I’ve been thinking a lot about writing lately.
Not just because it’s what I do for a living (though there’s that too) but because I’m also a voracious reader and I’ve read some really good stuff lately.
For example, a friend of mine is sharing his health journey with us online. I’ll be candid, his health journey is hard to follow. He’s dealing with a terminal illness. But he’s an excellent writer and I’m enjoying his daily posts.
What I love about his writing is how open and honest he is. He talks about pretty much everything he’s going through. It’s not just “this sucks, the medical system sucks, insurance sucks,” etc. He shares his innermost thoughts as well.
Today, he wrote about fear. Fear of his disease, as well as all of his “normal” fears. He mentioned that he writes to work through the many emotions he’s dealing with, including his fear.
One of the phrases from this post that will stick with me long after my friend is gone is, “screw fear, I do what I want.”
That resonates with me, for the very reason my friend wrote it. He’s going through something terrifying right now. But despite this, he’s decided to power through and continue to live as loud and as well as he can in the time remaining to him because, as he says, “I’m not dead yet.”
I expect we all feel like this, regardless of what’s going on in our lives.
Personally, I find writing to be an excellent way to work through a lot of issues in my own life.
I’ve always done this, usually with fiction or song lyrics. I also use stream of consciousness writing, also known as freewriting, to let my mind take me wherever it needs to go. Sometimes, it comes up with really interesting ideas. Sometimes, it has no clue what it’s talking about and I happily disregard whatever is on the page in front of me.
But there is something really wonderful about going SPLAT on the page. Letting everything out and not caring about the consequences, because it’s not like anyone will ever see what I wrote.
And even if whatever I wrote is absolutely atrocious (and yes, it really can be), there is usually a germ of something interesting in there that I will come back to and tease out later.
This is also how I write most of these newsletter issues.
I just start writing. I let my mind take me wherever it needs to go, within a specific topic. I write and write, until I’m done. Then, I edit. Sometimes heavily, sometimes not much at all.
SPLAT on the page.
Because I’m a subject matter expert on what I’m writing about, whatever I write usually makes sense. I just need to clean it up a little, add a few pictures, and voila, my weekly Email Marketing Ecosystem newsletter (aka nurture email) is ready to be delivered into your hot little hands… err… inbox.
Do I wonder if what I’m writing is any good?
Of course I do. But you keep opening and reading my emails, which is what this is all about.
Do I feel self-conscious about what I write, even though I know what I’m talking about?
Absolutely. I send it anyway.
To quote my friend, screw fear, I do what I want.
I encourage you to do the same.
Use freewriting as a way to process, whether it’s something you know about or whatever you’re going through right now.
Don’t think about what you’re going to write. Just sit down and start writing. It doesn’t matter anyway, no one is going to see this unless you show it to them.
Let your mind go wherever it wants to. If you need a few words on the page to get you started, I recommend “Because I…” as a good starting point. That can take you in any direction.
Write for 15 minutes. Set a timer. Don’t stop writing. Don’t go back and read what you’ve written, until your timer goes off. For that matter, you don’t ever have to read it again, if you don’t want to.
Personally, I will do this on a computer or on actual paper with a pencil, depending on my mood. If you have a preference, go with that.
The experience of letting go and feeling the words flow is freeing. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
And once it’s easy, tackling a subject that you’re an expert in, (like your business or your product or service) is a snap. You’ll have those weekly nurture emails written in no time.
That is my challenge for you this week.
Just sit down and go SPLAT on the page. See what happens. I hope you’re pleasantly surprised with the results, whether anyone besides you sees them or not.
I want to close with a paraphrased quote I saw on LinkedIn today, posted by a business owner I follow and happen to have met a few times.
“We are analog beings, not digital ones. Our human software and hardware is made up of body, heart, and mind – not code.”
This statement was made in reference to how quickly AI is changing the way we interact with the world and each other.
That’s why I love writing these weekly newsletters myself, no AI involvement.
It’s my chance to connect with you, analog being to analog being, and express what is in my heart and mind.
That’s what your subscribers want too. It’s how we all relate to each other and, especially in our current AI slop-driven digital world, we’re all craving this human expression and connection even more.
I hope this going SPLAT on the page freewriting exercise helps you connect more fully with yourself and with your subscribers.
And if you’re feeling even a little nervous about doing it, take my friend’s advice. Screw fear, do what you want.
Finally, I was in Minneapolis visiting my family last week. Thus the shorter newsletter issue, the lack of formatting and the single picture of me and my family on my parents’ balcony. It also suits the subject of this issue better.
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