Making a lens in 30 minutes-an experiment

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 53 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #13,414 in How-To, #138,626 overall

Making a 30 minute lens- An Experiment

It is 3:08 PM and I have just started this lens.-I have been a lensmaker on Squidoo just under a month now, and at times I am frustrated by the publicity that you can make a lens in less than 30 minutes. I have been stalling out on making my next lens so I have decided to try an experiment. I am setting my timer for 30 minutes. Follow me as I try to publish it at 3:38 PM!

REMEMBER-the experiment is to make and publish a lens from start to finish in 30 minutes. In order to get content for the lens, I have chosen taking DETOURS and SIMPLIFYING LIFE as my theme.

*All post 30 minutes additions are added in black boxes, most important thing, talk bubble, sticky note and polls....you get the idea!

**A note to all**
I did this lens as an exercise and an affirmation that I could get motivated and not get bogged down. After all is said and done, do I think you can make a GREAT lens in 30 minutes? Absolutely, NOT. Give yourself 30 minutes to create a great layout and have a plan. Get creative and brainstorm. THEN take the time to put it all together to make that GREAT lens.

Going with the flow and not overthinking things 

3:09 PM

My first inclination when I start a new project is to research it from top to bottom. In our family many of us suffer from this disease which is now called, 'analysis paralysis'.....

I am attempting to break free and live my email signature which is, "Life is an adventure-take detours". I have done well with the detours in life such as picking up and moving the family to Malaysia. Moving a 5 year old to the Ivory Coast with 2 weeks notice. Travel in and through various places in SE Asia with no agenda other than the plane ticket that got me there.

Since I came to Squidoo, I have realized that I can do the same thing when I make a lens. I can write without knowing everything. I can take the detours as I create the lens.

2 minutes in and already stuck

Here is the first example of where a 'Great' 30 minute lens is not realistic. The first time I tried to add to Amazon, and I got an error message. I also was more pre-occupied with publishing than taking the time to really look at the book links.

So what can I find on Amazon to help me break free? 

OK- my flow is blocked. I keep getting error messages. I will go to the next module and return here later. Time is now 3:17 PM I am back and have some books now. Time is 3:29 PM

Real Simple Solutions: Tricks, Wisdom and Easy Ideas to Simplify Everyday

Amazon Price: (as of 11/11/2009) Buy Now

SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE: 100 WAYS TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY THE THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER

Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 11/11/2009) Buy Now

Second Journey, The: The Road Back to Yourself

Amazon Price: $23.95 (as of 11/11/2009) Buy Now

Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention

Amazon Price: $11.51 (as of 11/11/2009) Buy Now

Can I find detours and simplifying related pictures? 

It is 3:18 PM!

OK- here I could have and normally would have spent a lot more time really identifying photos that created the feeling I was looking for. I spent about 2 minutes here for my experiment. Normally it would have been at least 15 minutes and I would have tried more keywords as well.

Skeletons - Village Halloween Parade by ajagendorf25

Skeletons - Village...

Sith Lord - Village Halloween Parade by ajagendorf25

Sith Lord - Village...

Bellsprout - Village Halloween Parade by ajagendorf25

Bellsprout - Village...

Peacock Topaz Edit by Jayt74

Peacock Topaz Edit

Buckingham Palace by ajagendorf25

Buckingham Palace

Golden Gate Bridge by Big D2112

Golden Gate Bridge

SIMPLIFY by fly again

SIMPLIFY

February 12, 2009-11.03.27 by gcbb

February 12, 2009-11...

February 12, 2009-11.03.14 by gcbb

February 12, 2009-11...

February 12, 2009-11.08.09 by gcbb

February 12, 2009-11...

automatically generated by Flickr

Where will YouTube take me? The topic is detours 

Time: 3:20 PM

I chose detours as my topic since it is my signature line. What does the word "detour" mean to others?

Once again, on any other lens, I would have personally looked at each Youtube video to make sure the content meshed with my topic. No time if you are simply trying to get a lens published in 30 minutes.
No matching videos found
automatically generated by YouTube

Del.icio.us- a module I have not used before 

Time now, 3:21PM

Making my name in the Squidoo Chain- my blog 

Did I mention I have no idea what to do with this RSS feed?

This is my blog. Or I should say, this is a little diary I have started to document my journey in the Squidoo Sea. I have never really blogged before, so this is another detour for me in my life!

Loading Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

Do other people post about taking detours in life? 

I want to know how many other people think you should chose to detour off your normal path.

Time 3:31 PM
Melissa Cassera - How Detours Lead to Happiness
My NYC driving adventures are certainly parallel to many instances in my life. It starts out ok, then it gets a little aggravating, then I want to scream and pump angry fists - and then finally it just all gets calm and peaceful and ...
The impact of a decision
I'm sending out 'smart decision' vibes today to all who pass this way, hoping that you choose the right steps to take you along life's path, and ignore the dangerous detours. (Not to say you shouldn't take SOME of the detours - just be ...
Fly Brother: Detours
Detours. We interrupt Fly Brother's Round-the-World Adventures for this important existential rumination: Back in March, while finishing up my fourth year of living and working in Colombia, I was struck by a post-quarter-life crisis of ...
Guru Singh Blog: INSPIRATIONAL BLESSINGS - The Moon is Waning ...
Here you have the when, the why and the where ? that pre-humans began their carnivorous detour which has prevailed to this day. This carnivorous journey would follow these pre-humans into human-hood through hundreds of thousands of years ... In this escape from experiencing the real adventures and misadventures, conceptual hierarchies of life were established around bloodlines and land. Today, we continue this tactic of disconnecting, daily, from the experiences of life. ...

