How to Get Started Pick a time, place, and duration for your practice. My recommendation is first thing in the morning before you've had any real conversations (immediately after a cup of coffee, if you're anything like me), at a kitchen or dining table with no electronics, and for a length of half an hour. Don't use your computer or any other electronic device. You already have habits associated with them, and you'll be too tempted to scroll through apps or surf the web. If you have children or early morning obligations, I recommend waking up a little earlier. I know this is a tough hurdle to get past, but it's the only way you'll get into the groove of doing the thing. I don't recommend trying to perform your creative practice late at night, right before bed. You're likely to be too tired or too distracted by something passive like watching the TV or scrolling Instagram to get started. Additionally, you'll often get a bit of a rush from doing your creative practice. The energy might keep you awake, or you'll find yourself writing for hours on end instead of sleeping. So now you should find yourself at a table free from electronics right after you've woken up with a few pieces of paper. Set a timer for thirty minutes or glance at the clock and make note of when you're starting. At this point, put pen to paper. Write what comes to mind first. Write about how you feel. Write about your worries. Write about what you're thankful for. If you can't write words, doodle. If you can't doodle, write words. Keep doing this for thirty minutes. When your time's up, you don't have to do anything else. You don't have to look over the pages you've created. You can throw them away or save them to review another time. I promise you'll feel proud for putting in those thirty minutes of activity. You'll have done something worthwhile for the day. It'll be easier to start other tasks you need to get done because you've already accomplished something. Welcome Side Effects The focus of your creative practice is not on outcomes like becoming a better writer or illustrator or finishing a novel. The focus is on feeling better every day. But you'll inevitably become more skilled. It's a welcome paradox. By focusing on doing instead of a lack of skills, you'll improve. You'll also have discovered a technique to get started with anything else you might want to practice in your life. Further Reading Let me offer two recommendations on further reading. They're both widely loved, and you'll take something useful from both. First and best is Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. It's funny and practical, but most importantly it will remind you that writing is hard even for the best writers. Buy this book because you'll find yourself reading it repeatedly over different seasons of your life. Second is Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. Her book opens with what she calls "morning pages", a practice almost identical to what I've described above. The chapter about morning pages is invaluable. What's Next? Do you have a regular creative practice? Might you start one after reading today's email? Reply and let us know. We'd love to help you get started.
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