The Lazy Genius Podcast - #74: The Lazy Genius Takes a Creative Leap

Episode Date: September 10, 2018

Do you have a creative interest you’ve been putting on the back burner? Maybe you think you don’t have time or you’re not talented enough. Here are 10 steps that will help you kick those thoughts to the curb and take a creative leap!   Stuff Mentioned: Hopewriters  Stop Collecting Gurus - The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman The Wondering Years - Knox McCoy The Popcast with Knox & Jamie - always keeping us educated on the things that entertain but do not matter The Lazy Genius and Self-Care A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman Download a transcript of this episode Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links to products on Amazon. All that means is if you buy something from one of my links, I earn a small commission at no cost to you. This podcast is hosted by Kendra Adachi and executive produced by Kendra Adachi, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey guys, you're listening to The Lazy Genius Podcast. I'm Kendra and I'm here to help you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. Today is episode number 74. The Lazy Genius takes a creative leap. We can take leaps and risks and giant calculated steps in many directions. But today I want to talk about when you take a creative leap. How can you dive deep into that project or creative outlet or secret dream with intention? In today's episode, I'm going to share 10 steps to take a creative leap. I'm going to take a creative leap. I'm going to dive deep into that project or creative outlet or secret dream with intention. In today's episode, I'm going to share 10 steps to take a a creative leap like a lazy genius. You will be leaping into something different than I am, but I will share for my own experience of writing a book proposal to give you some context for these 10 steps. They are helpful whether you're writing a book proposal or not. And if you are wanting to write a book proposal, you're basically in the perfect place in this episode. So that's great. Before we jump into the steps, I do want to talk specifically to you book proposal writers and writers of any kind about my favorite, most powerful writing tool. ever. It's called Hope Writers. And it might be a good leap for you if you're wanting your writing

to move from hobby to something more. Hope Writers is a membership site for writers and you'll find training and community unlike anywhere else on the internet. I used Hope Writers almost every single day. I wrote my proposal every single day. Their content library is extensive with detailed posts on stuff you just can't Google. I found help in writing my proposal, finding my audience, figuring out the weird voices in my head telling me I had no right to be writing. It was all there and Hope Writers. Also, every Tuesday, they film a live interview with an editor, publisher, literary agent, or a writer about issues we all have but don't always know how to ask about. It's insanely valuable. I'm telling you that if you're a writer, anywhere on the path from just getting

started to having multiple published works, you need Hope Riders. The community is level. and the library of content is a gold mine. You can find more info about Hope Writers in the show notes, but they only open membership enrollment a couple times a year and now is one of those times. So click the link, poke around, and see if it's right for you. It is the best investment you can make as you take the leap to becoming a writer. And I'm honored, honored to be a partner and member with them. Emily P. Freeman is one of the co-founders. And if you have any connection to what Emily puts into this world, you know that this is going to be good. And it is. Hope Writers is. So, check out that link. Now, what if you're taking leaps into other things other than writing? Let's jump

into the 10 steps to taking a creative leap like a lazy genius. Step one, choose a season where you leap and leap hard. The thing about creativity is it's easy to put it on the back burner. We dabble, right? we keep it a hobby. But sometimes our creative desire is bigger than we can tamp down. It won't stay a hobby. It's just time. You know, you feel it. So when you decide to leap, when you decide that your creative project is worth doing and worth taking time for, recognize that you need to choose a short season and leap far and hard. Why? Because you already know how to dabble. You already know how to tinker and find tiny pockets of time. And while those are incredibly valuable and will be a constant part of your creative journey, if you're trying to jumpstart a creative project or take your dream seriously,

it's good to change it up for a short season. Choose a couple of weeks, a month, an actual season, like summer, fall, where you prioritize time for your creative leap like you never have before. I'm not saying this in a pie in the sky way or a generic like, go for your dreams kind of message. It's hard to make this time. It's hard to prioritize your own dreams when you have other things to take care of. But it's still important. It could be a dream to write a book or learn an instrument or up your art skills because you have a secret dream to be a children's book illustrator.

Whatever the dream, if it feels like a creative leap you can't keep down anymore, set aside a finite amount of time where you leap during that season. Jumpstart things to see that dedicating time is worth it. and by having an end to that season of leaping, you're not left with an infinite ending that feels overwhelming and full of failure. You know, it's like, oh, I'm going to be a writer now. Like, endless road. Like, choose a season. Choose an end for this season of leaping and then leap. I told you I would use my book proposal as an example for this whole process. I've been thinking about writing a book for a while and I've been making little notes for months and months.

