Writing prompt (Or: How to never run out of ideas and always improve even on your worst days - colon - a thread - semicolon - but never use semicolons.)

1. Pick something you’d like to understand better. (I always start with frustration at something about the status quo at work)

2. Write any idea you have on the topic no matter how half-baked. Forcing yourself to articulate it is the best way to understand it — but also find new questions you have. Then...

3. Each new question becomes its own post. Each new question begets several more. One idea is like the trunk, and it should have endless branches. The more you write, the more you understand — but also the more questions(ideas) you have.

4. Feel yourself slowing down? Challenge yourself to OBSERVE or CONSUME something (Ideally outside your echo chamber ie not industry blogs) & write out how it might apply to the topic or use it as a metaphor.

5. In sum, pick a thing. Write to understand. Couple with curiosity. For sanity’s sake, save new questions that arise/new tidbits you observe or find through consumption. Then keep going.

In my experience, this^ is all a career as a writer really is.