Before We Begin / Newcomers Start Here

Part 2

Hello and welcome to Creative / Seminary,

Last week, we spent some time considering what creativity looks like in our own lives. This week, before we start really diving into individual topics, we’ll spend a little time establishing a baseline for reading and writing practices.

Photo by Ryutaro Tsukata from Pexels

Carefully answer the following questions:

1. Are you a “good” writer? What is good writing to you? List a few people you consider to be excellent writers and explain what it is about their writing that moves you. Be specific. 

2. What type of things do you normally read? Are you content with your reading practice or do you wish you had more time or inspiration? Do you wish you had a wider branch of reading content and things you really enjoy picking up, or have you found what works for you?

3. What do you want out of Creative / Seminary? What’s your goal, dream, or objective here? Is it to learn to “be more creative,” to just take some time for yourself each week, to start a regular writing or art practice? (I put “be more creative” in quotes because I think we all live creatively, naturally, but might not be aware of it all the time.) Be specific. Can you create one objective, reachable goal (write a poem a month, or learn four fascinating, new facts per month—one a week)? Can you also create one big, massive goal connected to this project (write that novel you’ve always wanted to, or feel incredibly confident sharing your creative side with others)? Jot down a few objectives, small and big. We’ll return to these periodically.

I hope we can, at least under the surface, dance around these questions each week as we discover new topics and concepts to incorporate into our creative nebulous—the amorphous cloud of things that inspire us and spark our imaginations. Be prepared for your answers to shift, change and expand as you continue your creative practice.

Next week we’ll start with our first topic, along with your first real “assignments.” No pressure! They’re ungraded and unseen by anyone but you, unless you feel like sharing. Please feel free to respond to the above questions in the comment section of this post on Substack—even if it’s one line, one paragraph or a questions for me or the group.

Like I said last week, I won’t always ask this, but as I begin this newsletter journey, I would appreciate if you spread the word about Creative / Seminary with those who might enjoy the ritual. Thanks for being here.

See you next week,

Misha