It wasn't until this past summer, though, that I took the leap. I have a unique situation where my husband is home for a few weeks during the summer, so I decided that would be my season. I was going to write my proposal in that three weeks or bust. So we put three days a week for three weeks on the calendar, and those nine days were non-negotiable. And y'all, it was summer break. All my kids were home. We had memories to make and all the things.

But this was a season. Just a season, we chose to take this. creatively and then it was over. So having an end really helps when you're taking a big leap, which leads me to the second step. Step two, be repetitive. Choose the same place to leap, the same food, the same music, the same route, the same time frame. By creating a structure, you can repeat, you can dive into your creative project more quickly. So for the book proposal, I left the house at the same time, I took the same bag, the same cardigan for when it chili. I went to the same coffee shop. I sat at the same table. I ordered the same breakfast. I listened

to the same playlist. I left the coffee shop at the same time. All of it. And while it sounds like a little insane, creating that repetitive setup and structure, it gave me a quicker entrance into creativity. And it really enabled me to have a lot of freedom. Repetition is so comforting for your brain and it frees it up to do its creative thing. So, In this short season of taking a leap, be repetitive if you can in where you go, what you do, how you get there, or any number of things depending on what your creative leap is. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Step three.

Know who you're creating for. If your work has an audience, you need to know that audience. We want to please everybody. We want what we're doing to impact a lot of people. we might shrivel at the idea of someone not liking what we're doing. Well, not everybody will. Not everybody's going to like it. They're just not. It's just the way it goes. But if your creative leap involves an audience, you need to know who he or she is. A single person, like one human. She can be real or made up. But the more specific you are with who you're creating for,

the better your work. We think that specificity, That's always a hard word to say, isn't it? It excludes people, but the opposite is actually true. I speak and write to one specific person in all of this lazy genius work that I do. She's a real person, and she is who I imagine sitting across for me every time I create something. It's a gift to your own work and to the people who will eventually experience it to have an audience of one. It just makes everything crystal clear. So when something comes up like, should I do this? Think about that one person that you're creating for. Will he or she like that decision? Will it help that person? Will it inspire them or whatever it is? If the answer is yes, do it. So as you work, as you take this creative leap, know who you are creating for. Step four. Expect to stall out.

I would work for five hours at a time at the same table on my same coffee shop. And the first hour, was almost always staring or typing one sentence and deleting it. It was really sad. You will feel like you're not doing anything. And this is common, especially in writing. But guess when my best work happened? Hours four and five. I would work from seven to noon. And once I hit about 10, the creative energy was coming at me. Rapid fire. But I had to sit through the stall out. Expect to stall out. Expect to feel stuck and like nothing is happening and everything is stupid and why you even here. but ride out the stall and recognize that it takes a while to get into gear. Even with repetition, even with that structure, sometimes it's really hard to get going. It's part of it really. Expect it.

Don't resent it and be patient. It's also why I highly recommend larger chunks of time than you might have previously given yourself for this kind of work. So much of the best work happens after we usually stop. So during this creative leap, stick with it, stay long, Stay strong. Pass that stalling out. Step five. Stay focused. Translation.

Turn off your phone. I know. Don't you hate it when people tell you to turn off your phone? What it communicates is that you're on your phone too much. And like, it's no one's place to tell you that. It can be really triggering when someone tells me to turn off my phone. It makes me upset. But in this, like, prioritized time of creative work, turn off your phone.

Your brain takes so long. to get back into the groove by seeing a text pop up or by doing a quick Instagram check or anything that seems pretty harmless. Leaving your phone on, it doesn't necessarily harm anything, but it does make the momentum of your work tougher to maintain. Now, if you have kids, tell whoever is watching your kids that you're going to turn your phone off. And if there is an emergency, because that's what we all say is our excuse, they need to call the Starbucks on Main Street or whatever it is so that a human person will come and get your attention. Because that, I mean, that's always our reasoning, isn't it? Like, what if there's an emergency?

You can still be gotten a hold of in an emergency without your phone on. And from a creative standpoint, if you look at your phone when you're in that stalled out period, it'll be hard to trust that any movement will ever come. And you might just like pack it up and go home. I don't want that for you. I don't want that for you. This is a season you've changed. You've changed. chosen to take a leap, so make it count. You're a lovely, balanced, well-adjusted person, even with your phone, and you can also put it away when you understand what a distraction it can be to your work. You're not bad by using your phone. Just maybe put it away when you're going to do this hard work. So, a quick recap. Step one. Choose a season where you leap and leap hard. Step two. Be repetitive.

