TOC #232: if you can't think of 10, think of 30 (or else)
(June 3, 2025) SARA'S SUMMER OFF: the resurgence of my creative brain, exercising your idea muscle, and 4 lobster rolls you need to try asap
I haven't exercised my Idea Muscle in FOREVER.
Right before I started BTL all those years ago, my Idea Muscle was the most active, limber, and beautifully fit she's ever been.
I so vividly remember sitting on my late grandma's back porch, reading through Tools of Titans cover to cover (which author Tim Ferriss explicitly tells you not to do, but I did it anyway because I'm a defiant and demand-averse ADHDer, obviously), eagerly soaking in every single word like a Scrub Mommy in a farmhouse sink.
My favorite chapter from the book was writer and serial founder James Altucher's, because he introduced the concept of exercising your Idea Muscle through his “Daily 10” practice.
Essentially, you write down 10 ideas, and if you can't think of 10 ideas, you have to come up with 20.
Almost EVERYONE I share this with has the same question:
“If you can't think of 10 ideas, how are you supposed to think of 20?”
Because if you can't think of 10 ideas, you're putting too much pressure on yourself.
Altucher explains that if you're having trouble coming up with 10 ideas, your fear of rejection and your tendency towards perfectionism come together to completely halt your creativity.
According to James:
“Perfectionism is the enemy of the idea muscle: it's your brain trying to protect you from harm, from coming up with an idea that is embarrassing and stupid could cause you to suffer pain. The way you shut this off is by forcing the brain to come up with bad ideas.”
Your creativity block is actually just your brain trying to protect you from coming up with stupid ideas.
The best way to combat this automatic defense mechanism is to push right past it and do exactly what its telling you not to do: write whatever comes to your mind.
Completely ignore the hesitation.
Who cares if the idea is stupid? Simply because you're writing it down doesn't mean you have to act on it, or even revisit it ever again.
It could be the most ridiculous sentence you've ever written on paper, but its bringing you one step closer to accessing the entirety of your creativity without stopping out of fear or nerves.
SO… earlier this weekend, when I was sitting on my porch swing, reminiscing on how my brain used to feel so FULL of creative possibility, I remembered how much I loved that time in my life because my brain felt so open and FREE.
(Re-)enter: 💡 The Idea Muscle 💡
I've decided to bring back Journal Prompt June (if you've been around the TOC for 3 or 4 years, you'd remember this!), and take James's writing practice one step further by writing down 30 ideas every day for 30 ideas.
Because if I can't come up with 10, I have to come up with 20, and if I'm already coming up with 20 for the purpose of forcing myself to be more creatively open, then I might as well think of 30.
It's also0o0 not lost on me how June marks my halfway point of being 30, and has 30 days, so it feels right!
& at the end of this 30 day challenge, I'm celebrating my half birthday (stay tuned for a massive sale I'm hosting for it, btw) and I'd love to finish out my 30th year feeling just as creatively fulfilled as I did when I started this journey. 🩵
BEACH CHAIR FRIENDLY BACK-END TASK
The perfect place for exploring your creative possibilities?! YOUR BEACH CHAIR.
I don't know if I'm just Summer personified or if everyone feels this way, but I genuinely don't think there's a better place to be ideating than with your feet in the water, sand on your legs, sun on your skin, and actual responsibilities really fucking far away from you.
Between the lack of screen options, the peaceful sound of the waves crashing, and the feeling of flipping to a crisp blank page, I can't imagine a more creativity-inducing setting.
I, for one, will be placing my booty firmly in the sand tomorrow to make some serious creative plans for June.
For this week's ✨ 30 days of 30 ideas ✨ prompts, this is what I'm working on:
→ June 1st: 30 ways I can make $30k in 30 days
→ June 2nd: 30 new podcast episode topic ideas
→ June 3rd: 30 new blog post ideas
→ June 4th: 30 in-person events I can host
→ June 5th: 30 new offers I can create
→ June 6th: 30 newsletter content ideas
→ June 7th: 30 ways I can explain why someone needs website copy
→ June 8th: 30 ways to reach my $1M goal by December 2025
→ June 9th: 30 non-business things I want to be known for / talk about
& I'll share next week's prompts when we chat on June 10th!
