Why build a writing habit?

I’m always determined to find new passions. When Massimo shared his daily writing challenge I immediately had conflicting feelings. Sharing knowledge and learning new things has always been a precious daily habit for my professional life, but creating something new (something imperfect, from the guts and potentially mediocre) has always bumped into my medium-sized imposter syndrome wall and bounced straight back into the far reaches of my brain.

What changed my mind? Why am I doing this?

1. I want to become a better thinker. Writing makes your thinking clearer, it roots principles and learnings, it strengthens your ideation process. It also improves your memory.
2. I want to become a (better) writer. I want to learn how to be a great storyteller by failing daily and joining conversations using an active voice (this time). Not as a reader or bystander, as I used to be.
3. The joy of creation.

Daniel and I wearing a Birgers Oterutleie illustration piece

My best friend Daniel and his mates Martin and Ole — who run an illustration studio called Birgers Oterutleie — are masters of the “skaperglede” as they say in Norwegian: the joy of creating (literally creator-joy). They taught me that “you shouldn’t be driven by the quest for perfection, but the appreciation of the process.” as Martin explains in his TED talk.

In the very early days of our friendship—Daniel, his wife Sonia and I went to a pub in our neighbourhood one night. We had a few beers and then Daniel took some paper and markers out of his backpack and suggested we draw. I felt apprehensive about Daniel’s unexpected plan and idea. We drew mediocre illustrations of bearded drunk men (self-portraits? 🤔) and I had the best time. An unforgettable night driven by child-like imagination and the joy of creating something.

Doodling in a public place—with a professional illustrator—was not the ideal setting for me (I felt unprepared and vulnerable to judgement), but Daniel encouraged me to create and made me forget about striving for perfection. I embraced the skaperglede feeling.

From now on, my quest for that feeling becomes a daily quest.

Doodles from the night