Focus, Follow Through and Finish: Lesson One: Capture Your Dreams

Welcome to this short, sweet and potent email course! Each week, I’ll share a step that builds on last week’s step. Each lesson will take 30-60 minutes. You can do it all at once or dip into each week’s lesson over the course of the week. Feel free to hit ‘reply’ and send me any questions or comments about your experience with this class.

We kind of began last week with my coaching inquiry: What’s your creative edge?

It doesn’t take long to identify your creative edge. In case you missed last week’s Impulses, you can read the post about discovering your creative edge here.

Now that we have an overarching focus for your creative year, let’s get more specific on what you want for your writing or art making.

We’re going to use my favorite writing method, free-writing, for this first step. It’s simple and can be used for all and any types of writing. Books, essays, poetry, marketing writing, personal journaling…free-writing works for it ALL.

Here are a few important instructions for how to free-write.

1. Set a timer for 5, 10, or 15 minutes.

2. Use a prompt. I’ll give you the prompt for this lesson in a minute.

3. Don’t stop writing, not even once, during the session.

4. Write with the intention of exploration, not perfection.

5. Don’t judge your free-writes. Good or bad. They’re free – practice!

6. Go with what comes up. Even the scary, rude or unmentionable stuff.

7. Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Phew!

You can return to these guidelines any time you need a refresher on these simple ‘rules’.

This is a time to dream, to really relish all your great ideas and your love of possibility. Getting your many ideas out on paper can be cathartic, fun and useful. No censoring in this step!

Okay, now that you know what to do, get a notebook, paper or open up a digital document. Set a timer for 15 minutes and use the following prompt to free-write: My writer/artist wants…

Jot down all the things you want to make, see, do, experience as a writer or artist. Write it all down, every last desire. Don’t worry about making any of this happen – just dream it all out on paper. Feel free to go longer than 15 minutes. Write it ALL out.

Do this now. Go on, it’s only 15 minutes.

There! Wasn’t that fun?!

You can read it over right away if you like or wait. I prefer to put some distance between the writing and reading. You have a whole week to read your dream letter or to add more anytime you want.

Be sure to read your free-write before next Wednesday. Feel free to jot any impressions or thoughts that come up as you read your missive. We will build on this homework each week.

Bonus homework: Notice what feelings or thoughts rise up as a result of admitting what you want for your creative self. Use free-writing to riff on any surprises or insights. Be kind and patient with yourself as you witness your creative enthusiasm emerging.

Next week, we will begin sorting these ideas. Don’t worry – we’ll still be in the yummy dreaming phase!

Till next time, enjoy admitting what you want! It’s fun.

Yours,

Cynthia

p.s. Go ahead and play with more free-writing this week. Free-writing is my number one foundational practice that has allowed me to publish thousands of articles and a handful of books. I use it for dreaming like this but also for all of my work writing. I’ve written all my books this way and my students and clients love this method.

My popular Free-Write Fling class will take place every day in February, and if writing is on your wish list this year, you will love this class. Find out the details here.

Or, even more exciting is my new package of writing classes to make 2016 your writing year. Check out my new Thrilled Writer program here.

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