nos oferecem a oportunidade de encontrar pessoas e produtos que tenham os mesmos interesses que a gente. Nós concordamos em ser o produto vendido pelas mídias socias porque a nossa experiência coletiva nos parece mais importante do que a exposição aos anúncios que já aprendemos a ignorar. Da perspectiva da produção de conteúdo, social mídia está gradualmente assumindo o papel de conector entre as mídias tradicionais e digitais. Consumidores atuais cresceram discutindo online a performance e conteúdo de produtos midiáticos, Criando e participando de fóruns, e postando respostas a todo e qualquer tipo de produto diariamente em grandes sites. A gente ainda não desistiu das mídias sociais porque sabemos que há mais coisa interessante por vir. O potencial experimental das mídias sociais são infinitos e nós somos consumidores curiosos para ver o desenrolar dessa história. Antes de desistir, pense mais sobre o que você está publicando e quem é a sua audiência atual. O site Social Media Today tem um post antigo sobre como manter assegurar que as suas informações pessoais estão seguras (how to stay safe in a social media world) que ainda é relevante. O Microsoft Safety and Security Centre tem também onze dicas para manter o seu networking na internet sob controle (11 tips for social networking safety). Os sites de mídias sociais também mantêm tutoriais e secções de perguntas e respostas que podem ajudá-lo a entender melhor os termos de privacidade aos quais você concordou quando abriu contas nos sites.

O que te assusta nas mídias sociais? Você fechou alguma conta recentemente?

Ok, I’ve made it through two days of this insane project so far. Is it already time to give up?

Yes, that’s what I thought this morning when I was getting ready to start the first working day of the year. It’s only January 3rd and I am already feeling overwhelmed by 2012. This year, I have a degree to finish and a new job to conquer. I am not complaining and I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities I was given. But when I thought of writing another inspired post this morning, going out to get a meaningful shot and adding an thought inspiring link to this post, I felt lazy. It’s awful to even admit it,  but I wanted to give up!

So, I went to Facebook. You know, to get a quick fix and distract myself from my own project. Luckily, Tia had just published this wonderful post about her 2011 that allowed me to look at my own project in a different way. One thing that I love about Tia is that she is neither afraid nor ashamed to tell her stories the way they happened. It’s hard to come to any social media channel and say “hey, you’re a great reader. I promised that I would come here every day with something interesting to say, but actually I have nothing to tell you today.” I think that’s my reason for trying to ignore and postpone my post. I don’t have a blogging process yet, but I sure have developed ways to sabotage it!

As Tia said, sometimes it’s all about making a decision. So I looked at Ipanema, my brave English Bulldog who was diagnosed in the summer with Masticular Muscle Myositis, and realized that she has never given up on overcoming her disease. So, why should I try to sabotage my own project? I know that I will write inspired and relevant blog entries throughout this project, but the fear of writing self-help posts like this one should not prevent me from committing to my goal. It’s time to care less about failing and start doing something to succeed.

How do you measure your own success? Does your fear of failing paralyze you? How do you fight it?

OK, já fiz dois dias desse projeto. Já posso desistir?

Sim, este foi o meu primeiro pensamento hoje de manhã. Estamos apenas no terceiro dia do ano e eu já estou pensando em desistir. No primeiro dia de trabalho de 2012, o combo trabalho e blog começou a ser muito para o meu mundinho atarefado. Esse ano eu me formo no mestrado e tenho que encontrar um emprego decente. Sei que não posso reclamar da vida, e nem vou. Sempre tive tantas oportunidades de crescer e me desenvolver pessoal e profissionalmente que é até ridículo falar de dificuldades. Mas tenho que confessar que deu preguiça pensar em escrever um blog post inspirador, com uma foto legal e um link relevante hoje de manhã. Eu sei, sou uma pessoa horrível, mas hoje eu quis desistir!

