Lest I draw the Eye of Sauron
I’ve been writing more.
A successful “Dry January” probably helped, as did deleting Reddit and other telephone time sucks a while back, and sticking with it. I also joined my partner in being vegan for the month (mostly), which I do not think contributed to my writing but did contribute to a number of hot-dog-themed dreams.
Much of the writing has been finishing; clearing the decks, as I’ve come to think of it. Outbox zero. (This is a theme for me.)
Lots of people want to write more. I find that the primary obstacle between you (you as in one, not you as in you) and the writing you’d like to do more of is unlikely to be a gap of skill, talent, aptitude, or motivation. Not directly, anyway.
More likely, it’s a combination of:
1. Gaps in your process or approach.
2. A misapprehension about what it feels like to do good writing — or what “good” even means.
3. Tools — practical and intellectual — that are working against you, not with you.
Now, I’m not sure what a participle is, nor how to really mend a split infinitive. But I’m darn good at explaining the activity of writing — of talking about what should be happening in your head and in your hands to get to what you want on the page, or screen. (It’s what my book is about.) I’m good at helping people get past the real obstacles.
I've mostly used this talent to teach writing for websites, apps, and digital products. With the Self-Platforming toolkit I told you about in my last letter, I’m trying something new: I want to help designers, artists, and other creatives get more comfortable writing for themselves. About their craft, their projects, their design process, their inspirations ... heck, whatever!
I’m doing this because I want to read more writing from more interesting people writing for themselves about themselves and their work — not AI-assisted slop made for Medium, or those idiotic and emoji-soaked “guides” made for LinkedIn.
And while it wasn’t my motivation from the jump, this topic seems timely given the Trump administration’s recent scorched-earth assault on .gov websites — scores of useful articles, pages, and datasets have been obliterated, including many useful things about accessibility, inclusivity, and user-centered design. My LinkedIn feed is full of grief, and I cannot help but think of the library of Alexandria. I’m reticent to even mention the resources still available that I am worried about, lest I draw the Eye of Sauron in their direction.
The date has been moved to February 19, and I’m hoping to make a bit of a party out of it. If you’d like to join us, the code YGEFSK saves 10%.
Hope you’re well out there, friend. Scary times. Keep your chin up, keep your fists clenched, and look out for your neighbors.
Until next time,
Scott