Austin Kleon - 30-day challenge
Hey y’all, It’s the rare Tuesday that lands on the first day of the month, so I wanted to talk briefly about one of my favorite tools: The 30-day challenge. Someone once asked me to distill all of my books into one piece of advice, and, off the top of my head, I said: “Try sitting down in the same place at the same time for the same amount of time every day and see what happens.” In Steal Like an Artist, I wrote about comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s calendar method of daily joke writing:
In Show Your Work! I suggested the day as the primary unit of time for the artist:
And in Keep Going, I quoted the classic AA advice to “take one day at a time”:
Take writing, for example: It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to try to write one page per day. But if you write a page a day for a month, and you have 30 pages. Enough for a chapter. If you write a page a day for a year, you end up with 365 pages. Enough to fill a novel. This is the best way I know to go from nothing to something. Another way to think about it: To get good at something, you first have to be willing to be bad. So don’t practice to get good, practice to suck less! November is a great month to attempt a 30-day challenge. It can be tempting when you want to start something to wait for the New Year. But the best time to get started on something is right now. I made these calendars that you can download and print out and hang in your office or studio or wherever you do your work. I’m sending this email out to all subscribers today so everybody can get use out of the calendars — feel free to forward them to someone who could use them! If you want to try a 30-day challenge but don’t know what to work on, The Steal Like an Artist Journal is full of prompts that make excellent one-page daily exercises. Now I want to hear from you: Will you attempt a 30-day challenge this month? What will it be? Have you attempted a 30-day challenge before? How did it go? Tell us in the comments: If you haven’t become a paid subscriber and joined our community in the comments, it’s hard to find a more interesting, kind, and supportive place on the internet right now. xoxo, Austin You’re a free subscriber to Austin Kleon. For the full experience, become a paid subscriber. |
Key phrases
Older messages
Here was a magic
Friday, October 28, 2022
10 things worth sharing this week
My third eye
Friday, October 21, 2022
10 things worth sharing this week
Starting from scraps
Friday, October 14, 2022
10 things worth sharing this week
It was not a request
Friday, October 7, 2022
This week's 10 things worth sharing
Spooky season! 👻
Friday, September 30, 2022
This week's 10 things worth sharing
You Might Also Like
The 3 Zodiac Signs Most Affected By Today's Full Moon In Scorpio
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Plus, Sabrina Carpenter was the coquette queen of Coachella, "energizing hobbies" are taking over TikTok, & more.
Are Women’s Bodies Actually Controlled by the Moon?
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
What's new today on the Cut — covering style, self, culture, and power, plus interviews, profiles, columns, and commentary from our editors. Brand Logo TUESDAY, APRIL 23 self Are Women's Bodies
The brunch recipes Eater staff loves to make at home
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Foxtrot, Dom's Kitchen & Market closing all locations
Vanessa Hudgens Is “Leaving It To The Wind”
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Plus: Jonathan Anderson and Luca Guadagnino talk 'Challengers' and their next film.
Your Invitation To Innovation: Photoshop Just Dropped New 🔥Generative AI Tools
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Presented By Adobe Photoshop.
New from Tim — "Martha Beck — The Amazing and Brutal Results of Zero Lies for 365 Days"
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
The latest from author and investor Tim Ferriss
Serendipity And Proximity
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Thoughts on the psychological costs of distance ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
He better call Becky with the good hair
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
But first: meet your personal chef — Check out what we Skimm'd for you today April 23, 2024 Subscribe Read in browser Header Image Together with cook unity But first: meet your personal chef Update
"Breve Pausa" by Martín Espada
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
In the photograph, the poet leans over Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day April 23, 2024 Breve Pausa Martín Espada —for Juan Antonio Corretjer and Consuelo Lee Tapia In the photograph, the
This Spring Skirt Is My Hero Piece & I'll Be Wearing It Nonstop
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Easy breezy.