Yes, I’m working on a new course. It’s about showing up every day, doing your best creative work, finding and serving your audience, and making money.

The Creative Life course has been on my mind for quite some time. I’ve got notes and ideas about it that go back several years.

Another time I’ll share more about why I’m creating this course. First I want to share my reasoning behind the early announcement.

Even though it’s still many months away, there are two reasons I’ve announced the upcoming course:

• Accountability
• Anticipation

Accountability

By putting up a page that says this course is now in the works, I’m making a declaration that it’s time to focus my time and energy on this course.

Saying it out loud can be so helpful.

For one, I am now publicly accountable to you guys to follow through on my commitment.

Moreover, there is an increase in clarity and motivation that comes with that decisiveness.

If you have an idea that won’t let go, but that you’re also struggling to turn into something real, start with the easiest first step. Make a decision about something and start moving forward. Your action will bring the clarity you need to keep going.

Anticipation

Secondly, by announcing this course ahead of time, it brings you, the reader, into the storyline. Which is great.

• It opens up a dialog: This is so valuable and important. As you guys have been signing up to be notified about the upcoming course, I’ve been asking them about the challenges they face related to doing their best creative work. And the feedback you’re sending in about those challenges is so helpful because it gives me insight into the big-picture themes and also into the specific hurdles. I am, in turn, able to make sure that I address the topics and challenges which are most prevalent to you, the reader.

• It rallies an audience: Between now and when the course comes out there will be many people who will sign up to stay in the loop. If I were to hold this new course close to my chest, and then do a big reveal at the last minute, there would be far less people around for me to offer it to.

• It gives visibility into the process: One of our core values as a company is transparency. I want to teach everything I know — sharing not just the what but also the why. Therefore, it means sharing the process and showing my work as I go. And, I can’t keep things a secret while simultaneously sharing the process.

• It builds anticipation: As my friend, Sean McCabe says, people don’t notice announcements, they notice consistency.

To be candid, there is a marketing and sales advantage that comes with announcing the course ahead of time. It takes time for people to become aware of what we’re working on and to get an understanding of what it’s all about.

By announcing the course early, I’m giving myself a runway to build anticipation for the course that will translate into an increase in sales once we open up registration.