6 Lessons I’ve Learned by Creating in Community with Writers + Portfolioists
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by
all of your creative ideas?
Me too, which led to asking myself these questions repeatedly:
How can I transform the ideas in my head into action so I’m not spinning in circles?
How do I decide which ideas are worth pursuing, refining, and sharing?
How can I get unstuck?
How can I connect with others who struggle with these same challenges in order to move forward?
Deciding that more focus, clarity, and accountability were what I needed to get out of my own way and create consistently, I decided to do an experiment.
I joined 3 online communities this fall Ship 30 for 30, Write Like a MOFO + Open Studio to see how creating in community would affect my output.
Before I delve into lessons learned, I want to acknowledge my privilege, in terms of time, energy, and money, none of which I take for granted. As a multipotentialite, I’ve worked hard to create a life whereby payment from certain jobs fund my creative and entrepreneurial projects. Joining these communities carried costs, and my sincerest hope is that everyone can find ways to invest in their self-development to create a better life and world.
With a fire burning in my belly - and a gazillion ideas swirling in my head around how to help more people create portfolio lives they love - I was keen to explore how structure feeds creativity, how community drives innovation, and how inspiration builds confidence.
Here are 6 lessons I’ve learned (so far) about creating in community online:
1. Creativity within structure is the perfect balance from which to gain consistency, clarity, and confidence
2. Clear constraints and systems (Ex: word count, deadline, set dates) = consistent habit development
3. Accountability partners who share online space provide external motivation to get shit done
4. Live calls where we interact with like-minded creatives is inspiring and affirming
5. “Not having enough time” is a lame excuse (that I’ve used) – we make time if we want to
6. Realizing that staying in my lane (multipassionate life design) and trusting my voice is empowering
Each of the online communities I joined have unique membership structures, expectations, and benefits. Below are the main takeaways and transferrable skills I’ve learned (and am still learning!):
Ship 30 for 30: The quickest and easiest way to become a consistent digital writer
This “cohort-based course teaching the fundamentals of internet writing by publishing online every day for 30 days” appeared out of nowhere (although these things never really do, do they?), and within an hour, I was signed up for the October voyage of consistent data-driven writing.
Finding my voice as a writer has been a goal of mine for some time, and Ship 30 for 30 provided the structure to explore further.
Publishing an atomic essay (`300 words) daily from Oct. 9 - Nov. 7 in the Ship 30 for 30 online community taught me that:
I thought of myself primarily as a “responsibility writer” prior to Ship 30 for 30 crafting course outlines, sales pages, website copy, and emails.
Now I’m an evolving digital writer who writes about midlife multipassionates pursuing portfolio living creatively and mindfully.
My Typeshare social blog is easy to navigate and use for automatic Twitter uploading which means easier posting, engaging, and data mining.
Improving digital writing skills increase online reader engagement. Clarifying your headline before developing content, providing easy entry points visually and mentally, minimizing superfluous words, and disregarding punctuation rules are key takeaways.
Writing and editing are always an option – even in hockey rinks, parking lots, and at 11:30 pm
Our ship co-captains @DickieBush and @NicolasCole77 are young, passionate, and committed to helping writers (from over 70 countries!) succeed
If you want to write online consistently, join Ship 30 in January 2022 using my $100 discount code (good juju) or reach out with any questions.
Write Like a MOFO: Where business owners & creatives put writing first
Led by Jacq Fisch, this online membership focuses on doing the work through co-writing, coaching, and instruction, which has taught me that:
Jacq’s no BS get-shit-done style appeals to me a lot. It’s no fuss, no coddling, and all writing support and guidance…plus a few swear words…
Knowing what I want to write about before a writing session leads to better efficiency and clarity. Without it, I feel lost and waste a lot of time.
As female solopreneurs who write, we are keen to clarify our messages, expand our reach, and stay consistent - just like a good MOFO should.
Participating in this November’s #NaNoWriMo - an annual writing event that challenges writers in all genres to produce 50,000 words each Nov - is an added incentive to create within structure. I’m creating 30 clutter to clarity cards as part of a deck I will publish in 2022.
Formatting ahead of time is a time-saver. Whether business, school, or personal writing, my process = create a word doc with title and 3-5 bullets points, pause, write without editing, pause, edit, pause, one final pass, publish!
Having a small group of like-minded writers to co-create with feels affirming and fuels my desire to share my thoughts on a larger scale.
Open Studio: A safe place for artists, designers, and dreamers to create
Led by creatrix Erica Ross, this eclectic group meets twice weekly to discuss, unleash, and celebrate creative ideas, all of which has taught me that:
Interacting with creatives - painters, jewellers, ceramicists, and textile artists - is inspiring
Dancing to kick off each session is freeing (we do it midway too!) as the eclectic music elevates our collective energy, openness, an output
Through creative play, we better manage the inevitable Imposter Syndrome (doubts about our abilities) so we can create freely
Ending each session by sharing key discoveries we’ve made about ourselves and our creative process is emotionally and intellectually beneficial
Diversity in backgrounds, incomes, ages, abilities, and desires is both exciting and humbling
Creating in community this fall has been very positive, productive, and eye-opening. Hard work is hard work, no matter which tools, short cuts, or hacks you use, There is no way around just doing the work.
Moving forward, I will need a better organizing system (google docs, Notion, notebooks, other?) to capture all my ideas, drafts, and finished pieces which is ironic, given how I help people declutter and organize professionally.
Other online communities I’d love to explore to become a better writer and creator include the Multipotentialite Puttyverse, Mindvalley, and Productive Flourishing, but there’s only so much a person can handle so they will have to wait.
Whether you love to create, learn, design, write, or discuss, creating within community is a powerful way to get stuff done, engage with fellow creative doers, stay accountable, and make a meaningful impact.
How about you?
If you’re looking for concrete ways to ignite your creativity within structure, let’s connect by email or you can book your free brainstorming session.