The Creator’s Paradox of Choice

This is September’s Digest, a round up of recent posts, a couple of teasers, and a little bit of running at the end.

1. Overcome writer’s block: Learn how a simple mindset shift helped me break through perfectionism and start publishing regularly

2. Read: Why excessive learning resources distract rather than help

3. Write: Combining Notion and AI for better productivity

4. Run: How community perception shifts when challenging goals become your new normal

Let’s dive in! 👇🏼

It’s been a while since I did a round up. It took a kick in the pants from a stranger to get me back to publishing weekly.

It turns out that I actually had Writer’s Block.

Of the perfectionist’s variety.

I’ve always found starting a story easy, didn’t get this whole “writer’s block” everyone complained about. It wasn’t hard, you just started.

As my high school Art teacher taught me, “Just mark the canvas, there you’ve started. Now continue.”

With me, the words never failed to tumble out.

It was sharing them that became the challenge. Releasing them was far harder. Especially if I let the idea sit. Then I hate nearly everything I produce, and my internalised critic poured cold water once exhilarating ideas.

Doubt, as my main character Murph struggles with, had reared his head again. But screw that guy, he’s not in charge.

Don’t let it sit. Push it out the door.

Most people are too busy to even comment.

So why hold back the practice for perfection?

Tom Kuegler’s recent change of tack has been freeing.

In the past he’s been a typical guru, selling the “Make Money on Medium” sort of courses, but now he’s shifted to long-term slow community building (is Johnny B. Truant starting a movement?)

The two biggest takeaways for me are so simple even I can do them.

1. Don’t niche down → you’re not a growth marketer → write what you feel like writing (this was digest far easier to write as a result of that tidbit).

2. Make friends, don’t chase likes → I kicked myself when I read that, because when I loved my writing the most was when I was writing with friends on Medium. May More now manages Microcosm, which used to be my happy writing place on the internet.

These two points in his latest email series were so helpful for me.

I hope they nudge you in the write direction too. 😉

1. Johnny B. Truant’s new course on being an Artisan Author

2. Kevin L. Brown’s fantastic Fundable and Findable

3. Dan Blank’s truly eye-opening Be The Gateway

4. Justin Welsh’s game-changing LinkedIn OS

All of these are incredible, essential for me either for work or my own writing. It’s impossible to choose or do them all at once.

There’s so much great content and knowledge-sharing out there it’s paralysing. A distraction even.

So I’ve got a new post about it coming in the next couple of weeks titled “Only So Many Gurus” it dives into the problem we face in the Instant Knowledge Age, where knowledge is cheap, information is a twisted torrent, and straying focused and finishing is the key.

It brings together much of what I introduced above - look out for it in the next couple weeks.

I’m not a guru.

I’m just a guy, talking to the internet, about a book I’m writing.

Both the systems-thinking tool and the it’s baked in AI, as the ultimate combination for writers to get more done.

Because the promise of AI is real.

But the reality is that it often leads to less productivity

→

According to a March 2024 Stanford-MIT study, software developers reported feeling 20% more productive when using AI coding assistants like GitHub Copilot, but measurements showed they actually completed tasks 19% less efficiently than those not using AI tools.

So take a look at my slightly hypey post on the potential Notion 3.0.

Next post in the series is coming next week, I’ll dive into how I’m using Notion and Notion AI to speed along my Side Quest Novellas to learn craft, discover character and test out story templates all at once.

If you told me one year ago that mountain marathons would become routine for me.

That I’d casually sign up for another one with just two weeks’ notice for “race practice”

I’d have laughed in your face.

My wife and I still chuckle about how perceptions shift. The first time you accomplish something extraordinary, your family is amazed.

They rally around you, they shout, they can’t believe that you—formerly a couch potato and big talker—are now doing this MASSIVE THING.

Do it a few more times, though, and the excitement fades. You become “that nutter” who does crazy weekend things while everyone shakes their heads.

So yes, I’m running the Cape Cobra Trail Marathon this weekend.

Their inaugural race, and despite three mountain fires, weather challenges, and countless obstacles, the organisers have adapted with such gees (spirit) that I’d happily run whatever course they finalise.

It’s a valuable lesson that if you bring your community along for the ride, be honest about difficulties but still persevere — people will back you.

People love a hero’s journey.

My running coach Landie Greyling, is also running, I’ll try get a selfie for you guys if I don’t chicken out.

Until next time,

Keep creating (and sharing)

Zane

💜