CREATE before you Consume: Day 2

30 circles reinvented...

How are you? How did day 1 suit you? (all the information about the challenge is at the bottom of this email, and if you’re new, hi!)

Here’s day 2:

30 circles reinvented

This is an exercise that traditionally is completed by filling as many of the circles as possible with a spontaneous image within a time constraint, such as 10 minutes (I really recommend trying it at some point: it’s really fun and can unlock some amazing ideas).

The way we’re going to use it is a little different.

Pop the title of your creative project (or use multiple sheets if multiple projects) at the top of the page, and set a timer for 10 minutes.

In the course of 10 minutes fill as many of the circles with words, sentences or images that represent your ideas and feelings around this project.

Getting stuck?

Imagine who you’d want to read it. Imagine explaining it to a 7 year old. Imagine it as a building: what does it look like, feel like, smell like? Imagine it as a taught course: what would be on the curriculum?

If it’s helpful (and only if) here’s an image of my completed one (if you’re reading this in email click on the image and you can zoom in): I used the editable PDF version (both versions below) as I didn’t have access to a printer, but you could print out and hand write (a more pleasurable activity!)

I would then go through this and highlight them with different colours to represent different feelings/actions/ themes. I didn’t finish mine because I didn’t want to give everything away, but hopefully it gives you an idea!

my incomplete version

Create Before You Consume Day 2 30 Circles Editable (2)

52.2KB ∙ PDF file

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Create Before You Consume Day 2 30 Circles Printable

46.5KB ∙ PDF file

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Let me know how you get on: I’ll try and start a thread over on Substack today, or you can email me back with your thoughts!

I’ll be back for definite on Monday with Prompt 3 (though you may get a 2.5 on Sunday!)

With love,

Laura x

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A reminder of what this process is…

Ensure you’re subscribed to my Substack and over the course of November you’ll get structured prompts for your own creative process. Some of these will require you to play, to explore. Others will encourage you to examine your own boundaries and (dare I say it) discipline, all with self-compassion and an awareness of your extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. Some will say “today I want you to do these 3 tangible things”. On other days they’ll ask you to crawl deep into your own imagination and see what emerges. I’ll also provide updates on my own creations.

I have chosen to commit to a minimum of 3 days a week in November to this, and as such you’ll get 12 emails from me about it. I’ll send them from a special “Consume before you Create” section of my Substack, which you can unsubscribe to if you click here (whilst still subscribing to the other sections of my Substack).

Here’s what I want to get done:

I have two projects I have committed to creating in November: one will take less time than the other (starting to get organised for my podcast, which I intend to add to my world in January), and the other will require more thought and strategy (creating a sustainable growth strategy, ultimately leading to “turning on” paid on my Substack).

Here’s the CbyC calendar, so you know when you can expect to hear from me:

I will also hold two Zoom get-togethers: one on Monday 13th November at 9.30am GMT (you can check what time it is in your part of the world here) and one on Thursday 23rd November at 12.00pm GMT. This is the link to join (which I’ll send out again nearer the time).

Let’s get started with:

Day 1: what do YOU want to create?

This is designed to be quick to absorb as a task, but it’s a question I hope you’ll repeatedly come back to…

You might think you know what you want to create, but how much have you been influenced by the words, impact and tone of others on here (or other online worlds?)

Is there a specific project you’ve been itching to get started with? Is there an overriding theme you want to explore? A new medium you want to play with?

Here are some prompts to get going with this:

• what would be easy to create?

• what would be exciting to create?

• what could bring income into your business?

• is there something that incorporates all of these elements?

• what is the loose thread that nags away at your soul and your brain?

• is the place you want to showcase your creation the same place where most of your readers, customers or clients are? How important is it to you that they see it?

• How much do you value your own creation without feeling the need to “add value” with “extras”?

You could journal on these questions, create a mindmap, talk into a dictation app (I like Otter), find a critical friend with whom you can discuss them, write an essay… Think of a funnel, that gradually narrows as your determination and focus become more specific (you could even draw one and fill it in with words).

My responses are:

1. I want to create a new podcast, that launches in early 2024 (I’m not prepared to share the title yet, but I’m really excited about it!)

2. I want to create a Substack that provides sustainable growth, which I’m paid well for, which provides pleasure, power and great value to others. I’m still working out the “pillars” of this - that’s to come.

I’ve written a lot more than this, but these are my conclusions.

Your responses might be:

“I want to create a series of essays about the creative process…” or: “I want to create a handbook for new business owners alongside an illustrator”, or “I want to create an amazing resource library”, or “I want to write a romantic short story.”