I need a lot of CE hours(29), so seminars, on line training.

I have never had trouble with inspiration. Over the years I have developed a system of working on my ideas. Documentation is important. I have diagrams, models, drawings etc. hard copy and on the computer and am constantly reworking them.

When I was self-employed I kept Archinect open all day. Now, of course, I listen to the Archinect Sessions podcasts!

I also did/do reviews at my local University. Usually those professors really need guest reviewers, particularly for mid-term and progress reviews. If you have an architecture program near you, find out who the young professors are, and contact them saying you're available if they need someone.

Fiber.

If you're working on your own the whole day keeps you current.... Donna prescribes a good path... do think this site has it all, like having friends you never have to take out to lunch:)

pfft.  you should take us to lunch carrera.  i'm hungry.

^isn't that more about staying regular.

 

Attend lunch and learn events from product reps

read

visit places

I am grateful for the internet. There are just so many resources right at my finger tips. Archinect is a great resource as it is like an inside view on the world of architecture. I think learning to communicate with architects here has helped me speak the language better in real life. There are a bunch of arch related facebook pages I follow as well, lik a as architecture, just a continuous feed of the latest and most notable work. 

Practicing my craft.

I would like to rephrase the question slightly ... maybe we should be asking "what are you doing to stretch your professional expertise in a significant way?"

While I think it useful to attend industry continuing ed programs, sit through webinars, participate in Archinect, etc. those activities only serve to more or less "keep you current" with certain baseline knowledge and skills that many people possess. If we really want to make a change for the better, perhaps we need to push ourselves much harder.

For me, that always means volunteering to make a presentation on some advanced or emerging topic -- usually some topic about which I didn't already have complete mastery or understanding. If invited to make such a presentation, I then am forced to come to grips -- in tremendous detail -- with the subject matter at hand.

There is no motivation greater than preparing yourself for the inevitable audience questions that accompany such a presentation. This preparation really forces me to research, to think, to absorb, and to organize the material so that it becomes altogether useful -- not just to my audience -- but also to me in my practice.

Some of my presentations in this arena are made to AIA groups - sometimes in person / other times by leading webinars. Others are to client groups. And still others are continuing ed programs for our firm's own staff. There are always opportunities to present if you just look for them and raise your hand.

As the old saying goes "You cannot say you know how to do something, until you can teach it to someone else."   Plus, this approach gives you lots of experience making presentations - which, by itself, is tremendously useful in day-to-day practice.

I always believed strongly in architects getting out in the community to talk about what we do…throw pictures up on the screen and get people thinking, but apathy gets in the way and apathy feeds apathy….good for you for doing it.

1. meeting people. i make a point of handing out my business card to everyone even remotely related to the real estate industry.

2. keep a 9-5ish job that allows me to meet people i want to meet.

3. keep a huge reading queue. finish at least 2 books per month.

4. take outside work beyond my knowledge domain. filing 2 alterations to condos inside landmarked buildings. chance of ever doing that in my 9-5: zero.

5. keep fucking reading. don't know a word? google it. don't know about a subject? google it.

speaking at public events is always good.  Gave a pecha kucha presentation after 16 mths of unemployment (2010ish) and had several job offers w/in a few weeks

im envious of you public speakers.

The town i live and work in recently held an open house for a fairly large development project. Im a decent conversationalist but avoid public speaking at all costs. 

quizzical, i think youre cutting to the core of my question, well stated.

Larchinect: Being comfortable making the occassional public speech / presentation is necessary if you really want to rise in the profession. The good news is that it's a reasonably learnable skill for those willing to practice. Try to remember - (almost) everybody sucks when first starting to speak in front of groups. But it gets easier with practice.

Try to overcome your fear and start putting yourself in front of small groups. Look for situations where you won't feel particularly ill-at-ease - say, by volunteering to speak to high school students about careers in Architecture. Make sure you're well prepared before each presentation - and practice your presentation in front of sympathetic friends / family several times before the actual event. Keep at it - comfort comes from repetition. Before long it will become almost natural.

Good luck.