Step three, know who you're creating for. Step four, expect. to stall out. Step five, stay focused. Now step six. Trust what is in you. One of my favorite podcasts is the next right thing with Emily P. Freeman. And one of my favorite episodes from that podcast is called Stop Collecting Gurus. I will put a link in the show notes so that you can listen. But essentially, email, Emily, Emily encourages us to stop collecting all of this information from all of these places to try and make the best decision possible, because that's what we do. We try to get every bit of information from every voice that we can find, hoping it will make us feel better about whatever decision we're doing.

Aw isn't something we need to travel for. It's something waiting for us in everyday life, whether in a city street or a moment with a work of art. I'm Dr. Keltner, host of the Science of Happiness podcast. Join me for Cities of Aw, a special special series on how our public spaces can spark awe, wonder, and enhance the quality of public life. You can find us wherever you listen to your podcasts. In so many ways, you guys, you already have what you need.

Now, this might land differently depending on your relationship with spiritual things, but I believe the words from the Bible in 2. Peter 1.3 that God's power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. And guess what? Life and godliness, those two words translate to a fullness of life and reverence for God. Our creative energy and how we are made to move in the world in whatever creative way we choose is an integral part of fullness of life and a reverence for God, who is the ultimate creator. So trust what is in you. We trick ourselves into thinking we're doing creative work by collect. collecting information and training and preparing, but really we have everything we need.

Of course, learning is good and developing new skills is important, but we often go way past the place we need to because we're afraid we don't have what it takes. When I was writing my book proposal, I had to trust what's in me every time I sat down to write. I had to believe that this message, this calling that I feel in my bones was put there by my creator. and hemming and hauling because I'm not ready or don't know enough or haven't lived enough life or any other lie that sounds pretty close to some kind of truth stops me from embracing the fact

that I already have everything I need. You do too. So trust what is in you and create. Step seven to taking a creative leap. Make crap first. Your first words or stitches or strokes or whatever will likely be garbage. You're putting pressure on the moment. You're freaked out a little that you're actually taking this leap and you're going to self-edit constantly. Okay. But don't do that. Like, you have to make crap first. I started my book proposal with so many terrible sentences. So many. But you have to get everything out in a crappy way before you can make something good. So don't beat yourself up for not creating amazing work in the very beginning or even in the middle. It's your right.

As a creator, you have to make crap first. So then step eight, invite others in. After you make some crap, and then you put it in like a slightly less crappy order maybe, invite someone else to look at it. Invite someone to see your project. And then, I know it's scary, ask for feedback. Obviously, you want to invite in safe people, people you trust, but it's also a gift to invite people who have like a decent,

understanding of what your work is. Maybe they're not your specific audience, but they're close enough to get it. I sent the first draft of my proposal to my agent and to Knox McCoy, who is the co-host of one of my other favorite podcasts, The Popcast with Knox and Jamie. Knox is a writer. His book, The Wondering Years, comes out in a few weeks, actually. And if you like pop culture and thoughtful writing about how, for example, saved by the bell can shape your worldview. You should go pre-order this book. I will put a link in the show notes. But I sent my proposal to Knox because he's a dude, not my target audience, and writes in a completely different way and genre than I do. But he's a writer. He's cerebral. And I trust him. I knew he'd give me thoughtful feedback.

I felt the same way about my agent, who I hired for the very reason that I trust her. So after I invited them in to look at the first draft of the book proposal, which was definitely a little scary, I got other eyes that gave me incredibly helpful feedback, and that feedback made my second draft miles better than the first. Miles. Creativity can sometimes be a very isolating experience, and it's so personal that you don't want anyone to see it until it's done, right? But your best work comes from inviting others in. It's its own kind of leap within the other big leap. trusting people with the crappy underbelly of unfinished work is terrifying. But it's worth it. It's worth it. I personally love feedback and I don't easily get my feelings

hurt. So it wasn't like a huge emotional risk for me to show this to them. But if you are different and you literally feel like you're going to vomit everywhere if somebody sees your work, you can tell that person that. Tell them that it's so hard to invite them into this creative leap, but you really want the good that comes from it. your people will treat you and your work with care or at least ask someone who you're sure is going to treat you and your work with care right this is another great place for me to say that hope writers can offer that kind of community for you they have um hope circles they call them hope circles which are small groups of writers from similar like experience levels and genres

