Tune into the signal

When I show up on the page every night, I usually don't have a plan for what's going into the blog.

Instead, I go through this process: I open my daily journal, mark down the time, and then ask, "What am I writing about tonight?"

Then I listen for responses. I start listing anything that comes to mind.

For example, today was "walking, phone calls with family, the little guy in the head, trusting your gut."

That's all I needed to start focusing on this post.

This process reminds me of this discussion between the streamer Ludwig and Dr. Alok Kanojia (also known as Dr. K).

After Ludwig asks if there is a guy in his head that he talks to, Dr. K responds:

there's a signal that I can tune into is the way I would describe it that has everything so it doesn't say specific things. It always has what I need to know. I just have to tune it, where it is all the way at the bottom. It's what I would call the self.

I've been thinking about this discussion for a while and realized that is what I do when I write these posts. I tune in by sitting down at the page, asking the questions, and listening to the response.

I get a similar response when I hit a roadblock in my writing and go for a walk. As long as I focus on the question, I usually get an answer—and often far quicker than the walk takes.

I don't know how common the signal is for others or if it's something you can practice and grow, but I do think it can make you more comfortable in your creative writing.