How a Creator Uses "Spark and Light" to Drive Her Content Strategy

Is it just us or is this year flying by faster than usual? It’s hard to believe that we launched this newsletter just over a year ago, but it’s been so rewarding to grow our creator community in this way. If you’ve been here from the beginning, thank you for reading the Creators at Notion newsletter! It really means a lot to us.

There’s a lot of fun features in this issue, including some key insights from creator, Anna Bullock. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see what we’ve been up to this past month!

—Danielle & Binh

📆 Mark Your Calendar: Make with Notion 2025

We’re bringing back our user conference on September 18th in San Francisco! The full-day event will feature product announcements, fireside chats and community moments across 15 different sessions.

If you’re a creator based in the Bay Area and would like to attend, please fill out the interest form here. If you are unable to join us in person, be sure to sign up for the live stream here!

Introducing Anna Bullock 🎤

AKA your business Mom

For half a decade after leaving corporate, I ran a business and minded my business.
Creator? Far from it! I showed up, got the work done, and kept it pushing each day.
In the modern world of “creatorpreneurs” I was heavy on the entrepreneurial half of that:

• entrepreneur working countless hours/week
• making six figures as a solo freelancer
• no marketing, no online real presence
• no “content” outside of a resume or freelance profile
• doing exciting work, tangled up in NDAs and private documentation

TLDR: I was doing a million cool things, but I was sharing none of them.

That all changed when I got an idea 💡

Two years before the debut of “Love, your business Mom” (the podcast & newsletter),
a concept was born—and thanks to Notion, I made it happen 😍

Today, this two-part strategy (and template) for bringing every great idea into reality:

Spark & Light

SPARK: Never Lose a Content Idea

There’s nothing like a spark of inspiration. If not harnessed properly though, a spark is fleeting. Take one or all of the ideas below to catch every spark.

Idea Box
This is my most-used part of the Spark & Light system.
The concept is simple: build a virtual box to dump every idea you have, like

• a database-style list
• an entire subpage of ideas
• loose, unformatted text to flesh out an idea
• just a phrase in a quote block “Love, your business Mom”

Notion Forms (on the go 🏃🏻‍♀️)
Create a full-page database (in your idea box or on its own). Save as a bookmark, shortcut, or home page quick link.

Use this template for my Idea Box 📦 including the form!

A Mailhook
Constantly emailing and texting yourself ideas?

• slow down, add a predictable subject line: “LOG NOTION IDEA: {idea short name}”
• In the body, add the details and description.
• set up a Scenario in MAKE >>> (Anna referral code gets them 10k free ops + 1 month pro free)
• every time you send an email with that subject, you will create a new item in the database
• for a full tutorial + scenario blueprint.

AI Meeting Notes
I love to use AI Meeting Notes from Notion to do the work for me. Record, transcribe, and lay out those tasks!

LIGHT: Stack Content for Maximum Reach

Now that you have sparks of inspiration, you want to let it burn bright.

Set a Routine
Once a month, week, or day, go through your idea repository
• turn any gems into ideas in your content planner
• delete anything that just doesn’t make sense or no longer lights you up

Deploy
What was once a passing thought is now a full-fledged:
• IG post
• content series
• YouTube channel
• & the list goes on.

Relate
Noticing common themes amongst your ideas?
- Turn them into a series!
Seeing a lot of ideas about trailer clips?
- Start a Sunday “sneak preview” routine for your IG close friends

Stack
When you find through lines in your ideas, stack them to get max value.
STACK on different channels: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and more.
STACK content in categories to draw lines between otherwise solo pieces. Example: I love learning from other creators & shouting them out, so I created #FindThemFridays
STACK ideas up to get ahead of schedule.

I hope this helps you
(1) never lose a content idea
(2) stack ideas up for the world to see 💜

—your business Mom (Anna Bullock)

Your Meeting Tarot Reading: What’s Your Office Aura?

♦️🌛✨ Spend 2 minutes to discover your office aura ♦️🌛✨
We built a fun personality quiz in partnership with @Replit to reveal your workplace energy.

Take the quiz, share your results, and tag @NotionHQ!
🔮 Get your meeting tarot reading

Now in Indonesian, Thai & Vietnamese

Halo! สวัสดี! Xin chào! Notion—including Notion Mail, Notion Calendar, Notion Faces, and Marketplace—is now available in Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese. We’re excited to make Notion feel native for millions more people!

Pick your language in Settings → Preferences → Language

Event Recap: The Creator Mag Block Party

Last month, we were lucky enough to be connected to Powder Blue - the team behind Creator Mag, and be brought on to support their second Block Party event in Chicago. If you aren’t aware of the community they’re building, let this be your sign to follow their journey!

For a full recap on how they brought this event of 60+ creators together, check out their recent issue. You might even find the Notion template that they used to pull it all off…