A bleeding ulcer taught me this about creativity

The wake up call I needed: internal bleeding...

It’s been a while... Around a month actually.

I was travelling from Australia to Canada for the summer. Spoke about big ideas at The Future Proof Creator Summit (will publish the full speech when I get my hands on it). And then something kinda shitty happened...

I ended up in the hospital. Which sucked. But it was only the beginning.

I got out of the hospital. The next day, the medicine they gave me caused internal bleeding. My heart dropped out of my chest the moment I noticed. My mind began catastrophizing every worst case scenario. Can I make it to the hospital in time? Will I need surgery? How long will I be in recovery? What if I bleed out on the emergency table?

At the hospital, they fast tracked me straight to a doctor. I expected to be stoked about this. Waiting in the fast paced chaos of emerg for hours is never fun. But getting through fast just had me spiralling even deeper. Why would I be put through so fast if it wasn’t urgent? Shit. Shit. Shit. I really don’t want to end up in surgery…

Thankfully, after a day of blood tests, CT scans, and IV drips they told me I have an ulcer.

It started bleeding when I took the medication. The best case of a worst case scenario. But still scary enough to act as the wake up call I desperately needed. So I forced myself to take time off, lift weights, overhaul my diet, and read some slice of life manga.

As of writing this, I’m feeling better than I have in a long time. Fully rested. My energy is back. And I now have way too many ideas to write about.

So to get back into the swing of things, in a day or two, I’m gonna share a weird, creative newsletter. It’s about an idea that changed how I think about writing well. And specifically, how writing actually changes people. If you want to produce creative writing that gets seen and shared, this one will be for you...

In the meantime, I’d love to hear what creative project you’re working on this summer.

Is it writing a weekly newsletter? Drawing your first portrait? Writing the first chapter of a novel?

Reply to this email. I’d love to hear about it.

—Taylin