People Are
Stories-in-Progress
As a head’s up, this online version of People Are Stories-in-Progress is more than 44,000 words long. That’s as long as some novels.
There are some typos and errors in these web pages, which I’ve corrected in the eBook. I will eventually correct those errors here in the online version as well, but since there’s other stuff I’m excited to make, I’m not rushing that process. My goal is to complete this online update by September 2023. This banner will disappear when this page has been revised.
(Please note: I didn’t make any major changes in the updated eBook—I only refined the wording slightly, so you’re still getting a very similar experience between the two versions.)
Two Definitions before We Proceed
Both of these terms are also defined in the Shelbish Glossary if you would like to explore them further: “Creativity” + “Season.”
If you’ve been here for a while, youu may already know this part, but just in case, we’ll quickly cover what I mean by “creativity” and what I mean by “Season.”
The “Creative” Part of the Creative Toolbox
I personally define creativity as the “practice of making meaning.” In other words, I use the same tools to make sense of my life as I do to write compelling, impactful stories. This is another foundational lens.
For now, I just want you to know that as much as I have fun using my own creative toolbox, I take sharing mine very seriously. That’s why this intro is so long and detailed.
After all, the way you tell yourself your own story impacts every moment of your life.
Season
You may be wonder why I call a series on the writing craft a “Season.” You may think, Ah, it’s like TV. It’ll take several months, maybe even a whole season of the year, to release all the material.
Yes, and it’s also meant to mimic the way your creative craft actually develops. It takes time and practice. It’s a slow, thorough build rather than an overnight transformation—just like most lasting practices.
There’s no rush. These stories and tools will live on my website indefinitely—as a foundation for the rest of the material here at The JourneyPen Project.
So, you can take your time. You can digest slowly. You can experiment as you go. You can wait till the end and catch up. You can purchase the audio version (coming soon) and gobble it up all at once, and then review it again, week by week.
It’s up to you.
The Season Structure
As I mentioned earlier, this is the structure of the Season:
First, I tell a story.
Then I offer you several creative tools, using the story to illustrate the tools I’m explaining.
We’ve discussed tools already, so let’s take a closer look at the stories you can expect here.