Today marks day 21 of writing on my blog—or rather, day 21 of sharing my writing on my blog. Here are a few things I’ve learned (or been reminded of) along the way.
Share more
The first lesson surprised me:
In the process of blogging, I realized I didn’t need to write more. I needed to share more.
I’ve become very practiced at writing, but stayed pretty bad at sharing—at least on my personal site. This also reminded me that any job, even something as simple as “write and publish,” is made up of many parts.
You can’t just focus on the obvious thing. If you want to do it right, you have to recognize and do the subtle things too.
Everyday things. Everyday people.
One of my favorite designers, Aaron Draplin (Mr. DDC himself), taught me this in a different way.
What resonates with me about Aaron isn’t just his design talent. It’s his appreciation for all parts of the process and everyday people. And I think that's what makes his designs better.
In an interview with Huckberry, he shared that the forklift driver lifting a pallet of posters is just as important as the designs of the posters themselves.
That earnestness really stuck with me.
Just start
The next lesson wasn’t new, but I needed the reminder:
You just have to start.
I made this whole blogging thing way bigger than it needed to be. I thought I had to become an Olympic-level sprinter… just to walk up to a 1-foot diving board.
I focused too much on the walk and forgot about the jump. And really, it wasn’t that big of a leap to begin with.
To remind myself, I drew a picture of a kiwi and posted it on my blog. A simple, silly post—representing the tiny diving board that once scared me.
Your way
Finally, I’ve learned how important it is to find the process that fits you.
After trying many writing tools and techniques, I landed on something that works perfectly for me: The humble 3×5 index card.
A blank canvas can be scary. The bigger it is. The scary it feels. A 8.5x11 sheet of paper. Or, the dreaded infinite canvas of a digital writing app. A 3×5 card? Not so much.
It’s small, portable, and modular. It doesn’t demand flow or completeness. It’s perfect for snippets, fragments, and nonlinear writing.
Sometimes, one card leads to another. Eventually, a story emerges—one you can string together into something that flows from start to finish.
Just because it ends up linear, doesn’t mean it has to start that way.
Coincidentally, this 3x5 index card technique is also how some (professional) writers write.
Closing
Looking back, the lessons weren’t complicated.
Share more. Start smaller. Find what works for you.
That’s what 21 days of writing for my blog taught (and reminded) me.
And at this point, I’m not focused on how many more days I’ll do this. I’m just focused on showing up, one card—and one post—at a time.
