Ready to dive deep into your creative work? Get Growing Gills on Amazon US (international store links at the bottom of this post) and then watch the book club videos below!
Welcome to the Growing Gills Book Club Archive!
Jump to meeting:
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/ 11/ 12/ 13/ 14/ 15/ 16/ 17…
Meeting 1: Growing Gills Introduction
First off, a discussion of who we are and why this work is so important, as well as the first activity: Time Tracking.
Meeting 2: Chapter 1 – Facing Your Dilemmas
In this meeting, we tackle Chapter 1, and address the question: What’s stopping you? If you keep getting hung up on a task or project, you can be pretty sure there are some hidden decisions in there that you’ve not been facing.
Meeting 3: Chapter 2 – Idea Debt
Let’s get all those ideas out of your head and onto…a list! So many of you have talked about struggling to pick something to focus on. This is the start of that process!
P.S. I had major video issues but the audio is fine– still working out the kinks with livestreaming, ha!
Meeting 4: Chapter 3 – Open Loops
Your creative ideas are far from the only bits and piece of your life that shatter your attention. In Chapter 3, we’ll start addressing all those known (and unknown) commitments you’ve made to yourself and others: Open Loops.
Meeting 5: Chapter 4 – Self-Forgiveness As a Productivity Tool
As we systematically free ourselves from the burden of all the to-dos and projects, we’re going to have to grapple with a monster…the Should Monster.
Meeting 6: Chapter 5 – Authenticity is What You Actually do Every Day
AKA Be a Poser. How can you overcome fear and start taking action?
Meeting 7: Chapters 6-8 – One Goal to Rule Them All
Today’s book club meeting will address chapters 6, 7, and 8, which all together are about choosing a One Goal. We aren’t switching to a multi-chapter format in general, but I’m planning to combine these three chapters into one in the next edition of GG!
Meeting 8: Chapter 9 – The Black Box
Finally, we’re creating an actual project plan, and getting a better picture of the whole scope of the work (hopefully without then freezing up with perfectionism/fear…yikes!)
Meeting 9: Chapter 10 – Your Ideal Week
In the Creative Focus Workshop, we call this the “aligned” week, and that’s what we’re talking about. How to align your plans with your reality.
Meeting 10: Chapters 11-12 – Building Habits Around Your Creative Conditions
Chapters 11-12 talk about how the real circumstances of your life need to be the bedrock of your creative habits…and we’ll talk about how!
Meeting 11: Chapter 13 – The Value of Routine
We’re back to habits today! And how habits are the key to not only checking boxes, but unlocking inspiration and passion.
Meeting 12: Chapter 14 – Weekly Review
This is the next critical piece in your Creative Engine! Review and reflection are the key to not just doing a thing once, but learning and integrating new ways of being, and checking that you’re on track. Want to learn more about the Creative Engine (for free)? Check out the video class here.
Meeting 13: Chapter 15 – Planning Backward
Some tools and techniques for working on deadlines realistically (without pulling all-nighters or otherwise killing yourself).
Meeting 14: Chapter 16 – The Long View
Knowing your vision for where you want your work to take you is crucial in actually arriving there!
Meeting 15: Chapter 17 – The Dark Forest
When you’re stuck in the middle of a giant, potentially overwhelming, awesome project, feeling like you’ll never be good enough to finish it, and why not just go soak your head…you’re in the Dark Forest. Here’s why it’s a pretty good sign that you’re on the RIGHT TRACK.
Meeting 16: Chapter 18 – Resistance
Do you find yourself seizing up when you try to get started on a creative project you love? Resistance is totally normal, but don’t let it curdle into what feels like “block”. Instead, get curious.
Meeting 17: Chapter 19 – Restart
Getting back on track when you’ve gotten derailed.
Get your copy of Growing Gills on Amazon US
Or internationally:
The Growing Gills Book Club
Doing the exercises in Growing Gills is transformational…if you actually do them. If not, well, it’s a good read! But not a lot will change for you. That’s why I led a FREE book club to help you get through the work, and integrate your learning into your real life.
To answer a few other questions up front:
Why do I have to get it from Amazon?
I am also making an effort to support small, local book stores. That’s where I’m buying my books, and I hope you are as well.
However, Growing Gills is self-published via the Kindle Direct system, so Amazon is the only option to get the book. I made that decision back when I published in 2017, so that I could do things exactly like this giveaway, which would have been impossible if I were in a publishing contract.
I don’t have a Kindle. How do I read it?
You don’t need a Kindle device. You can get a free Kindle Reader app for any phone or computer, here.