Aí eu fui pro Facebook passar o tempo, porque claro se eu não tenho tempo pra blogar, preciso me distrair! A minha sorte foi ver esse blog post em inglês da Tia sobre os sucessos dela em 2011. O que eu mais gosto do blog da Tia é que ela não tem medo nem vergonha de contar o que acontece na vida dela do jeito que as coisas acontecem. O post me inspirou e fiquei pensando como seria difícil vir aqui e dizer: “Oi, você é um leitor maravilhoso. Eu prometi que viria aqui todos os dias com uma história interessante, só que hoje eu não tenho nada pra você.” O medo de fracassar foi o motivador da preguiça na manhã de hoje. Ainda não criei um processo pra escrever todos os dias, mas já estou conquistando pontos no quesito auto-sabotagem!

Como bem disse a Tia, sucesso está relacionado a decisão de ser bem-sucedido, ao comprometimento de fazer o seu projeto uma realidade. Aí eu olhei para a Ipanema, a minha bulldog inglesa que foi diagnosticada com Masticular Muscle Myositis no verão, e percebi que ela nunca desistiu de vencer a doença dela. Então, eu não tenho o direito de sabotar o meu próprio projeto. Eu sei que daqui sairão posts inspirados e inteligentes assim como textos de auto-ajuda como esse. No entanto, está na hora de esquecer o medo e fazer acontecer!

Como você avalia o seu sucesso? O medo te paraliza? Como você supera o medo?

However, I’ve matured as a person and blogger since then. Today, I see myself as as a blogger who broadcasts full thoughts and ideas (or tries to) and takes her time to actually think things through. When I come here, I have full concepts to be shared in at least 500 words. I also think that I should only publish content that can stimulate discussion, however, this process is actually making me miss blogging. So, going back to the original question, why blogging?

I am a fan of a number of Canadian bloggers who are successful and disciplined enough to tell new stories to their audience every single day. I admire Schmutzie, for example, for sharing her most secret thoughts with whoever wants to read them. Hummingbird 604 is a Vancouver-based blog that I love. Raul’s (healthy) obsession with writing and connecting with new people is remarkable, a rare combo amongst us bloggers. I am guessing that for most blogger, the hunger to connect with like-minded people is what drives them to share. This blog has always been a platform to help me to figure myself out, overcome barriers and get some pleasure in writing. However, for a long time, I prevented myself from blogging in English because of the evil “language barrier.” For those who write in your first language, the “language barrier” is better described as the monster who lives in the bedroom closet and uses your ego to brain ninja your self-esteem. But now that the language barrier is gone (or I care less about my own mistakes), I need to find balance between writing and living my own stories.

My ultimate goal for 2012 is to become a better blogger and therefore, a better writer. I am looking for an answer to the original question: “Why Blogging?”  I am also wondering how you manage your life as a “normal person” and a content producer. Is it OK to just publish pictures with quick comments? Is it acceptable to schedule content? How do you do it? How do you manage your creative process?

Don’t you think it’s very ironic that when I finally get invited to give a presentation about social media this blog experiences the deadliest month ever?

I have been very excited about the #NetCulture events since I first learned about them earlier this month. Canada is a multicultural and diverse country, no doubt about that, but it’s very comfortable for all of us to stay within the limits of our own cultural silos. We know that we are all Canadians, but I feel that we haven’t discussed what being Canadian really means to each one of us. Most importantly, most of us haven’t taken the time to share what we’ve learned!

The #NetCulture team has pulled together an amazing event. From teaching the secrets of couch surfing to showcasing successful blogs and local authors, this event got it all. #NetCulture: Stories of Culture and Diversity in Social Media happens on Tuesday, April 5th at the Vancouver Public Library. It starts at 7pm and each speaker will have seven minutes to share their personal stories. Admission is free.

#NetCulture: Stories of Culture and Diversity in Social Media

Tuesday, April 5th,2011

Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch

Tickets available at http://netculture.eventbrite.com

After-Party RSVP http://netculture-afterparty.eventbrite.com/

MadameHeringer.com and @vheringer are part of the Brazilian TV channel Multishow #outros500 project. To celebrate, MadameHeringer.com will have a blog post in Portuguese published every Friday for the Portuguese-speaking readers of this site. Every blog post will have a quick English version at the end, so if you are curious about #outros500, scroll down and feel free to leave a comment.

