Developing Your Literary Trademark & A Creative Process

Lesson 1 - “A Sharp Pen, a Thin Skin, An Open Heart” Lessons from Taylor Swift's Creative Process (And How to Build Your Own).

Art by Mariam Chagelishvili

This is Part 1 of the Creative Process Workshop

Hi! My name is Erin and I am so excited to talk with you about two of my most favorite things: Small Indie Recording Artist Taylor Swift, and Writing. Specifically, we are going to use Taylor as a vehicle to talk about Process, Practice, and Toolkits. 

But first, who am I, and why do we care about studying Taylor’s process?

I have a master’s degree in English and I’m a writer, public speaker, and workshop facilitator. I live in Portland, Oregon. I have been a fan of Taylor Swift since 2008, and have studied her creative process ever since, because I actually enjoy sausage more if I know how it gets made.

I think what really draws me to her creative process is that despite the fact that we are all unique, and of various backgrounds and socio-economic statuses, and results will vary, it’s actually a process we can all do.

And to be honest, even if you loathe hearing her very name, you can’t deny that she is doing SOMETHING right to have a grip on the world.

So I implore you, haters especially, to stick around and see if you can do one of my other favorite things: take what you need and leave the rest 🙂.

Before we get started, here is a small rundown of each lesson:

Part One: We will discuss the five pillars of Taylor’s creative process, using the help of a book by Tiago Forte called Building a Second Brain, which I encourage ALL writers to check out. 

Part Two: We will discuss creating, modifying, or revamping your own creative process, practice, and toolkit, so you can create more effortlessly and efficiently. 

Part Three: We will dig deep into craft using some of Taylor’s work and talk about why her work is so compelling to a wide audience, and how she uses various elements of storytelling such as point of view and specificity, that we can apply to our own work. 

Part Four: We will talk about how to build a body of work using elements such as theme, repetition, and intertextuality, rather than a bunch of individual pieces that don’t speak to each other and talk a little more about intertextuality. 

There will be applicable prompts at the end of each lesson so you can go beyond the confines of this workshop and become a process maven.

So let’s get started! I’m so happy to have you here with me.