WEEK ONE: Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon
The Non-Fiction Book Club
After last week’s non-fiction book club introduction of Show Your Work! I decided to allow the information to just sit with me for a while. Not to force any ideas but just see if anything happens. Quite frankly, I was getting overwhelmed with possibilities. I was thinking about all the things I should do as well as all the things I wanted to do. And for me to show my work, it has to fit in with what I am doing.*
And then, a couple of days ago, whilst in the shower (as is very often the case!) I found I was planning what I wanted to say as a voiceover for a future video (to share vertically on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram). I’ve decided to film myself writing in order to share my non-fiction and fiction journey plus the lessons I’m learning on the way. I’m not necessarily going to create new content for social media but simply to share what I’m already doing (if that makes sense).
One of the most engaging people I’ve discovered on TikTok recently is Alex on a Budget. She has consistently shared her debt repayment journey. I liked that you could actually see her progress she was making, it was inspiring. And this is something I’d like to do on my account, but sharing my writing progress. Hopefully it’ll also keep me accountable!
How have you got on this week? Have you been thinking about sharing your work? I’d love to hear about it.
This week we are reading pages 21 through to 29. (We’ll be reading this for longer than November, I think!)
This is where Austin encourages us to use our writing voice (“you can’t find your voice if you don’t use it”) and to put ourselves out there.
Find your voice, shout it from the rooftops, and keep doing it until the people who are looking for you find you.”
I liken the above quote to being like a lighthouse (which is why I have the lighthouse lamp on my desk, it’s a daily reminder). Shine your light out into the world and eventually those who need you will find you.
And they find you, because you’re putting your work online.
“It sounds a little extreme, but in this day and age, if your work isn’t online, it doesn’t exist.” ~ Austin Kleon.
And how do you find the courage to do that? By reading the obituaries, which is preferable to having a near death experience. Wayne Coyne had a near death experience and he realised: “I’m not going to sit here and wait for things to happen, I’m going to make them happen, and, if people think I’m an idiot I don’t care.”
Hear that? If people think he’s an idiot he doesn’t care. Those of us who feel self-conscious about putting our stuff out into the world (all of us?!) we just have to do it. We cannot fill a creative life full of regret.
* Even now I am filming myself writing this Substack as part of sharing my work and I’m constantly reminding myself that the writing is the priority and not the filming.
Did anyone do the exercises from last week? Please tell me if you did, I’d love to know. Remember the comments can only be read by paid subscribers so you’re in a supportive space. As a reminder they are:
Getting your head around sharing as you go and not waiting until you’ve finished something. That potentially means being raw, prepared to fail, prepared to look daft (even though you won’t) and showing up consistently. Is this something you’re prepared to do?
Think about what you might share.
And what platform you might share it on.
Then, because we are, of course, anxious writers/creatives, write down (and let me know in the comments if you like) what negative thoughts fill you head at the thought of doing point one and two!
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Loved this, Helen!
And I hear you about ideas in the shower. I'm asking Santa for a waterproof notepad for that exact reason! 😂
I too get great ideas in the shower! Had one today, but it slipped my mind - hopeful it will return.
This book club perfectly coincides with my lovely marketing group, which is have a 30 day sprint focused on whatever we want. I chose showing up on TT or IG every day through mid-December.
I've done well so far! Although I did catch some negative thoughts coming up around what I've created + shared so far - that the thoughts & things I'm sharing are too basic & simple and people won't be interested. What's funny is that my most recent video on TT, all about how excited I was for a cozy day at home creating & writing, has had the most views. Such a simple idea/concept and people really liked it.