Discovery Education is a site offering resources that help bring a classroom to life. But some of their resources, like the online Puzzlemaker, are just as well suited to bringing your blog or web site to life.

Puzzlemaker is a software tool that generates a variety of word puzzles ranging from word search and criss-cross to hidden messages, mazes and much more.

What could your do with Puzzlemaker to make your site more interesting?

If your bloging about or have a  web site offering health information, you could create a word search puzzle containing the names of various vitamins and nutritional supplements. A site that encourages kids to read could create a puzzle from the titles of famous books written for children. A business site could use industry-specific buzz words to create a criss-cross word puzzle.

I created a word search puzzle for The Internet Wziards by using some of my most-used keywords :

BLOGGING   
BONNIEBOOTS   
CREATIVITY
DIGITAL   
EBOOKS   
EBUSINESS
INTERNETWIZARDS   
ONLINE   
WEBMARKETING
WORDPRESS

…and Puzzlemaker turned it into a nifty puzzle titled The Internet Wizards Word Search.

You can download it in a PDF file here, print it out and solve it. (And if you get stuck, you can download the solution to the puzzle here.)

 Adding activities to your site is a great way to keep visitors entertained. They’ll stay on your site longer, and be eager to come back for another visit if they know there’s always something new.

That’s important because repeat visitors are more likely to become your subscriber and eventually your customer or client.

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine and The Internet Wizards Blog for self-employed professionals, small business owners and anyone with specialized knowledge that wants to use the internet to boost their business and build their profits. You can subscribe for free by using the form in the upper right corner!

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It’s boilerplate advice in internet marketing to say that there are three steps to product creation: find a market, find a common problem in that target market, create a product that offers a solution to that problem. Bingo. Boffo sales.

That’s fine advice, as far as it goes. But it doesn’t go far enough for people who are bubbling over with creativity. That advice is far too passive for creative people. And dare I say, it borders on boring.

Creative people aren’t good at linear, connect the dots thinking. Creative people are driven by inspiration and imagination. When a new idea possesses them, they feel compelled t to engage in the act of creation. So they write or paint or photograph or video and –gasp!—they do it all without doing their market research first.

That’s O.K. Because the fact is, the world needs creative people to see things in fresh ways and to create things for the sheer joy of creation.

Those creations, made joyfully, playfully, go out into the world and inspire us to dig deeper, reach higher inside ourselves. They remind us that laughing, singing, dancing and feeling deeply are much more important to our sense of aliveness than making the car payment or carrying the newest cell phone.

Products created after careful research have a place in the market. But only a place. There is a great deal of room left over for products created out of inspiration.

“The market” is multifaceted, nearly unlimited and truly insatiable. I can say, with some certainty, that if you are inspired to make it, there’s a market for it somewhere. Case in point—two recent publications aimed at a market termed “bizarro genre literature.”

The first is Shatnerquake by Jeff Burk, whose vision is a world populated by every character William Shatner ever played in movies and TV comes to life and tried to kill the actor.

The second is Pride And Prejudice And Zombies by Seth-Grahame Smith, in which Jane Austin’s feisty character Elizabeth Bennet stalks zombies while flirting with the arrogant Mr. Darcy.

Bizzaro literature, indeed! People don’t write books like this after careful market research. They write books like this because a wild idea grabs them by the throat, forcing them to skip breakfast and dinner so they’ll have more time to write.

And after they have written, they go looking for people somewhere that will want what they have created. They go looking, in marketing lingo, for a “target market.” And because the internet has connected us all, they can, if they’re industrious, find it.

So consider the advice of internet marketers who know that doing some research first is a good way to approach product creation. But don’t let it deter you from following your own imagination. Because out on the internet, there truly is a market for whatever you’re inspired to make.

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people that want to be more creative, make their own products and market on the internet. Join her by typing your email address into the magic box in the upper right corner and –POOF!–you’ll be on her mailing list! Related article by Bonnie Boots: Shatnerquake–Proof Positive That On The Internet, You Can Sell Anything Now, of course, you’re dying to read those books! Click the covers to see them at Amazon…. Shatnerquake Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance – Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!

Here’s some fun from Archie McFee, the wackiest toy store in the world. They have both Jane Austin and Flesh-eating Zombie action figures Imagine the fun of reading the book AND acting it out with your own set of action figures. Soon, everyone will be inviting you to entertain at parties! See the Glow-in-the-dark Flesh Eating Zombies Play Set here and see the Jane Austin action Figure here. If you want to spread your creative wings and make stuff to market on the web, my book, "Tapping Into Trends To Create An Endless Stream Of High-Profit Products" will inspire you to be your most creative, successful  self by showing you just some of the many ways I use the internet to make creative cash.

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I do believe one of the stumbling blocks people run up against is this—that most of the information on the topic of product creation is written by and for “internet marketers.” That is, it’s written by people that only make products that teach internet marketing. And it’s sold to people that can’t think of anything to make except more products teaching internet marketing.

