When it comes to writing, there is nothing more intimidating and anxiety inducing than a blank page.
For those of us who struggle with crippling perfectionism, the dreaded blank page is like an abyss that stares back at us.
Using a zettelkasten kills both perfectionism and blank page syndrome. And to prove it, I am going to share a piece from Damian who is one of my students in the Zettel Monetizer cohort.
We’re not even half way through and Damian has already killed blank page syndrome by writing his first newsletter using his zettelkasten with the methods I teach in the course.
Because Damian has been writing notes throughout the course, he is working with an abundance of knowledge to publish content from instead staring into the void of the blank page.
But that’s enough from me. I’ll let Damian explain his “Version 0” method to explain how its done.
Zettelkasten: The note-taking method that makes grand promises of a knowledge empire…
Only to have perfectionism spoil the fun and leave you staring at a blank sheet, wondering if it would be better to just organize your socks in alphabetical order.
Does this sound familiar? Let me introduce you the cure I found to destroy, nay obliterate perfectionism for once and for all:
Enter “Version 0”: The Art of the Crappy First Draft (for Main Notes)
Who needs flawless main notes straight out of the gate? The master of Zettelkasten himself, Luhmann, even advocated for the “renunciation of fixed order.”
Now take a shovel and get down in Version 0’s untidy sandbox, your Zettelkasten free-for-all.
This isn’t about fleeting notes that the so-called Zettelkasten gurus are talking about; it’s about letting go within your Zettelkasten system, while you are creating your “Main Notes,” and embracing the wonderful nature of chaos that promotes creativity and knowledge growth.
Consider it the first clay model created by a sculptor: crude, unpolished, yet chock-full of possibilities. You may have many errors, partially developed ideas, and connections that don’t fully make sense in your “Version 0 main notes.”
That’s alright! Your goal in V0 Main Note isn’t to recreate Michelangelo’s David, it’s about creating the refrigerator painting of your niece that resembles nothing but a colorful blob. The effort is what counts.
From Garbage to Gold: The Iterative Zettelkasten
The magic happens right here. Once your jumbled V0 main note is complete, stand back and examine it with new perspective. Is the title incorrect? Did you select an unsuitable category? Was your handwriting so poor that it required a Rosetta Stone to read it? It is all fine. Better than great, in fact—this is insightful feedback!
Learn from your mistakes so you can prevent them in the future version, or V1. Now you can begin to revise, link ideas, and expand on what you’ve already written.
Embrace the Suck and Let Your Knowledge Grow
Remember that the purpose of note-making isn’t to produce a masterpiece. It’s to write down your ideas, pick up new skills, and create knowledge that will help you when you’re ready to write that incredible masterpiece. It’s about acknowledging that the processes of creating and honing knowledge are inherently chaotic. When we try to map our four dimensional thoughts onto a two-dimensional surface, there is bound to be some turbulence.
The next time perfectionism paralyzes you, try adopting the “Version 0” mentality. Start with a rough draft of your main notes with the intention of failing, make revisions, and observe how your notes—as well as your knowledge—develop.
-Damian Ilgar, 2024
Thanks for letting me share your work, Damian! As the students in our cohort continue publishing content and getting closer to launching their monetized newsletter, I will be sharing more of their work to help them get a head start.
If you haven’t joined yet, its not too late. You can catch up over the weekend and join us next week to learn how to file and index your main notes.