Mind of a Maker
A daily blog inspired by Matthew Dicks
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
To become better at something, you have to practice. What better way to become a better writer and storyteller than to practice by making a habit of writing daily?
In this daily blog, we’ll discuss Maker-related topics as well as what inspires projects, including YouTube videos, Movies, TV Shows, Disney, Star Wars, LEGO, Books, and more. Everything is on the table, and nothing is off-limits.
Disclaimer: The thumbnail images featured on this blog are often AI-generated. See Disclosure page for more information.
4 Easy Ways To Find The Best Topics For Your Newsletter
Most Makers struggle to come up with ideas to write in a weekly newsletter, but with these 4 ways, you’ll never run out of ideas.
1. Poll your social audience
2. Find recurring ideas in comments
3. Give more details from recent videos
4. Expand winning short-form ideas
With these ways, you'll never run out of newsletter issue ideas to write about.
4 Steps To Iterate Ideas Without Wasting Time & Money On Flopping Videos
Most creators spend time on video ideas that flop, but successful creators iteration with 4 steps.
1. Post initial ideas to X
2. Expand winning ideas into threads
3. Expand winning threads into articles
4. Expand winning articles into videos
Now your videos have the best chance of succeeding based on data, not emotion.
4 Sketches To Clarify Jumbled Idea Messes
Sketching ideas seems obvious for Makers building things, but it’s also helpful for business owners working through messes of ideas.
1. Product or service stacks
2. One-pager ideation
3. Video background concepts
4. Pillar content connections
Sketching ideas captures the feeling before sinking tons of time, effort, and money into them (just like with build ideas).
3 Takeaways For Entrepreneurs From “How To Take Smart Notes” By Sönke Ahrens
3 takeaways for entrepreneurs from “How To Take Smart Notes” by Sönke Ahrens.
1. Unwritten ideas = no ideas
2. Separate idea capture & organization
3. Link preexisting ideas together for something new
Entrepreneurs have tons of ideas constantly, but need a system to organize and see them together.
The First 3 Projects You Should MAKE When Starting Out
The opportunities for what you can build are nearly endless! Which is amazing, so you can always learn something new and continue to grow as a Maker. However, it's easy to become paralyzed by choices when first starting.
Analysis Paralysis
Overanalyzing everything keeps me stuck in a cycle of indecision and guilt, but this blog is my step toward breaking free—because living with "what if" is far worse than taking imperfect action.
AI in Making Things
What if you had a personal AI assistant in your workshop—a Star Wars-inspired droid or Iron Man's JARVIS to help with measurements, inventory, and more? Here's how I'm exploring this game-changing idea.
Essential Organization - Inspiration
Ever struggle to find that one photo or screenshot that sparked your creativity? I'm tackling this challenge head-on by creating an organized inspiration database—and once it's ready, I'll share the secrets to streamline your own creative process!
I Have Too Many Ideas
My project list keeps growing with new ideas from everywhere—Disney, Star Wars, YouTube, and more—so I use a "second brain" to document inspirations, track sources, and combine ideas into unique projects I’ll share soon.