The Endless Content Recipe
The best art creates more art
I use the Endless Content Recipe for generating ideas on all of my websites and several writing platforms.
The genesis of this recipe is the statement, “The best art creates more art.”
For whatever reason, this statement popped into my head just the other day. Because I was running at the time, I chewed on the statement for three more miles. No matter which way I turned the phrase, it still stood as a pillar of truth.
In this article, I want to explain the endless content recipe and why it might be the most powerful tool for content creators.
Why Good Art Creates More Art
Another way to say “good art creates more art” is to state, “Good content triggers creativity that leads to ideas for new content.”
The best art grabs your attention and then flings it into the metaverse of your imagination.
For example, I get many ideas for new articles by listening to podcasts, reading books, and binge-watching YouTube videos. Something mentioned offhand in a podcast interview can become the impetus for an article.
A line in a book can become the title of an article. An interesting graphic or animation in a YouTube video might be the inspiration for an infographic or GIF.
Case in point: I’m currently listening to a YouTube video by Thoughty2 titled, “This Animal Can Do Something That Shouldn’t Be Possible.”
The point is, good content begets more ideas for content. If you’re not creative, start consuming creative content. The ideas will come.
When I recently wrote an article on How I Make Up to $5,000 Each Month By Writing Boring Topics, I had no idea it would generate an entire series of follow-up articles about how I make money writing hard topics, simple answers, and beginner questions.
When I consume someone else’s great content — or, sometimes, only read the title of their content — I get inspired.
How To Use the Endless Content Recipe
The Endless Content Recipe is pretty straightforward and easy to use.
Here is the recipe:
- Start with a piece of content (could be anything: an article, video, podcast, etc.)
- Consume the content and take notes
- Allow the ideas to percolate
- Create something new based on the original piece of content
This is a four-step process that you can use over and over again to create new content from old content.
Let’s take a closer look at each step.
Step 1: Start With A Piece of Content
You need a starting point — a piece of content that you can consume and take notes on.
The type of content you use as your starting point is up to you. It could be an article, video, podcast, or even just a social media post.
I typically use articles or videos as my starting point because they’re easy to consume and I can get through them quickly. But you can use whatever type of content you want.
Tip: I get some of my best ideas from long-form content like podcasts and books. There are usually small pieces of the podcast interview, for example, that I can expand into full-length articles.
Step 2: Consume the Content and Take Notes
After you’ve selected your starting point, it’s time to consume the content.
This step is important because you can’t generate new ideas if you don’t have any ideas to work with in the first place.
As you’re consuming the content, be sure to take notes. Write notes about anything that stands out to you. I like to use the free note app that came with my Google phone for this because I can easily save webpages, articles, and videos.
But you can use whatever note-taking tool you want.
The key is to not get too hung up on taking perfect notes. Just jot down some quick notes that you can refer back to later.
Step 3: Allow the Ideas to Percolate
Once you’ve consumed the content and taken some notes, it’s time to let the ideas percolate.
This is a critical step in the process because it’s when the magic happens.
It’s during this step that your brain starts to make connections between the ideas in the content you consumed and other ideas floating around in your head.
And it’s these connections that birth original ideas for content.
So, how long should you allow the ideas to percolate?
There’s no right answer to this question. It depends on how quickly your brain makes connections and how much time you have to work on new content.
Personally, I like to take at least a short 10–15 minute break after consuming the content and then come back to my notes. This allows me time to forget about the content I just consumed and makes it easier for my brain to form new connections.
For larger writing projects — such as 5,000-word articles or books — I’ll give myself even more time. I’ll also consume content from multiple sources while I’m allowing all of the ideas to swim around in my brain.
But you can do whatever works best for you.
Step 4: Create Something New Based on the Original Piece of Content
Now it’s time to put all those ideas into action and create something new.
This could be an article, video, infographic, or even a social media post. The key is to take the ideas from the original piece of content and expand on them.
For example, if the original piece of content was about five ways to start your day, you could write an article about 10 ways to start your day or write about each of the five original ways in more detail.
The possibilities are endless.
The Endless Content Recipe (Troubleshooting)
If you decide to use the Endless Content Recipe, you may run into a few predictable problems. I thought I’d try to save you some trouble with this section.
The most common issues I run into:
- I can’t find any good content to consume
- I can’t think of any ideas based on the content I’ve consumed
- Everything about this topic has already been said
Problem 1: I Can’t Find Any Good Starting Points
If you’re having trouble finding content to use as your starting point, try using a content curation tool like Scoop.it or Alltop (these are not affiliate links).
Both of these tools will help you find popular articles and blog posts on the topics you’re interested in.
Another option is to search for specific pieces of content on Google. For example, if you want to write about “content marketing,” you could do a Google search for “best content marketing articles.”
Problem 2: I Can’t Think of Any Ideas After Consuming the Content
If this happens, it’s usually because you didn’t take enough notes or allow yourself enough time to percolate the ideas.
Go back to your notes and select a single quote or comment that you wrote down. Challenge yourself to come up with at least 3–to 5 ideas for new content around that specific note.
Sometimes, forcing my mind to focus on a specific idea trigger is all I need to jumpstart my imagination.
If you still can’t think of anything, give yourself more time and consume more content before moving on to step 4: Create New Content.
Problem 3: I Feel Like I’ve Already Said Everything I Can on the Topic
There are a few ways to combat this feeling.
The first way is to take a step back and look at the big picture. What are some other topics related to the one you’re writing about that you could cover?
For example, if you’re writing about “Mind Spike in DND,” you could write about “How Mind Spike Compares to Other DND Spells” or “How Top DND Players Use Mind Spike To Rule the Game.”
You can also try to come at the topic from a unique angle or perspective.
Instead of writing about the same thing everyone else is writing about, try taking a contrarian view. This will help you stand out from the crowd and give your readers something new to consider.
Final Thoughts
The Endless Content Recipe is a proven method for producing an almost endless stream of ideas. You can even consume your own old content to excavate new material.
Thanks for reading!
Read these next:
- I Ranked #1 On Google in 2 Hours — New Personal Record
- Why Playing It Safe Is Risky for Content Creators
- 3 Misunderstood Writing Fundamentals I’ll Never Stop Practicing
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