your body of content is a charcuterie board
You have no shortage of ideas. Your list of topics to write about grows by the week. When it comes time to create your content you find yourself sitting and staring at a blank page.
And not because you’ve run into your old friend writer’s block, but because you don’t know what topic to write about.
You have so many ideas swirling in your head, and you’re worried that your blog is going to become a random hodge-podge of dozens of things you love to talk about.
If you’re worried your content reads like a diary — a poo-poo platter of topics, I invite you to think about your content topics as a charcuterie board.
And not just because I’m hungry, but because saying, “charcuterie” is fun and makes me feel fancy.
Some yummy bites you’ll find on a charcuterie board:
Olives
Cheese (not on mine though—me + cheese = not awesome)
Salami, prosciutto, and other dried, smoked, and cured meats
Maybe some crackers
Some light fruit
Washed down with some Pellegrino or a nice wine
Taste the olives individually—salty, hearty, and satisfying.
Bite into the cheese—tangy, dry, maybe with a hint of smoke.
Enjoy some of the thinly sliced meat—salty, spicy, savory.
Put a little bit of everything on top of a sturdy cracker, pop it in your mouth and there’s a happy party going on. Washed down with a glass of crisp champagne — delicious.
The tastes of the charcuterie board are delicious when enjoyed alone, and even better when paired together.
And with a perfectly curated presentation, it’s a feast for your eyes.
Your body of content is like a charcuterie board.
Each of your blog posts are inspiring and helpful on their own, and when enjoyed one after another with a small taste from all the other accompanying content—the experience is even better.
This is why organizing your content into buckets, or a few key themes will help your work appear as a charcuterie board. You wouldn’t drop an oatmeal cookie, spaghetti, or falafel on your board. It wouldn’t fit.
Or maybe you would. No judgment here!
And now if you’re wondering how many buckets you have or how even to begin organizing your content into buckets, here are some ways to figure out yours.
1. Scan your existing content.
If you had to put them into categories, where would they naturally fit? Then, consider your list of groups and think about if any could be combined, or if you could remove some if there are too many. And if you notice you have a single theme, that’s great too. You can absolutely stick to one subject, or add more if you feel inspired.
2. Think about what you want to be known for.
How do you want people to remember you? Do you want them to remember you for your ability to take a personal story and apply a business lesson? Do you want to be known for your straight, no-BS talk?
3. Consider what you could talk about all dang day.
When you talk about something, and it brings you energy, life, and light, that right there is content gold. What feels good to you to create, feels good to your readers. List out all the topics that make you feel antsy with anticipation. Subjects so good to talk about that you simply have to get them out. When you write about what lights your fire, you’ll feel good. When you feel good, your readers feel good, and isn’t this the whole dang point?
4. What do people always ask for your advice on?
If you’re always being asked about parenting advice and you’re a personal trainer, then you may want to keep those topics out of your regular content rotation. When you notice you’re giving the same advice to different people, you’ve got a gift right there and is something you can help your audience with, that right there is service. And when you serve your audience, they will appreciate it.
Now, write out your list of themes. Maybe you have 1, 3, or even 6.
Review each topic on the list. Do you enjoy and want to continue talking about these topics? If not, go ahead and strike some. And if you do love these topics, now you have some boundaries to help you with your brainstorming.
Having boundaries for your brainstorming and creative projects will help you create. While many of us might assume that creative people need wide-open spaces to create, what I can tell you from working with many kinds of makers and being a creative myself, is that without a container to create in, I spin in circles.
Give me a nice charcuterie board, and I’ll know what to fill it with. Give me a wine glass, and I know what to put inside. Pass me a giant bowl, and I’m going to fill it with guacamole.
And if you want more advice like this and access to quarterly content planning sessions, join us inside the Unfussy Writing Community!
Speaking of guacamole, grab a bowl (and a glass of the good wine) and dig into these articles:
The Unfussy and Intuitive Approach to Content Planning
