Blog Minx

Running through the sites on my RSS reader this morning, my eyes began to glaze over.

“How to…” “10 Best…” “Why you should(n’t)…’

This is partly my fault for reading so many how-to-blog sites. These people are just doing their jobs and generally sharing very helpful tips. Plus, it’s more or less guaranteed that any headline with the above snippets will generate more clicks. I’m guilty of doing it myself.

It’s so easy to just blindly follow the standard instead of stopping and being original.

Being original is not about being different for the sake of it, it’s about being different in a clever way. It’s not too hard to be different when so many people are striving to be the same, but being clever can take some effort. I need at least eight hours’ sleep and some strong coffee before I can even attempt cleverness.

Here’s an example of being different in a clever way. Heading home last night on foot after dinner and drinks, I encountered a homeless guy. Homeless people/beggars are not uncommon in New York City and usually have a hat or box in front of them for donations. Occasionally there is a ‘please help, no food’ sign although the person’s unkempt appearance and the fact they’re hunched over on a street corner late at night already speaks volumes.

This particular homeless guy had a sign asking for money, but his sign read:

“Ninjas killed my father. Need money for Kung Fu lessons.”

(Update: I’ve just been informed that this sign is not original either, dammit. But my point still stands.)

Which sites/blogs do you read that are original? How do they stand out from the crowd?