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.
3 Boring Parts Of Small Social Business That Are Critical To Success
3 boring parts of small social business that are critical to success.
1. Researching content strategies
2. Diving into analytics
3. Aligning systems to goals
Those who succeed get very good at the boring things others don't see.
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 Number 1 Reason A Newsletter Is The Best Sales Funnel For High-Ticket Maker Products
Why is a newsletter the best sales funnel for high-ticket Maker products?
Trust has been massively eroded across social media the last couple of years.
A value-based newsletter builds trust by providing FREE value up front and only occasionally nudging toward products.
Trust comes first.
My Favorite 5 Practical Uses For 3D Printing (Most Without Requiring CAD Modeling)
My favorite 5 practical uses for 3D printing (most without requiring CAD modeling)
1. Custom Drawer Organization
2. Custom Cable Management
3. Scale Model Reference
4. Themed Lighting Modifications
5. Tool Jigs
Customization can come from mods in the slicer or Fusion 360 models.
Why You Should Base Content Decisions On Data, Not Emotion
Most content success comes down to how decisions are made: emotional vs data-driven.
Emotional decisions, or gut feelings, lead creators to post what they want and wonder why the dreaded algorithm is against them.
Data-based decisions tell us exactly what to double down on.
Most Creators Are Not Leveraging AI Effectively (And Throwing Away $1,500 Of Value)
I used to think ChatGPT was a fancy Q/A and wrote it off.
Turns out I was terrible at prompt engineering.
I spent 14 months learning AI and even gained an AI certificate from MIT xPRO.
You can leverage AI for social media strategy, saving $1,500 that a strategist could charge you.
My Top 5 Mistakes As A Content Creator (And How I'm Fixing Them in 2026)
My top 5 mistakes as a content creator (and how I'm fixing them in 2026)
1. No consistency
2. Overcomplicated or overlooked analytics
3. Abandoning 1 platform for another
4. Not having a clear strategy
5. Giving into imposter syndrome
Each can be overcome with good systems.
The 1 Way To Gain The Confidence Of Large Successful Makers
Most people believe that you can read enough books, watch enough YouTube videos, or listen to enough self-help podcasts to gain the confidence to do the thing you want to do.
But that isn't how confidence works and most successful people agree.
5 Easy Steps To Achieve Your 2026 Maker Goals (Even If You Never Mark Annual Goals Complete)
Want to FINALLY achieve your 2026 goals? Follow these 5 easy steps.
1. Pick 1 single 2026 Goal (yes, only 1)
2. Set Q1 goals To hit the Annual
3. Set Jan goals to hit the Q1
4. Set this week's goals to hit Jan's
5. Figure out the actions required to nail the week.
Repeat weekly.
3 Key Takeaways For Makers From "Every Tool's A Hammer" By Adam Savage
1. Embrace your weird passions.
2. Your workshop is a reflection of you.
3. Sweep up at the end of every day.
1 & 2 are what inspired me to start creating a Star Wars workshop and home office.
3 is my goal for 2026.
The Number 1 Mistake Most Newsletters Make (Which Is Why Most Don't Grow)
Most companies make the newsletter about what they want, not the audience.
They ask you to watch a video, buy a product, or share something.
Instead, give tons of value away for free, and only nudge occasionally.
5 Mistakes I Made Trying to Start My Maker Channel
The 5 mistakes I made trying to start my Maker channel.
1. Vaguely defined audience
2. Vague value proposition
3. No long-form video strategy
4. Naive short-form video strategy
5. Zero focus on written content
My success on social media stagnated and fell flat for 5 years as a result.
The 4 Key Datapoints To Focus On For Newsletter Success (And How To Analyze Changes)
The 4 key datapoints to focus on for newsletter success.
1. Opt-In Rate
2. Open Rate
3. Click-Through Rate
4. Bounce Rate
Only A/B test 1 of these with every email sent and you'll be able to make better decisions backed by data, not gut instinct.
My Simple Goal Setting Framework To Get More Done In 2026 (Even If You Haven't Accomplished Goals Before)
To get more done in 2026, I'm using a simple goal framework, slightly modified from Ali Abdaal 's model.
I set goals by level with longer goals informing shorter.
0. Long-Term
1. Annual
2. Quarterly
3. Monthly
4. Weekly
Each goal gets a project.
Review weekly goals daily and everything weekly.
5 Keys To My 2026 Content Strategy Across Platforms
In 2018-2019, I massively missed my goals for growing content because I thought I had a strategy, but it was all fluff. I refuse to make the same mistakes now and am being intentional about HOW I think about WHAT I'm posting.
3 Things I'm Thankful For This Christmas (Beyond The Basics Of Friends & Family)
The few minutes I glanced at social media today had tones of thankful posts that I will assume were genuine, but all started to sound the same. Everyone is thankful for their friends, family, their health, and job.
Not that I am NOT thankful for those things, but I wanted to think hard about what I'm thankful for beyond those things.
It also happens that these 3 things are the layers driving my biggest goal for 2026.
Why Being A Maker Has Made Outdoor Holiday Lights A New Everest
I got interested in lighting design in 2005 for local events, concerts, and plays, but thought I gave it up forever in 2010.
Until I failed to make our stroller lights sync to a Disney parade in 2024.
4 Techniques To Add Custom Designs To Projects (Even If You Don't Have A Laser Or CNC)
After creating a few projects, many Makers want to progress to adding custom details and embellishments to projects.
The easiest thing to do is purchase a laser or CNC to engrave the design or precisely carve it out, but neither option is cheap, so here are 4 alternative techniques.
Successful Entrepreneurs Push Through When They Want To Quit
Some people who tried and failed will tell you that entrepreneurship is impossible, the market is too saturated, or that the big companies just have too much power. The good news is that it’s not impossible, but it is incredibly hard to do.
The Only 5 Steps For You To Make Anything (No Matter How Complicated)
I overcomplicated most of my first builds, but finally realized that every project, no matter how complicated, only has 5 steps. Once you internalize these 5 steps, you'll be well on your way to build anything.