to share work and encourage each other such a gift and hugely important in any kind of creative leap invite others in Okay, step nine. Don't shortchange yourself. Prioritize the season of leaping on the calendar and prioritize your thought life and kick those like wonky, impostery thoughts to the curb. Recognize that you're going to hit like roadblocks, right? They're going to be holdups to your work. Somebody has an appointment during one of your scheduled times. You'll miss a kid's soccer game. You feel like a terrible human because you think you're possibly good enough to make this thing that people will pay attention to and you're stupid and you're a narcissist and you're selfish and

all that all the things no no no no no don't short change yourself during this short season of a real creative leap make your work on the calendar and in your thoughts a priority who you are and your vocation your calling in this world is important most likely this creative project is something that makes you come alive. Maybe to the point that you almost like don't know how to handle it. You don't know how to handle what's happening in this creative leap. It feels too much. Don't shrug it off. Don't talk it down. Don't cave on how important something is even when a roadblock shows up. A couple of mornings I left the house with kids crying, right? I met with a really snooty voice in my head saying that I had no right to attempt writing a book. And it

would have been very easy to give into those situations, to stay home when the kids were crying because it just seemed too hard and I felt badly from my husband with them. Or giving into those voices and not taking that leap I decided to make because I believed. I believed that voice. I get it. But don't shortchange yourself. You are worth taking this time to do the thing that makes you come alive. That brings life to the people around you. When we all do the thing we're called to do. The world is full of rainbows and freezers stocked with homemade ice cream. It is such a gift. So don't shortchange yourself or the rest of us of that gift. And finally, step 10. Celebrate. This one, I am confused to say, is the hardest for me.

celebrating the end of that leap, celebrating the tiny steps that might come after the leap, celebrating despite not knowing what, if anything, will come from the leap, it feels so weird. And then what does celebrating look like anyway? If you listen to my episode, The Lazy Genius, and Self-Care, you know that my definition of self-care is just doing things that make you feel like yourself. So what makes you feel like yourself? splurge on an aspect of that that you don't usually do. For me, an example, I never go to the movies at the theater and I never buy snack food at the theater. I like smuggle something in or I

don't eat at all and I love movies but I just never I never go to the theater because it's so expensive. Oh my gosh. So a celebration for me is going to the movies by myself, which is my favorite thing by the way and getting popcorn and a cheer wine and a giant sleeve of peanut butter cups settling in for an adventure for my eyeballs so think about what you already do for self-care and then up the ante a little do a little extra and by doing that little extra that you wouldn't normally do you mark a moment and create a memory of celebrating something that matters So celebrate progress. Nothing, my friends.

Nothing is too small to cheer for. So those are my 10 steps to taking a creative leap. Another resource I want to mention is the book A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman. Can you tell I am obsessed with her? This is the third time I brought her up. She makes all the best things. If you said to yourself during this episode, well, I'm not really creative. I'm not really an artist.

I want you to go and buy this book immediately. immediately because you're wrong you're wrong everyone is an artist and emily's book a million little ways helps you uncover that it helps you uncover the art you were made to live it's one of my favorite books on the planet for i mean for real and it is a literal life changer in the hands of someone who doesn't think they have anything to offer because you do so read that book read that book I'll put a link in the show notes. And if you are a writer, consider joining Hopewriters. Enrollment is only open for a few more days.

So click the link in the show notes to check out more about that. Okay. I want to wish you luck. Like true, sincere, blessings and luck from the bottom of my heart on your creative leap. I'm excited to hear what happens when you do, when you take the sleep. And not any like big, massive consequences or the regular. definition of productivity and success, I'm just excited for you to take the leap, no matter what

the outcome is. Just leap, man. That is so, so important. The leaping, I think, is the important part. The rest is just icing. So I'm excited for you. Let me know how it goes. Check out the show notes in the info section of your podcast app, or you can head to the lazy genius collective.com slash lazy slash leap to get links to all the things I mentioned in this episode. All right, that's it for today. Thanks for listening, guys. And until next time, be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about things that don't. Bye, friends. You ever felt like you were living just a B or B plus life? It's so dangerous to live that. More dangerous than a B minus or a C plus life? Because when you're living a B or B plus life, you don't change it. You think it's good enough. Is it? I'm Susie

Welch. I host a podcast called Becoming You. People think, okay, an A plus life is not available to me, But there is a way. We are all in the process of becoming ourselves. Listen to Becoming You wherever you get your podcasts.