A Deeper Look at the Creative Half of Content Writer & Copywriter Seth Mason’s Dual Analytical & Creative Mind
Although I’m as much a creative thinker as I am an analytical one, I’ve devoted a disproportionate amount of content on this site to demonstrating my analytical abilities as a businessperson.
Truth be told, the content writing & copywriting projects that I’ve showcased on this site wouldn’t have yielded a high return on investment if I hadn’t utilized the creative side of my brain as much as I utilized the analytical one.
Thus, I added this creative content page for two reasons:
1) To further demonstrate my deep thinking and versatile subject matter expertise by showing examples of content creation beyond content writing & copywriting.
As I stated in the value propositions on the home page, one reason that I’m able to charge competitive rates–despite the high returns on my work–is because I can become a subject matter expert quickly.
As additional proof of my capacity to become a subject matter expert quickly, I’m demonstrating here that I’ve mastered many artistic (creative) subjects in addition to a wide range of business (analytical) subjects.
2) To demonstrate that I build projects–business writing and personal art alike–around clear, distilled creative ideas.
The following creative projects underscore my philosophy of content creation as an elaboration of clear, distilled creative ideas, be they nontraditional revenue streams like paid interviews or photos of nature.
Like content writing & copywriting, art is most compelling when it elaborates clear, distilled ideas.
Several marketing studies (you can Google them look them up) have concluded that one of the most effective ways to compel people to do what you want them to, whether it’s to spend money or to admire artwork, is to produce content that elaborates clear, distilled creative ideas.
I try to create all of my content–professional content writing & copywriting and personal artwork alike–as elaborations of clear, distilled ideas. Like my professional content writing & copywriting, my creative content can be divided into 3 categories:
1) Visual art in the form of nature photography.
2) Experiential art in the form of landscape design.
3) Performance art in the form of music.
1) Creating Captivating Photos as Elaborations of a Clear, Distilled Philosophy regarding Perspective
My content writing & copywriting yields exceptional returns largely because I approach projects from unique perspectives:
1) The unique perspective of a dual analytical/creative business & marketing mind.
2) The unique perspective of a dual serial entrepreneur & M.B.A. (The two are usually mutually-exclusive.)
3) The unique perspective of a dual English & Spanish speaker and bicultural Anglo-American & Latin-American.
As analyzing business & marketing subjects from different perspectives is integral to creating high-yielding content writing & copywriting, viewing photography subjects from unique perspectives is integral to creating captivating photos.
Sunset photos are a great example:
One might be inclined to believe that anyone with a camera possesses the ability to choose a good vantage point from which to take a photo of a sunset, like one might be inclined to believe that any content writer or copywriter possesses the ability to produce effective marketing writing.
However, like producing effective marketing writing is actually a rare and valuable business skill, the capacity to choose the right vantage points for taking captivating sunset photos is a rare, valuable–and often “overlooked”–creative skill.
Although the locations from which I took the above and below sunset photos are open to the public, are located within a fairly-large metropolitan area (and major tourist hub), and can be accessed by nearly anyone as easily as literally driving to the store, surprisingly few people think to capture a sunset from them.
Thus, these two sunset photos look exceptional because they were taken from unique perspectives in the form of unique locations.
One time, I took a shot from a “unique perspective” by focusing on the marsh from one of these “overlooked” shooting locations. Not many people think to look down to take a photo of a sunset…
Choosing “overlooked” shooting locations is one way to achieve unique perspectives in photography. Another is leveraging the rule of thirds.
The below photo of a butterfly gathering pollen from my old flower garden in the U.S. is an example of achieving a unique perspective by intentionally breaking the rule of thirds. Although the scene was nothing special at all–butterflies gathered pollen from my garden on a daily basis–the photo is exceptional due to the fact that I intentionally broke the “rules” of photography: The scene is off-center, the content off-balance.
