Today I accidentally stumbled upon a journal entry from Oct 2021 where I wrote:
I've hit a wall, everything feels unbalanced, lost the love of it.
Interestingly I feel a similar thing this October. & just knowing that October is a low-energy month for me changes everything
Rather than making drastic changes because of how I'm feeling in the moment, I'm much more able to ride the wave of low energy, knowing that things get better.
And I might think about adjusting my output next October as a result (I'll certainly be more prepared!)
Without a system to record these random thoughts & feelings, I would be flying blind... which is what I did for years and I gave up on so many creative endeavours as a result.
And it's not even sophisticated - it's certainly not a typical journal.
80% of my creative output comes down to one thing... boring old templates.
Here are my top four that you can steal:
Templates seem so straightforward and kind of a no-brainer, but they will save you HOURS of time and unlock a ninja π₯· level of creativity.
I spent the last year perfecting these four writing templates I use every day π
π¦ TWEET TEMPLATE
Tweets are deceptively simple, but when you get them right it can build your audience & credibility. Get them wrong and no one sees them it's that simple.
Most creators still take notes like they are in Miss Buckman's 6th grade class summarising that book they only half read and wished they had watched the movie instead.
If you want to create your own unique ideas that stand out, here's how you should be taking notes insteadπ
Great creators are great consumers. But they are not summarising every single word they read & hoarding it away for when they *might* need it.
Instead, they are doing these three things:
π Finding the Spark
π Turning Sparks Into Ideas
π Creating Content from those ideas
Find The Spark β‘οΈ
We've all experienced this moment - when the words jump off the page. That's the spark. Pay attention to that moment and then write a note about what resonated with you.
It doesn't have to be an essayβjust a simple sentence to remind you why this sparked.
If you use it right, a Zettelkasten notes library can be the most powerful tool in your creator's toolbox πͺ
But most people completely overcomplicate it.
(including the book itself π¬)
Here are 5 ways to simply takes notes & leverage content from them for years to come π§΅π
Make Notes While You Consume Content π
Look out for ideas that spark you and then put a quick, ugly few words on a page to remind you to come back and think more about this.
It doesn't have to interrupt your 'flow' it's just a signal that you want to think about this further.
Create A Writing Inbox π₯
Put all those ugly notes in an inbox somewhere. And dive into them as often as you can to think, write & formulate your unique ideas.
Not content ideas, but knowledge bites, atomic thoughts that can form the basis for content.
I've been practising meditation for the past 2 years.
I rarely reach some bliss state or clear my monkey mind. But I am more focused, less distracted & 100% more effective because of the practice.
Here's what I wished someone had told me when I was starting π§΅π
Most people drop a meditation habit thinking they don't have a good enough attention span. But what if I told you meditation has nothing to do with how big your attention span is?
Here's what I've learned about meditation from practicing daily π
Falling asleep is totally acceptable.
Most of us have no clue how utterly exhausted we are. So when we discover deep rest that often presents itself as a little snooze.
Don't worry, the more you practice and restore your rest, the less it will happen.
In 2021, I went from wannabe creator publishing when I felt like it, to prolific creator publishing when I didn't feel like it.
5 Books were key to changing my trajectory.
Here are 5 key learnings & takeaways that frame how I show up daily (& how you can too) ππ§΅
The War Of Art - @SPressfield
What I Learned: That resistance is not bad. In fact, the things we're resistant to are probably our most important soul work.
Takeaway: Lean Into Resistance
The Practice - @ThisIsSethsBlog
What I Learned: Creativity is not an event. It's a choice. It's simply what we do whether we feel like it or not.