The proliferation of this type of material can make it seem that all you can make and sell are ebooks, audios and software on internet marketing.

But the truth is that the internet makes it possible to make and sell an almost unlimited number of products. There are literally no limits! And great ideas for products you can make and sell are always at hand.

This week, on my local news channel, I saw a couple from a neighboring county showing off a product they developed that was inspired by swine flu. Steve and Cristie Aaron, the parents of triplets, were worried that the attention their triplets attract –along with the inevitable cheek pinching and handholding—could pass on swine flu germs to their babies. But they found themselves reluctant to ask people, out loud, not to touch the tots.

Their idea—a sign that said it for them. They developed and produced a waterproof tag that says, “Wash Hands Before Touching Baby.”

The business, Hands Off Baby, sells through their own web site (http://www.handsoffbaby.com/index.html ) as well as through the gift shops of two dozen hospitals.

The development of this product didn’t require any complex keyword research with expensive software. All it required was the realization that the solution to the Aaron’s problem could be the solution to many people’s problems. In other words, they followed the dictum of good business—identify a problem and sell a solution.

Their great ideas was right at hand—and that hand was potentially harmful to their babies. Rather than just worry, they took action.

There are many businesses that make it possible to produce and market your own physical products entirely on the internet. And there are many target markets, from anxious parents to pet owners to hobbiests, that share your problems and would buy your solution. I introduce many of these businesses in my book,  "Tapping Into Trends To Create An Endless Stream Of High-Profit Products"" It will inspire you to be your most creative, successful self  by showing you just some of the many ways I use the internet to make creative cash.

Visit http://www.tapintotrends.com to learn how you can get started Tapping Into Trends To Create An Endless Stream Of High Profit Products!

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people, especially small business owners,  that want to create their own products and market on the internet. To join in her adventures, add your email address to the subscriber box in the upper right corner.

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I’ve been a product creator for more than 30 years, but I’ve only used the internet as a marketing tool for last three years. And only in the last three years, as a digital product creator and publisher have I had complete control over what I make, where I sell and how much I earn.

Before I came to the internet, there was only one place for me to sell my product ideas. That was to big businesses that were capable of producing and marketing them. If I wanted to write a magazine article or a book, I had to find a publisher that would purchase it and print it. If I wanted to create a craft kit, I had to find a craft company that would manufacture and market it.

-Here’s a fact–most big business pay very little for creative work. In one instance, I was paid only $50-yes, fifty U.S. dollars– for an emergency rush job done overnight for Tandy Leather, one of the best-known manufacturers of leather kits and supplies in the world.

Someone from Tandy called me one morning and said, ‘We’re in a pickle. One of our largest craft retailers is reducing the floor space we’re allowed. We have just 72 hours to cut our store display in half.  If I send you, overnight, a box of the supplies we’ll be allowed to sell, can you come up with 2 designs for take-aways and get them back to me within 24 hours?"

A take-away is a pad of printed instructions for one simple craft projects. The paper pad is attached to the display shelf in a craft store. People can tear off a sheet of instructions for the craft project and take it away with them, for free.

The idea, of course, is that they’ll see the free craft pattern, notice the supplies to make it are right at hand, and buy them so they can go home and make the project. Take-aways are very important in the craft industry. They generate a lot of sales. In just 72 hours, there would be no take-aways enticing customers at one of the largest retailers in the U.S.  to buy Tandy leather—unless I came up with some great ideas fast!

I hadn’t designed for Tandy before and I was curious why they were calling me. "Our regular designers haven’ come up with any ideas. One of them suggested I call you. She said you’re a wiz at making something out of nothing fast."

I asked what they were willing to pay. "Well, this is a toughie," said my caller. "All I have in the budget is $50. I know that’s almost an insult, but it’s all I’ve got to work with. But if you can turn this around me fast, I’ll certainly use you again–and make up the low pay on your next job!"

I swallowed hard and took the job, because I knew that having Tandy Leather on my designer’s resume would be good for my business. And I wanted that future better-paying job!

I worked around the clock to create 2 designs, make up picture-perfect samples to be photographed, write and illustrate the instructions and send it all back by overnight delivery.  And then, exhausted, I slept for two days.

Tandy was happy with my work. And I was happy to get little more than the chance to show a new client what I could do. But I never got that half-promised, better paying job.

If Tandy called me today and offered me ten times what they paid for those two take-aways, I’d have to stifle my laughter as I declined. With the internet at my command, I’m no longer dependent on big companies. I have the ability to make and market all kinds of creative work, all by myself. My ability to create and my ability to earn are unlimited!

Thirty years ago I could never have dreamed that the world would open up and offer this much opportunity to creative people. Today I take it for granted that there is simply no limit to what I can dream and what I can do.

My wish for you is that you discover this for yourself, not only because making and marketing your own products is a good way to make money. But because unleashing your own creative abilities– to write, to design, to photograph, to illustrate, to entertain, to educate–is the best way to create a joyful and fulfilled life… a life truly unlimited! If you want to spread your creative wings and make stuff to market on the web, my book, "Tapping Into Trends To Create An Endless Stream Of High-Profit Products"will inspire you to be your most creative, successful  self by showing you just some of the many ways I use the internet to make creative cash.