Similarly, my content writing & copywriting yields exceptional returns because I break the ”rules” as to what a content writer & copywriter can do: Whereas the commoditized content writers & copywriters of today are hard-pressed to write at a college level verbalize cogent value propositions, I bring the business & marketing expertise of a serial entrepreneur & M.B.A.
What’s more, I “break through” the rules of the universe that will forever limit the capabilities of A.I. “writers”: I have a unique personality and a unique business perspective that has been shaped by unique life experiences. (The importance of life experiences in content writing & copywriting will most certainly be a topic of one of R.O.I.’s podcasts.)
2) Creating Alluring Spaces as Elaborations of a Landscape Design Philosophy regarding Harmony
I’ve operated a number of businesses, including my outlet for experiential art, a niche landscape design business called Lowcountry Vistas.
Through the clear, consistent messaging I conveyed through the Lowcountry Vistas website, I successfully branded myself as the native landscape designer of record for the South Carolina Lowcountry.
The messaging I created for Lowcountry Vistas isn’t a marketing ploy; I am truly unique in the landscape design industry of the South Carolina Lowcountry in that:
1) I’m a rare Lowcountry native who conducts business in a region whose majority of residents are “transplants” from other parts of the U.S.
2) I’m a very rare native Lowcountry landscape designer who conducts business in a regional industry that’s dominated by transplants from other parts of the U.S.
3) I have an almost-spiritual connection with the unique maritime ecosystem of the Lowcountry. (I’m the only landscape designer in the area who quotes bestselling author Pat Conroy, who frequently wrote about the Lowcountry’s awe-inspiring natural beauty.)
4) Because I’m a rare Lowcountry native who has an almost-spiritual connection to the Lowcountry, I strive to harmonize all of my designs with the unique natural environment in which my customers’ properties are located.
My design philosophy is simple: Design like Mother Nature would.
I believe that–in terms of aesthetics and practicality–the best “look” for properties located throughout the South Carolina Lowcountry is one that harmonizes with the region’s unique natural environment.
Apart from looking best, the “native look” minimizes maintenance because it utilizes plants and materials that Mother Nature “made especially for” the region.
Perhaps the best way of demonstrating my “Landscaping Native” design philosophy is by comparing a photo that exemplifies what the unique natural environment of the Lowcountry looks like:
…with a photo that exemplifies my design style:
3) Creating Interesting Music by Elaborating a Clear, Distilled Philosophy regarding Simplicity
As much as I’d like to be a rock star, I’m releasing an album from which I’ll likely never profit.
I’m content with the fact that I spent money (and lots and lots and lots of time) recording an album with little hope of profiting from it because, like my photography, my music is a labor of love.
What’s more, my music is an example of content creation as the elaboration of a clear, distilled creative philosophy: It’s music built on simple concepts.
I think the best music, irrespective of genre, elaborates simple and repetitive musical concepts. That doesn’t mean that I like boring music; it means that I think that the best music is built on simple rhythms and melodies.
My forthcoming album serves as a good example of this philosophy.
Although the parts for the different instruments are simplistic in and of themselves, they combine to form catchy foundations on which I elaborate fills (and experiment). The following song, entitled “Say It”, exemplifies this.
“Say It”, whose theme is the simplistic way in which Donald Trump speaks (which is not intended as a political statement), is simple and repetitive like “The Donald’s” vocal delivery. Yet, unlike the former president’s speech patterns, the repetitiveness of the song allows for elaboration: a shredding guitar solo, a dynamic vocal range, and some neat drum & bass fills.
For the creation of your content writing & copywriting, would you rather hire a businessperson with a strong capacity for creativity…or would you rather hire a content mill?
As I’ve noted several times on this site, I’m able to keep my rates competitive because:
1) I minimize my operating experiences as an American expat.
2) I’m capable of becoming a subject matter expert quickly.
Among other subject matters I’ve demonstrated expertise in, I know finance, I know marketing, I know Hispanic marketing, and…I know 3 mediums of art.
Perhaps I can become a subject matter expert in your industry, too…
