Oh hey there hi. I hope this finds you well and asking yourself, “Am I getting turned on by a guy with an ALWAYS TIRED face tattoo?”
I have three things to share with you today!
1) A grocery store sign that shows just how far we’ve all strayed from the light:
2) A new addition to my writing process:
You’ve probably heard of mind mapping. I kept reading about it but for some reason, never tried it. Then, a few months ago and rapidly approaching burnout, I had a talk with myself I can only describe as part “I gotta practice what I preach,” part “I’m going to die soon!” To be fair, that’s every chat. “Do I feel like p.b. toast or oatmeal? I’m going to die soon!”
That talk ended with the decision: it was time to start writing my stories.
Ever spent years teaching others how to do something you weren’t doing yourself? It catches up with you.
I dug in, but soon got stuck; I’d have a vague topic in mind but wasn’t sure where to go with it. Then I remembered mind mapping, and it’s been just the ticket.
It’s pretty simple: take a blank piece of paper, write your vague topic in the middle—i.e. “pets,” “worst job,” “mistakes I made in hot tubs during the mid- to late-nineties”—and circle it. Then branch off with whatever comes to your mind next and keep wandering from there, circling and branching until you have a full page. (If it helps, try prompting yourself with “which reminds me of…” as you go.)
It feels like a way to brainstorm with yourself, mixed with a little nbd-style doodling. For me, it’s the most relaxing way to start. I took a timelapse video of one (vague topic: “Growing up in the country*”), which in real time, took me about 15 minutes. That may seem fast, but if you can let go and let your brain wander, it doesn’t take very long.
Mindmapping helps me access my subconscious, see bigger themes emerge, and keep my brain loose and loopy. Just how I like it.
3) A not-strategic new direction: Doing What I Want®
Speaking of loose and loopy, I’m afraid it’s time. Consider this my official announcement: I’m about to go off the rails.
While I’ve loved helping people un-panic themselves and writing their stories for the past year, that focus has sneakily caused me to ignore my own. And I’m going to die soon! Remember?
Turns out, starting to unearth my stories has been the most fun I’ve ever had writing, and it feels really important to me—both as a writer and as a person who’s lived a life—to keep going.
I’ve decided to shift to sharing whatever I want, whenever I want. Maybe twice a week? Maybe once a month? No good grow-your-audience strategist would recommend this, I’m almost certain. But I’ve spent my entire 28-year career—first in advertising, then at Hallmark—trying to reach people, and I need a break. I don’t know what it’s like to write purely for enjoyment, and I’d love to explore that for a while.
So: I’m going to write about my life, as often as feels good to me. Basically, I’m going to roll up a bunch of raw words in hot Cheetos dust and if you get sick, it’s your own g.d. fault!
My goal is to be as honest, vulnerable, and unhinged as possible. I hope that by looking closely at my life, I might be able to help someone better understand their own.
I may still sprinkle in the stuff I usually cover: easyish ways to get inspired and get going. It will never stop being my passion, trying to hack the creative process for others so that anyone who wants to start can find the confidence to do so. What I love the most is interviewing other artists (see them all here) and sharing input, and as long as those things feel low-presh, I’ll keep doing so.
I’m also going to offer the chance for you to support my writing if you’d like. This is terrifying to me, but not as scary as allowing myself to minimize all the time and effort I’ve put into making writing my career. Self-respect ain’t just a river in Egypt, y’know!
Writing is work, and the work is important to me. Although all content will remain free for the time being, I hope to one day be vulnerable enough to share some really gritty stuff. And that might mean offering those pieces only to paid subscribers, which might feel safer. I’m not sure! I might never die, either. There’s no way of knowing!
If stories aren’t your thing, I get it. If my posts are longer or more frequent than you prefer, I also get that. Unsubscribe freely—I will never know. I’d rather watch a Star War than check my subscriber stats!
No matter what, thank you for your time and supporting The Panicked Creative.
I love being here with you.
*Up next: story #1, which sprang out of this mind map. See ya soon!
OH YES! Storieeees! I'm inspired. (for the record, "loose & loopy" is how we like your brain, too!
I love this for you! Happy writing!