My Notes on Notes conversation with Ben Hunt is out now. We talked about my More Eccentrics. Less Influencers. essay for Epsilon Theory: Unplugged on Panoptica. I’d love it if you’d read it and/or watched our talk about creating it, because if you’re already here, you’re probably a creative person who learns about yourself via your creative output.

(I know. Me too.)

In the essay I say, a version of this (from several perspectives): I don’t just write to figure out what I think, as the common expression goes. I write to figure out what I think by exploring how I feel.

Of course Ben lasers in on that idea and we hash it out. Which leaves me with more thoughts.

Creative friends, these are for you.

Habits make for more, higher-quality inputs for your creative work. Me writing and sharing something everyday isn’t me trying to punch out hit after hit. I just want to clear my brain of stuff that captured some piece of my attention. These little notes, however, in my Personal Archive, become the fodder for larger, more substantial works. The essays don’t happen without this habit. Any creative form has a version of this.

Drafting and editing and all the middle activities between starting and finishing suck, BUT are totally essential. I draft, revise, junk, start-over, start fresh, etc. like a mf’er when I’m writing an essay. Ben does it too. Talking to him about it, I realized that somewhere in the middle of this middle-phase I start pattern matching feelings and ideas next to each other as the piece takes shape. If draft 1 is the gathering of a mess of both that feel related, this more artful connection making process on the way to finishing is the most special (and most frustrating, and most rewarding) step.

Practice makes performance. Not perfect. Performance. And I do mean practicing the habits and practicing the drafts and practicing the edits here. This is like running your scales and shedding tunes in the practice room to the point of pointlessness. If you don’t do that, you aren’t ready to get out and perform in front of others, with yourself as a judge of what went into that performed, real version. So you have to practice all of this stuff, not just starting and not just ending.

Pick role models who practice and perform at the level you want to be at. Study them. I am still profoundly moved by Keith Morris showing restraint at that Circle Jerks show. That’s a way I want to show up in the world for all the reasons. People like Keith, people like Ben - I’m watching and learning because of course I can. Ask yourself who belongs on this list, pattern match the feelings as much as the thoughts, and don’t be afraid to edit it.

Role model that behavior for whoever is watching you - because somebody is watching, whether you know it or not. Sometimes you share something and know some people are noticing that you didn’t know were noticing. It can be small. It can be subtle. But I know when I’m striking a little bit of a nerve and I have to remind myself I’m modeling this for someone else. You don’t need great power to rise to the level of great responsibility. Great practice habits and solid performances put you there. Take it.

I’ll keep writing. You keep doing what you’re doing. Be eccentric. Don’t worry about the influencers.