Creating without the burden of evidence

February 07, 2016 2:33 PM

The first thing I do every day of my
life is a twenty minute journaling exercise.

I vomit out every single thought
and feeling and idea that’s running through my racing brain. Dreams, worries,
fears, annoyances, ideas, people who annoyed me the day before, everything. I
continue writing until I’ve filled up three pages.

And then, about twenty minutes into the exercise, I take the most
important step. I delete the document. It’s gone. Forever. Nobody will ever see
that morning’s thoughts ever again. Including me.

This is a terrifying
proposition for most creative people. The prospect of throwing away your most
vulnerable and honest thoughts and ideas, it just seems wasteful. So cruel. As
if the act of creating wasn’t already hard enough.

But in my experience,
deleting my daily journal entries has been a valuable practice for several
reasons. First, it allows me to write off the record. To create without the
burden of evidence. This builds a liberating container of safety and privacy
around my thoughts.

Second, it allows me to practice trusting myself. To create
without the fear of losing any of my ideas. This strengthens my muscle of trust
and reminds me that the forest will always provide.

Third, it allows to indulge
in letting go. To create despite the ephemeral, impermanence of life. This
teaches me not to cling too tightly to any one idea.

I challenge you to try
this exercise. See if you can spend twenty minutes creating something, only to
destroy it the moment you’re done.

It’s hard, but it’s also humbling and
healthy.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

When was the last time you created without the burden of evidence?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

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* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com