Halloween and Creativity
Today is Halloween. It’s a day when creativity can be seen in many places, but it may not usually be so evident. At work, your colleagues may dress up as their favorite characters. You’ll see kids (and their adults!) dressed up and wandering down the sidewalks in your neighborhood, happily going door to door asking for yummy treats. Houses may be decorated with pumpkins and other spooky elements meant to delight and scare you just a little bit.
Those same colleagues and kids are just as creative every other day of the year. The difference is on Halloween we’ve all decided that it’s okay to show who we are, to share our fun and creative ideas with the world around us.
Whether or not you’re dressing up today or have little kids, adult kids, or no kids at all, whether you’re handing out candy or shutting the light off and going to bed, let’s keep the creativity going. There’s a connection to it, and we do well to celebrate that as much on November 1st as we do on October 31st.
This reflection originally appeared in The Journaling Guide. Delivered every two weeks and packed with real-life stories of history's greatest journalers, reflections from my own experiences studying how journaling helps improve our lives, and actionable insights for you, it's like having a close friend guide you on your journaling practice.
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600 Days of Gratitude Journaling
Yesterday, Day One let me know that I had written my 600th consecutive entry in my daily gratitude journal. I'm proud of this achievement and hope it inspires some of you to start your journaling practice.
Like many apps, Day One likes to celebrate streaks to stay motivated and keep going on a goal. Streaks have a place in helping us build the version of ourselves we most want to be, although I have mixed feelings about them.
I'm sending more thoughts on the pros and cons of streaks to newsletter subscribers next week. You can subscribe below, and I'll send you my quick guide Seven Thought-Provoking Prompts for Your Journaling Practice, when you confirm your email.
If you haven't checked in on the newsletter lately, you’ll note that I’m refocusing it on journaling and working towards sending something to subscribers every two weeks. I'll have more on that soon.
Introducing the Building in Public Newsletter from 24 Letters: Sign Up to Receive a Journaling Quick Guide Today
Friends, I've been working on my first offering beyond the blog and newsletter, and I've decided to share the details of the building process via a revamp in my newsletter, now known as Building in Public.
I’ll also be giving anyone who subscribes and confirms their email address something that can help you in your journaling practice right now. More on that at the end of this post.
For now. You have questions? I've got answers. Read on.
What are you Working On?
I'm creating a guide to journaling. Now, I know this isn’t for everyone, but I'm kind of a nerd, and I think I could share some ideas that might prove helpful for you if you're starting or restarting, as the case so often is, your journaling practice.
Why?
I strongly feel that everyone could benefit from some sort of journaling practice. Whether you’re doing morning pages or an entry once a year on your birthday or something in between, there's a lot of value in writing things down to help figure it all out. I’ve written about these ideas here on the blog and on Threads, too.
I've been journaling for years, and it's helped me build confidence, feel more gratitude, and experience less anxiety. Journaling has helped me make difficult decisions and get through some tough times. A lot of people need help with that stuff, maybe even you, and journaling can be a part of that solution.
Okay, so what's the newsletter about?
I'm going to share my insights into the process of building this course and also offer updates and previews to subscribers. I'll email you roughly once a week and sometimes less frequently. We all get too much email, and I've had to talk myself into believing it's okay to offer this to people because going on this journey with me will provide some value to you.
What is the ultimate goal here?
In addition to building tools to help you in your journaling practice, I'm interested in developing something akin to a community of people interested in journaling, personal development, and the creative process. This isn't a thinly veiled sales funnel. I'm going to send you emails with fundamental ideas and authentic experiences.
Finally, as a thank you, I'll send you my quick guide Seven Thought-Provoking Prompts for Your Journaling Practice when you confirm your email.
I’ll be sending the first email out later this week. I hope you’ll join me.