Monday memo #90
Make a promise.
The Monday memo is food for thought to fuel your week.
Hi everyone,
Recently, I agreed to give a talk, a presentation. The moment I said yes, a mix of excitement and productive panic set in. Suddenly I had something at stake. On a specific date, at a specific time, I’d have to show up and say something worthwhile.
Feeling stuck often comes from having nothing on the calendar that truly scares or excites you.
You can give yourself a jump-start by making a promise. Tell a friend you’ll show them a draft in a week. Announce a date for a presentation, webinar or workshop. Invite people to an exhibition.
A promise is a way of tricking your creative self into action. That little bit of pressure is fuel for creative work. Ideas that were dormant suddenly started to unfurl.
When no one’s waiting for your work, it’s easy to procrastinate forever. But when you make a promise, you’ve created a container for your creativity to fill.
Sure, there’s a risk involved. What if it doesn’t come together? What if you fail? But that’s the kind of risk that brings your work to life. A project with a deadline is a living thing; it nudges you each morning to feed it.
Exercise.
Here’s your exercise for the week: Make a promise. Plant a flag. Choose one thing you want to do and declare it. Make a promise to your social network. Mark the due date on your calendar. Publish a link to the event.
Feel that butterflies-in-the-stomach sensation? That’s creative energy on standby. Use it. Don’t overthink or aim for perfection, just fulfill the promise.
See what happens.
Are you ready to go back to school?
Project Kairos kicks off THIS WEDNESDAY. That’s two days from now. We’ll spend the next six weeks on a creative project of your choice. This is your opportunity to get traction on that project you’ve been thinking about. It’s the invitation you’ve been waiting for. Your call to adventure. Now is the time.
Project studio is our co-working studio environment, where we roll up our sleeves and get to work: a place for mutual accountability, support and encouragement. We meet weekly to share progress and help each other on our creative projects.
If you aren’t a member yet, upgrade now to join us!
More information for members is below the fold.👇