“To retreat, one must first be engaged.”

– Yancey Strickler, on showing our faces, but also our backs

This week I've been thinking about how to balance the desire to create quietly while sharing publicly. Here are three things on that theme to help turn overthinking into expert thinking:

1. “Social media experts tell us to put our faces out there like clockwork to support our creative practices. The Performance of The Artist has become the primary work of the artist. Ancient wisdom tells us otherwise.” – Writer and Entrepreneur Yancey Strickler on The Artist and the The Inner Retreat​
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2. “There is a lot of hype [about journalling], but there isn’t that much instruction” — YouTuber Campbell Walker (@struthless) on VOMIT journalling. Their style might not be your style, but the insights are worth the watch.
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3. Art and journalling are nice, but there are times when admin gets in the way of creating. Or even thinking clearly. Here's a strategic-yet-practical guide I just published to help you manage your email (and more): Beyond Inbox Zero​

Extra thoughts…

I've been following the VOMIT journalling method for over a week now and it's been pretty great. Each day I duplicate this block of text in my Notion doc and work through whichever prompts will help me (feel free to copy this and make it your own):

1. Venting – What’s pissing me off right now?
2. Obligations – What must I deal with today?
3. Mindset Training – How will I practice today?
   1. Reframing, how might this be the best thing?
   2. Possibility, what’s the evidence for this? I’m doing it because…
   3. Inversion, why do I want this? How can I do X more (or LESS!) – see the absurdity, what it’s not
   4. Perspective, what would future me think? What would X think?
   5. Discipline, how will I ensure I stay on track?
   6. Gratitude, 3 things I’m grateful for today – one mundane, one by chance, one I made happen
4. Ideas – 30 things for (problem I’m trying to solve)
5. Trajectory – is what I’m doing taking me toward or away? Find the evidence!

I hope this week has been a good one for you!

Kim

PS. This week's unthinking link is an infinitely zooming quilt​

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For any task, project, or job, there are three ways you can go…

• DIY – where you gather the stuff you need and do the work yourself
• Do it with you – where you find a collaborator and do the work together
• Do it for you – where you hire an expert to do the work for you

I've set up my work so that I offer all three approaches…whether you want to work alone, together, or just sit back and see it get done, I can help.
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And if you're not sure what you want, or whether we might be a good fit, you should definitely pop on a call with me​

Even if we don't collaborate beyond our chat, you'll leave with a clearer idea about your next steps. So, please get in touch! (Or send somebody who should my way.)

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You can always visit the newsletter archive for all the worksheets and other free tools. Or browse podcast episodes and read the latest long-form insights​. I even have a page where you can access every Medium article I've written, paywall-free​

Hope you enjoy this as much as I do creating and sharing it!

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​Kim Witten, PhD – Coach, Consultant, Experience Designer

Hello! My name is Kim Witten and I’ve spent four decades overthinking absolutely everything. I’ve turned this ability into a skill to get stuff done and now my mission is to help others do the same. Read more about my journey​

Staney Brae, Dunrossness, Shetland ZE2 9JG
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