Antes que alguém diga que eu inaugurei a Fridays in Portuguese para me auto-promover, quero deixar bem claro que esta é só uma das várias interpretações possíveis. Se eu estivesse no meu cantinho muda, fingindo que nada estava acontecendo, estariam me chamando de louca. A verdade é que fazer parte do #outros500, uma iniciativa inédita no Brasil, é newsworthy neste site. Aposto que se você, caro leitor, estivesse fazendo parte do #outros500 estaria também escrevendo blog posts e tweets sobre a sua estréia no Multishow (mesmo que isso estivesse acontecendo em tweets).

#outros500 é uma iniciativa do canal Multishow gerenciada pela agência paulista LiveAD (Mil Casmurros e Oi). O projeto está atualmente identificando os 500 brasileiros mais ativos na internet e criando um fórum colaborativo entre personalidades do espaço virtual e o canal. Eu estou fascinada pelo projeto desde o início. O Multishow não está só investindo de forma simples num focus group particular, mas também criando uma comunidade influente em torno do canal. Uma solução eficiente para um produto que é contantemente desafiado pela sua própria audiência. Ao criar um relacionamento com os opinadores online, o canal cria também inúmeras oportunidades de cobertura em blogs e tweets. Num mundo onde todo mundo que ir viral, só quem trabalha em publicidade pra saber o quão difícil é cativar e conquistar a confiança dos influenciadores que todas as marcas estão tentando influenciar.

Papos geeks à parte, o blog vai voltar a ter uma sessão em português para comemorar tanta coisa boa que anda acontecendo. Confesso que sinto saudades dos comentários em português e da conversa quase diária com o “pessoal de casa”. Por enquanto, está garantido um blog post por semana, mas como #outros500 anda movimentado é possível que um log por semana não seja suficiente pra lidar com tanta criatividade!

P.S.: Caso você pudesse recomendar um twiteiro/blogueiro influente, quem você adicionaria ao #outros 500?

#outros500 is a Twitter-based initiative that aims to identify 500 Brazilians who are key influencers and mavens in the market. The tweets that populate the project’s website are classified in 5 categories (Daily Life, Travel, Humour, Sex and Music). The timeline is managed by the key influencers and moderated by LiveAD, a São Paulo-based advertising agency that has been responsible for a number of innovative projects in Brazil.

#outros500 is one of the rare initiatives in which I’ve seen traditional media creating an online community for key influencers in Brazil. The exclusive website used by the project’s participants, a Twitter app that is a mix of Hootsuite/Tweetdeck and Facebook, constantly engages tweeps in discussions and asks for their feedback. I am honestly proud to see communications professionals in Brazil taking the lead and attempting to own their own space.

P.S.: Have you heard of a project similar to #outros500? What do you think about this initiative? Who would you suggest in your social network to take part in a similar project?

My First Canada Immigration Stamp – Pearson International Airport, October 14th, 2006

The confusion started in 2008 and since then, I have been celebrating my first day in Canada anniversary on the 16^th of October. Apparently, my blogging laziness has been affecting my memory as well. Just in case, I added an appointment to my Google calendar, hoping that in 2011 my commemorative blog post will go out on the 14^th.

Canada immigration policies have been widely discussed in the news lately, and as much as we’d like to find a definitive solution, we know it will take us generations to settle into being a true multicultural society. We also know that from the day of their landing, every single immigrant wants to make of Canada the most successful chapter of their life. I am no exception. Even though my story is slightly different (staying in Canada was a complete accident), I must admit that once I decided to make this country my home, my expectations changed drastically!

The Accident – February 25th, 2007

I don’t even know how many nights of sleep I lost obsessing over the idea of finding a job, starting a career and succeeding in Canada while I was waiting for my permanent residency. However, as attractive as starting fresh can sound, not belonging to a community does make one’s life difficult. I am not complaining, nor am I blaming Canada because I know that any foreigner living in Brazil would face the same barriers or even worse. What I am trying to say is that settling into a new country can be one of the most challenging things that anyone can impose on themselves. Expectations tend to drive newcomers nuts and saving face can become a common habit when speaking to friends and family when visiting their original country.

