One of the biggest mistakes I see from seasoned veteran photographers is that they often forget what they know. They will often forget to place the respect and importance on a tripod for example, thinking they are pros and can decided when they need to use one. Well, YOU NEED TO USE ONE.
The Energy of Motion
The first technique I tried to master with my new lens when I started out, was the zoom/blur. The idea was to shoot a very slow shutter speed while zooming the lens while the shutter was open. It produced the coolest effects and I often did this for personal pictures but never professional work. That is, until I needed to change the energy of a picture.