Lessons
Class Introduction
09:01 2Why is Writer’s Block Even a Thing?
10:15 3Redefining Writer's Block as Avoidance
08:32 4How to Start Writing
12:12 5Make Writing Your Home
15:24 6Dealing with Overwhelm, Indecision and Guilt
05:47 7Source Your Creative Direction
09:13 8Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
06:40Lesson Info
Own the Identity of ‘Writer’
I have one last exercise for you guys. It's gonna look a little bit different but it comes down especially when we're talking about shame, when we're talking about imposter syndrome. Owning the identity and the title of writer tends to be something that comes up quite often. The question of who am I to call myself a writer. Who am I to pretend that I'm a writer. Who is a writer anyway. Is it somebody that is published, that has an agent? Is it somebody who just dabbles on the side every once in a while? To me guys it doesn't matter what those definitions are, I don't care about it. And I don't think you should either. But I wanna introduce you to is an exercise that's not just about the identity of writer and the title of writer. But understanding the full width, the range and the depth of human being that you are. And all the different titles, obligations, expectations, responsibilities. This big wide range of the full soul that you are. And using those as a way to intentionally embod...
y your self of selfhood. To tell the shame shadow to go away and to take ownership over the full range of who you feel to be. And being able to express those in a way that makes you feel proud. So here's that exercise rather than our doughnut I guess we got kind of an eclair here. I really hope there's pastries. So past, present, future we're gonna build a sleet of I AM's or titles or labels. Things that you don't ordinarily here, a yoga teacher telling you to think about. 'Cause labels and titles are all kind of liars right. But they're also really helpful in so far as the words and stories that we tell comprised of the house that we live in and our lives. Titles and labels also help us relate to one another on a very simple level they'll never capture the full human that you are. And they should never be used to try to minimize the full soul that you are. So come up really quickly maybe with just one and I have three dots here. To think about in the past who you've been. So past incarnations of yourself. Think about who you were once upon a time. It could be as literal as student, it could be aspiring superhero something playful. It could be a past career orientation I came from politics and public service. I was an aspiring presidential speech writer. Glad I got out of that. Got way out of it. So come up with some titles of who you've been in the past. Who are you now? How do you introduce yourself when you meet somebody new? The cocktail party I do this. Who do you call yourself at the present time. But you can also think of not just a labels that try to describe who you are what you do. But how you relate to family members, friends, being a son, being a daughter, being a husband, being a wife. Think of who you are in a yoga studio being a yoga student. A customer at the cafe, think about who you are right at this moment sitting in these chairs. It's coming up a with a couple of titles here. How about being a commuter on your way here today. This one gets a little more ephemeral. Think about who you may become. Who you know you're gonna become. If you're a student you know you're gonna graduate. And those letters at the end of your name. Maybe it's something that's intention. It's something that may not be a certainty but it's a desire, it's a hope, it's a want. An aspiration, could be a published author. Could be Seattle's first crowned blueberry doughnut and eclair eating champion. It's gonna be a thing. So guys when I ordinarily do this exercise I challenge my clients, my workshop attendees to come up with a hundred. So you're welcome, you're welcome we'll be here all day, it takes a while. Come up with no just a hundred all together but still that's about 33.333 math each. I challenge people to come up with as many titles as they possibly can because when you really get into this and you really go on for a long time. It gets crazy it gets to such an extent that you're like shoe wearer, brown hair haver and you realize that all of these titles are just representations of who you are. And although your mind goes to some right off the bat. There's endless ways like how am I relating to you right now. How is somebody on the street noticing and perceiving you. Those things don't define you they never could. They're representations of who you are. But not one of them is the whole you. There's countless hundreds or thousands of titles and labels that comprise the full extent of the soul that you are. And even then you couldn't possibly put a label on it. Even for a wordy like me you couldn't use the words to describe that full whole soul. But when you have this list and maybe you come back to it later. You could think about what are the top three labels, titles or descriptions that make you feel your most seen, worthy and whole right now. And you can use those as kind of a rallying cry. You can start to introduce yourself however in the hell you damn well please. At the cocktail party this is part of the power of our words of our stories. We get to choose the stories we wanna tell and although when that goes out of control it could just mean that your just a complete liar. We're all good people here what we mean is to create some intentionality around shaping the trajectory of our lives. And feeling represented, feeling whole. Especially if that shame shadow, if the insecurity of imposter syndrome feels like it's minimizing you you and holding you back. Flip it, flip it upside down and stand in the role that makes you feel whole, and seen and complete. Now one of those labels may be writer maybe it's already a yes for you. Maybe you feel like that feeling of whether or not I'm a real writer. Feels like that's your trigger of imposter syndrome that's fine. Maybe you can work it in to the next conversation. Maybe you can see how it feels when you introduce yourself to the Lyft driver as a writer just to see what happens. What's the worst that happens. They say what do you write. And you say well let me introduce you to my avoidance. And we'll get into it. How long is the car ride going to be.
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Ratings and Reviews
Jessamine Storm
I love Dave's style of teaching. He comes across as very warm, real and welcoming with a good dash of humour. I've read many books on writing, studied English and taken writing courses for over thirty years. What Dave does is to find the gift in the resistance to actually heal the source of writer's block. This is not just a course about writing, but about living a life with increased freedom and joy.
a Creativelive Student
Terrific teacher uncovers what is stopping you from writing. Feel encouraged, hopeful, ready to own the word "writer.". Thank you Dave!
jane ursillo
This instruction offers a unique approach using common sense tools to help conquer creativity roadblocks for the writer. Excellent speaker who knows his stuff.