In 2008, if you would have asked me why I wanted to stay in Canada I would answer that I was choosing quality of life over my career. Yes, my answer was super-hypocritical, since 10 out of 10 newcomers need and value a job. Two years and a lot of blog posts and tweets later, I can now say that I chose to stay because my life is here. I have built a great list of amazing friends and I am very proud of what I have achieved both personal and professionally. 4 years into a “Canadianization” process I can say that it takes time to knock down walls and allow oneself to be honest…

Working hard with Lili Vieira de Carvalho at the 2010 VLAFF – September 12th, 2010

So, what do I want from here? Immigrating to Canada didn’t kill me, it definitely made me stronger. Now that the initial barriers aren’t there anymore, I want to overcome what is left and keep giving back to my new country. Some questions will never go away (Is my English good enough? Are my jokes funny? Why is this person making a weird face while I speak? Are they really interested in what I have to say?), and I’ll never be able to get a straight answer either (now I am blaming Canadian hospitality and politeness). But, since Canada chose me, I am here to build a country and fight. So, bring on the next 40 years, I am ready!

P.S.: This month, I came across this wonderful talk by Lionel Laroche at the 2008 ISAP Conference. He’s brilliant! I learned so much from the four videos that I recommend them to anyone who is an immigrant or is planning to come to Canada.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a big corporation or an simple passer by, we all want to jump in the social media boat and be… let’s say, social! I am no exception. Even though I have been a blogger since 2004, and adopted every single social network before it went viral, it took me a long time to fall for Twitter. However, when it finally happened I became very addicted to broadcasting my thoughts and sharing my links real time. I have been on twitter for almost two years now and since the Winter Olympics, I became this super social person who engages in discussions online and don’t feel threatened by being real. Twitter gave me the courage to start a videolog, talk to people and perfect my English. But, what did it ask me in return?

Well… Whoever is on Twitter knows that being social requires a fair amount of time. Being the popular kid can be exhausting too. You need to see yourself as a brand and actually establish relationships, know people by their real names and connect them to what they are looking for. Don’t get me wrong, I love Twitter! Through microblogging I met people who allowed me to feel more at home in Vancouver, filling the intellectual empty space that immigration imposed on me. However, as a communicator, I know that I need to exercise other ways to express myself and that’s what bugs me about social media sometimes.

I am trying not to make of this blog post an official apology for one of the longest silent periods of this blog’s history. However, I must admit that Twitter is my quick fix and excuse to ignore this space. It gives me the personal interaction with the online community and the impression that I am constantly producing content. However, when I go over very ethereal and dated Twitter feed, I realize that I don’t actually have done much.

What about you? How do you juggle your social networks and keep up with blogging?

Northern Voice 2010 was my first blogging conference and I still can’t understand why it took me so long to get out there and start meeting people like me. Well, according to Kimli Welsh’s presentation, I learned that I am not the only blogger who gets intimidated by the idea of leaving the safeness of a URL. Luckily, lots of familiar avatars stopped by to say “hi” to me, giving a friendly face to their strong online presences.

For me, this year’s conference was all about finding my voice online. I have been blogging for over 5 years now, but even after several metamorphoses MadameHeringer.com still feels like it only makes sense to me (Yes… I am completely ignoring thousands of monthly unique visitors and behaving like a drama queen!). However, Monica Hamburg and Dave Olsen’s workshop was the best validation that I could wish for. Blogging takes time and effort to find your niche and voice, but also it’s about having fun and experimenting with new mediums. Lesson learned!

Stefani Cameron’s How to Screw Up Your Personal Blog session was the most resourceful and sincere story that I heard at Northern Voice 2010. In a nutshell, stick to who you are and respect your boundaries. Readers are smart people and they know when you’re faking!

Northern Voice 2010 was a 2-day long event about blogging, Twitter and online marketing. From creating podcasts to copyright laws, it covered it all. I got a lot out of the sessions and plan to bring some multimedia experiments to this space in the following months. Stay tuned, my Northern Voice experience has just started!