How Copywriting Is Like Hip Hop Class (or ANY Dance Class)

As I'm teaching the *She Factor Copywriting Bootcamp* to a group of amazing entrepreneurs I get so excited to watch the electric circuits light up when they get a new concept. See copywriting isn't really tough . . . WHEN you know what you're doing. When you first start out with ANYTHING, it can be overwhelming. Like my ancestor, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, " Every artist was first an amateur."
 
This advice wasn't lost on me when I started taking Hip Hop dance classes a few months ago. I love dancing. When I was little I took tap, jazz, and ballet but got frustrated I couldn't get good fast enough. So I quit. Silly, huh? Because now I'm no further along in any of those disciplines (and I really enjoy movement).
 
Enter Hip Hop. I realize I'm a little old to be bopping to 50 Cent or Justin Timberlake but it's just FUN! So I started stretching myself studying with Billy Blanks' little brother, Michael. That man can MOVE! He shows us choreography sloooooowly, then does it up-to-speed. Trust me, our moves look NOTHING alike . . . but I'm getting there.
 
Here are some rules of thumb I've noticed by stretching myself in this class that apply to others stretching themselves in copywriting (or just about anything).
 
Don't be intimidated. Every Saturday as I drive over to class, I feel a little knot in my stomach. Then my inner critic starts in, "What if I mess up? What if I look silly? I'm so new at this." Let me tell you what I tell that inner critic as I slap her down . . . Don't be intimidated. You are just learning. Give yourself permission to make mistakes.
 
Study with someone better than you. Whether it's Hip Hop or tennis or copywriting, you must study with someone better than you. It's the only way to grow and get better. Otherwise you just repeat mistakes of someone with less experience.
 
Follow a formula. Every art form has some sort of formula. Even Picasso was a classically-trained painter before developing his unique style. You gotta know the rules before you can break them. Just as this is absolutely true in dance, so is it in copywriting.
 
BUT add your own flavor/style. Yes, follow a formula, but don't forget to add YOU to the mix. People will want to do business with the person they relate to on the other end. You can do this with stories and by adding personality to your copy. On the dance floor, you can do it by shaking that booty YOUR WAY.
 
Don't be hard on yourself if you don't get the results you want right away. As soon as you let that nasty inner critic in to tear down your self-esteem, your success rate will plummet. There's nothing harder than to be successful when you're busy berating yourself for making a mistake.
 
You won't learn how to be good in one class - it takes layering and studying over time. Results take practice and time. There's no way you're going to be Michael Jackson after one Hip Hop class and there's no way you're going to write perfect copy after one attempt at a sales letter. Even after 9 years, I'm STILL a student of copy. The world is my classroom and it should be yours too. Raise your awareness of how people are communicating with you.
 
Have fun. I wouldn't say I'm a perfectionist but when it comes to movement I am very precise. (My strongest dance class was ballet and I was in marching band in high school.) In Hip Hop I'm learning to go with the flow much more and allow myself to be expressive with movement. Copy should be fun too. Don't worry so much about offending someone (because trust me, you will the more risks you take). Just have fun with your words and your message. It's contagious.