Yesterday I attended Day 1 of a creative workshop in Amsterdam with Elizabeth Gilbert, the bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear.
I didn’t just go as a student.
I went as a speaker, author, and workshop leader studying the craft.
Whenever I attend an event like this, I try to capture a quick audio recap the next morning while the experience is still fresh. This episode is exactly that — an early-morning reflection on what I noticed, what surprised me, and what I want to bring into my own books, talks, and workshops.
A few lessons stood out immediately:
• Why running the same workshop for 10 years can actually make it better
• How simple interaction between strangers can create powerful connection
• And one realization that really stuck with me…
It was easier for me to believe in the dreams of a stranger I had just met than it was to write the same kind of encouraging letter to myself.
Why does that happen?
In this episode I share what I observed, what I learned as a speaker watching another presenter at work, and why I recommend recording short reflections after events so the lessons don’t disappear.
Tomorrow I’ll return with Day 2 of the workshop and what I learned from how the weekend continued.
? Episode Highlights
? Early morning reflection after Day 1
? The surprising audience dynamic at the workshop
? Observing the event through the lens of a speaker
? Why repetition builds mastery
? The power of interaction between strangers
? A powerful exercise in believing in someone else
? Why believing in yourself can be harder
? Why I record quick audio recaps after events
? What I’m curious to see on Day 2
If this resonates with you, try this:
The next time you attend a workshop, conference, or event…
record a 5-minute audio recap the next morning.
Not for perfection.
Just to capture the insight.
Those reflections often become the seeds of future talks, books, and ideas.
[ https://youtu.be/6Py0Ca6l1Ys]