Lensmastery by Linda

I couldn’t believe how fast it was to put together a Twttrlist lens. Fun. Easy. Fast.

I made my first Twttrlist the day I first heard about it: Great Writing Resources, Tips, Twitters, and Inspirations. Today this lens is #2 on the Twttrlist Top 100!!! I’m so excited about that!

The #1 Twttrlist is Fluffanutta’s amazing The Best Tweets Are From Space! He’s collecting the tweets from astronaut Michael J. Massimino who’s out in space right now! How trippy is that?!!??

I can’t tell you about all the cool Twttrlists, but I can point you to the Twttrlist Top 100. I highly recommend the Twttrlist experience. It is lots of fun.

Today I made my second Twttrlist, which is also about writing: NaNoWriMo News, Tips, & Resources on Twitter and Squidoo.

One problem a few of us encountered is that when making a Twttrlist you’re invited to enter your search term. Then you go to a page where there’s a list of Twitters using that term. From there it is just a tad confusing as there are no instructions on how to turn that list into a lens.

All you have to do is start choosing Twitters to use on your lens. There’s a bright orange “Add” button next to each one. As soon as you start adding, you’ll see the other link pop up at the bottom of the page: “Done Adding”. That’s the link that gets you out of Dodge and makes your list become a lens. Have fun with it!

See you on Twitter!

My Twitter page: Linda Jo Martin. Feel free to follow me. I follow back!

You’re invited to use and join the Squidoo News Room – a room I set up at FriendFeed. If you’re not familiar with FriendFeed yet, take heart, it is very easy to join and be part of.

FriendFeed provides a place for all your RSS feeds from a variety of online activities, plus interactivity options such as comments and special-interest rooms. I’ve collected all kinds of FriendFeed ‘how to’ information on my lens, How To Use FriendFeed.

In the Squidoo News Room I’m adding dozens of Squidoo blog RSS feeds. Pass your cursor over the little orange RSS graphics at the top of the page and you’ll see a tool tip box pop up with the link represented.

Please Note: If your blog isn’t included in the Squidoo News Room yet, please let me know! You can send me a note via my contact link. Nobody with a Squidoo-focused blog will be intentionally excluded… everyone is welcome!

I’m wondering if I’m the only one with a secret lens – one that is for my eyes only – one that will never be published. My secret lens is called, simply, “Lens Ideas,” and that tells you exactly what I use it for.

I’m still developing myself as a lensmaster, even after publishing fifty-one lenses. I’ve made the mistake of creating a lot of WIP (work in progress) lenses that throw off my cumulative lens stats. I would like to stop that habit.

Now, when I have a new lens idea, I usually don’t rush to get a lens started. Too often they sit there undone for weeks or months even. That’s depressing to see day after day! Instead I open my “Lens Ideas” lens and use one of the blank text boxes to jot down my newest lens brainstorm.

I’m sure as time goes by my secret lens will find other uses, but for now, I’m gratefully keeping it all to myself as a tool that helps me cope with my lensmaster inspirations.

Goals with deadlines are very motivating, but once the day has passed, there’s a huge mental sigh of exhaustion, relief, and relaxation. Shoulders relax, and the mind realizes it can finally go on vacation. That’s what happened to me after I hit the ‘publish’ button for my fiftieth lens, Messenger from the Summer of Love. I had focused for so long on getting to fifty so I could possibly qualify for the Giant Squid designation, I neglected many other activities, including this blog. We must all honor our priorities!

This month I’m also breathing another sigh of relief. I’ve been working for a year and a half as a cook in a restaurant downtown, and my job ended on September 22. I had no idea how much pressure I’d been under until it was gone. Suddenly it was like the world was beautiful again. I was happy… joyful even. I wrote more about that in my Squidoo Diary a few days ago. The world turned upside down for me and I suddenly realized I can make it on what I’m earning online. My expenses are few, so what I’m bringing in along with what I have in my savings will see me through for a while.

This is my big chance to see how much I can get done online, to make my online income viable. I’m hoping to give it about a year, unless, of course, I get another job outside my home in the meantime. That’s somewhat unlikely as I live in a very small town with few job opportunities. Because I need to make this income happen, I will be creating as many new Squidoo lenses as I can. Yes, I’m committed to trying to make this work. I regret that I won’t be able to donate much to charity with my lenses; I wish my financial circumstances would allow it especially since donations are so encouraged here. Perhaps eventually I’ll be able to turn many of these lenses over to charity, and that is an altruistic goal to keep in mind and heart.

Anyhow, please join me in a few deep breaths, a moment of gratitude, and an awareness of joy. Life is good, Squidoo is fun, and my co-adventurers here are pleasant to be around. Thank you all very much for that!