How do you choose your lens subject? 

This experiment has shown me so far, that there is at least 3 times the interest in making a 30 minute lens than in either of my other two lenses-( which I spent days on and which I am enormously proud of).

It has made me wonder how other people choose their lens topic.

So......................

Loading poll. Please Wait...

"Whether you are a newbie like me or a Giant Squid - what is your opinion? What makes a GREAT lens?"

What makes a lens GREAT? 

Through this experiment, I have found in all certainty, that a GREAT lens is NOT possible in 30 minutes. So........

These are the components I can think of in about a minute that go into many if not most lenses. They were only added as my brain managed to think of them.

Your job? Rank them in the order you think are the most important elements in a GREAT lens! If I forgot something (OK- I know I forgot a lot of somethings...) feel free to add to the list.

Original content12 points

Topic6 points

Visual interest photographs6 points

Humor3 points

External content-what other people know about your more...2 points

Honesty2 points

Using Unique Content (black box, sticky note, etc. more...2 points

Long lens1 point

Short lens1 point

Using polls1 point

Affiliate links that bring in extra money0 points

Using Plexo voting0 points

Test yourself, here's what you've got to do!!

Make a new lens.If you are willing to take a chance, you can always delete it later. Set your timer for 30 minutes and see what you can do. Chose a topic and begin. Then come back and tell us something you learned about lensmaking and even about yourself!

Hey Squid Masters, it would be nice to hear from you too!

Here are some resources to help with the brainstorming! 

Types of Squidoo Lenses
If you are new to Squidoo, or you have been creating only the 'usual' lenses, you might not know yet that Squidoo actually has several breeds of them. They usually have a different layout and look, and choosing the right type should help you get more visitors. The greatest thing is that you can edit
Making a Squidoo Lens - Step by Step | PotPieGirl.com
I made two new lenses on Squidoo today. Guess I had a sudden rush of inspiration come over me =) Ok - truth is that I came across some good keywords and

Let us see your 30 minute experiment 

Here is your chance to show what you can do in 30 minutes. Go ahead give it your best shot! You might end up learning something and teaching the rest of us something in the end. The purpose in the experiment is to go with the flow and see where it takes you.

You can do it....be brave!
Motley Crue Live in Concert Music Videos!
Are you planning on catching Motley Crue at Crue Fest 2008, as they tour for their latest album Saints of Los Angeles? Or maybe you have already seen Motley Crue and just want to re live some of those great concert moments! Well I have gathered some of the best Motley Crue live concert footage video

It is 3:38 PM and time to publish my lens! 

Drop me a line and let me know what you think.

I did it! I can (and will) add so much to this, but now I know it can be done and it has been a good lesson and reminder to

1) not overthink things
2) have fun
3) just write!

If you try the experiment, give the link and tell us what you learned in the process.
Don't have 30 minutes? Tell us how long it takes you to make a GREAT lens!

Thanks for stopping by!

DrRichard wrote...

It's hard to define what makes a really good lens as it's a combination of factors. Great content and pictures really helps though!

ReplyPosted June 16, 2009

Senora_M wrote...

Very nice. I would say I've started a lens in 30 minutes, but usually end up adding more.

ReplyPosted June 14, 2009

mbgphoto wrote...

very cool idea...not bad at all for 30 minutes.

ReplyPosted June 10, 2009

WindyWinters wrote...

Great Lens Topic! I bet this was fun! Lens making is very frustrating! We're not all teachers, lol! :)

ReplyPosted June 10, 2009

Sojourn wrote...

Analysis paralysis! So that's what I have! And I came by it honestly, too. My dad is just the same. We'll kill an idea from all sides before moving forward sometimes. I just did my fastest lens the other night - two, maybe two and a half hours. On average, my lenses take 2-3 days to complete if they're a topic with which I'm familiar. Neat idea for a lens, though. I love experiments and this was a cool example. Nice job.

ReplyPosted June 09, 2009

view all 58 comments

Have you been to the Isle of Squid? 

Take a trip to the Islands. Rest, relax!

A great resource of lenses!
Visit Isle of Squid

The Isle of Squid
Please leave a review of this lens if you would!

Something else I forgot to do!

Another lesson learned and another reason to have a list or outline before you get started. You need to remember to promote your other lenses!

My other lenses- The ones that took days. 

A comparison. These are my first two lenses. I spent days on each of them.
Searching for the perfect college
For most of us, the idea of finding the perfect university for our child is like finding the Holy Grail. The possibilities seem endless, the costs prohibitive. They are, and...they are. But with a little effort, there will be "the right" college for your child too!
Shopping to make a dorm room home
As much as we hate to think about it-our kids dorms will be "home" all too soon. So what can we do to help them create their new home away from home?

On our way to letting go, we need to get them ready to leave. That means shopping. Where do we start? With "the list".

 

by annetteghallowell

Hello world! Thanks for stopping by.

Let me introduce myself. I am mom to a beautiful, kind, talented almost 19 year old daughter (see the photo abov... (more)

Explore related pages

Create a Lens!