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people, especially self-employed people,  that want to  expand their creativity, make their own products and market on the internet! To stay in touch with her, use the subscribe form in the upper right corner.

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I’m always saddened by how many of them are trying to sell the dream that you can make millions by making crap. They often advise people to create digital products by "slapping together" anything you can get rights to. The word "quality" does not seem to be in their vocabulary.

I won’t dispute that many of these newsletter writers are making money by making crap. I just think trying to get rich by avoiding real work and making crap is the primary reason the world economy is in the toilet.

I just finished reading an interview in Salon magazine with travel guru Rick Steves that puts it pointedly when it quotes him saying, "A headline today, "Americans lose 18 percent of their wealth." Well, no, it wasn’t real wealth, it was a bubble. You’re down 18 percent? You’re not. It shouldn’t have been up there in the first place. So get over it. Shut up. Go to work, produce stuff that has value. I really think the days are gone, I hope, when people can rearrange the furniture and get rich on it. You got to produce something."

Rick Steves has been making things of value for years. His travel guides and shows give real value to his viewers and readers. As a byproduct, Steves has gotten rich doing work. Work he loves, but still work.

Some people say work is a four-letter word. "Work" is not a four-letter word in my studio. It’s a holy mantra. Work is what I live for. It’s where I find meaning and fulfillment and happiness. When I wake up in the morning, my fingers are itching to go to work. And when I go to sleep at night, my dreams are about working.

I’m a maker of stuff. That’s been my primary means of making a living for three decades. Making good stuff is work. It’s often hard. Frequently frustrating. It is never, ever boring. And it is always in demand.

Spending the precious hours of your life making crap is an insult to your own creative spirit and your Creator.

And in this economy, it’s downright self-destructive. People can make crap and get away with it when the economy is fat. But when it gets thin, buyers  start taking a second and third look at where they spend their dollars. And you’d better be offering something of real value.

Bottom line–the world doesn’t need more crap. It needs more people waking up their gray matter, stretching their creative muscles and getting to work making things of real value.

My book, shown her, shows step-by-step how I create and sell a wide variety of products, both hard goods and digital goods. The book has real value, especially for creative, intelligent people that don’t think work is a four-letter word.

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If you want to spread your creative wings and make stuff to market on the web, my book, "Tapping Into Trends To Create An Endless Stream Of High-Profit Products" will inspire you to be your most creative, successful  self by showing you just some of the many ways I use the internet to make creative cash.

Update: Here’s another article I wrote about my struggle to understand why so much of the stuff sold by internet marketers has little or no real value. It’s titled "What Is A Product?"

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine and this companion The Internet Wizards Blog to teach self-employed people and small businesses owners how to leverage the internet for advertising, marketing and promoting their business. To stay in touch with her, type your name and email into the subscriber box in the upper right corner of this page. You’ll be glad you did!

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Suddenly I knew, really knew how people feel in cities like Flint and Detroit and everywhere else where the unthinkable is happening-companies everyone thought would last forever are closing their doors and jobs everyone thought would always be there are suddenly gone. Jobs like "auto worker" and  "journalist."

All around the planet, systems from the last century are breaking down. The world economy is in collapse. Stock markets are melting. Jobs that once offered a lifetime of security have ceased to exist. People that once were trusted have been exposed as imbeciles and crooks.

With all this going on, a lot of people are focused on finding ways to put things back the way they were. Not me. I don’t think things will ever go back the way they were. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit the way things were was not particularly good for a lot of people on this planet.

We human beings are capable of so much more than we’ve been demonstrating. And I think this turmoil is life itself calling us out about that, demanding we grow up and find new ways of thinking, of doing, of being. I think life wants us to put on our creativity caps and come up with a whole bunch of better ideas.

Creativity is an innate human quality. Each of us has the power to dream, to imagine and to create. I believe that’s why so many spiritual writings from the Bible to the Mayan myths refer to us as the "sons of the gods" or "made in God’s imagine." For God, no matter how you conceive of that entity, is the Creator and if we are made in the Creator’s image, logic says we are also creators.

Then let us be creative. Let us do what we are born to do—stand up and flex our creative muscles and build new systems, new companies, new jobs, new visions and new dreams!

Bean counters and bureaucrats are necessary in any established system. But now, with established systems in tatters, we can’t afford to let the bean counters and bureaucrats carry the conversation. Only creative people can save the planet!

No matter where you are in your life, no matter where you are on this planet, you have, through the internet, the means of sharing your creativity with the world. Through blogs, web sites and social networks, with articles and videos and audios, you can add your ideas to the planet’s thought stream and help turn the tide toward less fear, more courage and creativity.

The job is open. Will you accept the position?

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards for people that want to flex their creative muscles  and make their mark on the internet. Use the subscribe box in the upper right corner to keep connected.

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