The Magic of Index Cards

In a recent episode of her podcast, writing coach Ann Kroeker talked about the moment she got serious about writing. A visiting professor showed her class a box of 3×5 cards. On each card he had written the name of a poem and then all the journals where he had submitted the poem. After seeing his system for tracking submissions, Ann went to the bookstore and bought her own filing box and stack of cards. She was a writer! And this was how professional writers worked. This action marked the beginning of Ann’s professional career.

Although I use a simple spreadsheet instead of index cards, the process sounded very familiar. I think I started keeping track after an excellent class with Rachel Mindell. Keeping the spreadsheet updated is a small way to stay in touch with a larger, ongoing faithfulness to the work.

I will be using index cards in the coming weeks to participate in ICAD, Index Card a Day. The idea is to use a small, cheap, accessible medium and create something every day for the months of June and July. We’ve been participating for years and LOVE the community of creators that share their work. It’s a great way to welcome in Summer and share a tiny bit of creative work with kids.

Intrigued? You can learn more from (clockwise from upper left): Tammy @ Daisy Yellow, Amy @ Creativity Matters Podcast, Tammy @ Daisy Yellow, Teresa @ Right Brain Planner, and Amy @ Creativity Matters Podcast….every link is to new, inspiring words + art by these talented women! I hope the beginning of Summer is creative + nourishing.