Unsung Blogger of the Week #2

Kris Bordessa is a freelance writer and an avid blogger. I have been following Kris Bordessa’s Blog for a while. Kris’s blog focuses on team activities and challenges. Kris’s style is very fresh and easy to read. Recently I had linked to Kris’s interesting post on Yellow Arrows in NYC.  Check out Kris’s new book Team Challenges: Group Activities to Build Cooperation, Communication, and Creativity  when it arrives in November 2005.

Here is a short interview with Kris, that I conducted over email:

1. What motivates you to keep blogging?

My blog is a little different than most! As a team leader for a creative problem solving program, I’m always thinking of or tracking down new activities to share with my groups. I know there are so many people out there who work with youth groups or do business training that are in the same position — “Ack!  What’ll I do with them today??” — it just made sense to me to share some of the things I use with my own teams. My favorite part though is seeing the solutions, how each team solves the same problem in an entirely unique manner.

2. How do you identify the ideas that you post? Is there any secrets you can share?

Most of the challenges on my blog are mine, either brand new or from my book, Team Challenges: Group Activities to Build Cooperation, Communication and Creativity. On occasion, I’ll run across a great idea on the web that I share with my readers, but no, not really any secrets.

3.  What methods do you employ to overcome the “Blogger’s Block”?
 
I’ve got a dozen kids on two teams waiting for me to present a new challenge to them each week – that’s a pretty good incentive to put the challenges down on paper! Adding them to my blog is easy and I like the idea that other team leaders can find a useful challenge at Great Solutions, try it with their teams and share the solution via e-mail.
 
4. What are your Top 5 Unsung Blogs ? (please include only those that are not in any Top 100/500 lists).
 
I have no idea who is in the Top…but these are blogs I check when I can. I’ve added an extra, in case one of these has already been sung! [Kris mentioned Corante which is a top blog and I promptly edited it out! – Ed.]
 
v. Headrush  [Headrush is not exactly unsung. Headrush’s recent post “Conversational writing kicks formal writing’s ass” received a lot of link love. This one is destined to become a power blog. – Ed.]
 
5. What are your current book recommendations ? (1 or 2 is
sufficient).
 
Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn really makes you think!
 
Weslandia by Paul R. Fleischman is a fantastic picture book for encouraging kids to be creative. Love it.