REMEMBER: the entire purpose of this activity is to open yourself up to more creative possibilities, so don't feel like you have to use the same list as me (especially since they're so specific to my offers) — do whatever you feel called to do!
And if you do do this little challenge, I'd love to know! Make sure you tag me on Instagram stories @BTLCOPY so I can see your ideas!
SOARING THROUGH THE SLOW SEASON
If I were freaking the fuck out about where my next inquiry is coming from right now (we're gonna talk a tonnn about this next week, by the way!) this is the first thing I'd do:
I'd email all of my favorite previous clients, ask how they're doing and how they're liking their copy, remind them how much fun we had together (lol) and share with them how else I can help them + what my availability is.
TBH even if you're not freaking out over getting your next inquiry, this is something I highly recommend doing anyway! I love working with my past clients bc additional projects are so0o0o easy and fun since you know them so well.
(I think I just convinced myself to email some fave clients LOL catch me doing that this week - and I actually have a new past-client-specific offer to share w/ them that I came up with during my Possibilities brainstorm 👀)
UNDER THE COPYWRITING UMBRELLA
I'm spending the majority of this week working on my client Claire's website copy; she's my last project of the summer before I'm not writing another site til late August!
Her project is a pretty typical one for me — we did a Brand Messaging Book first (where I developed her primary statements, brand voice, brand bios, and target audience, and did an in-depth analysis of her competitors and her client reviews), and now I'm writing a 16-page site for her.
The day Google Docs blessed us with doc TABS was the best day of this squirrely little Website Copywriter's LIIIIFE omg I've been obsessed with choosing on-brand emojis for the tabs ever since lol
Claire Rifkin is the go-to dietitian for women who accidentally skip breakfast, think a crispy Diet Coke counts as lunch, then wonder why they’re eating cereal out of the box at 10pm, feeling like crap. Her approach is realistic, compassionate, and grounded in science—not shame. (And she’d never tell you to skip happy hour.)
And I'm WICKEDDD excited to share the final product with you when the site is live later this summer!
I'm trying to be better about updating my portfolio — that shit has not seen an update in over a year, despite me having like 12 sick websites to add to it — so if you don't see me say anything else about my client work for a while… punch me.
I have 4 more website copywriting spots available for this year too, by the way, so if you want me to write your copy, INQUIRE RIGHT HERE 🐿️ all of the details and pricing can be found on my site!
I may not exist in summer, but I absolutelyyyy make myself available for discovery calls hehe
SHELLING OUT MY TIPS FOR DITCHING WRITER'S BLOCK
Because I've been a James Altucher stan for years, I've written about him before.
So, when I sat down to write this newsletter, I searched through my old content to find how I've previously explained his Idea Muscle “Daily 10” exercise, and I found this GEM of a blog post about how to get over your writer's block.
…and when you do, ignore that it says “husband” bc that blog is so OLDDDD lmao bye.
[SIDE NOTE: speaking of old blogs, if YOU have a bunch of old blogs you need updated for SEO or your sanity's sake (if you, too, say ‘husband’ in half of them and you're divorced now), one of my Success Story students offers this & I'd LOVE to give you her contact info!!]
ON A LOVE-YOU-BYE LOBSTER ROLL LOVE NOTE
Y'all thought I was gonna have a whole ass Summer series and NOT share my best Cape Cod recs with you?! Absolutely not.
If you're visiting the Cape this summer, here are 4 lobster rolls (or lobster-roll-adjacent snacks…) you need to add to your list IMMEDIATELY 👇
🦞 Sesuit Haror Cafe — Dennis (right on the water and BYOB; it's an absolutely gorgeous seaside cafe, but expect to wait in a long line! and wave to my dad if you see The Little Viking cruise by through the harbor while you eat!)
🦞 Lobster Roll Cruise — Dennis (owned by the same dude as Sesuit Harbor Cafe, this is a cute little dinner cruise with great lobster AND lobster rolls! make sure you go at sunset and order a mudslide)
🦞 Lobster Nachos at Chatham Bars Inn's Beach House Grill — Chatham (go for an early or late lunch after you walk around Chatham's Main Street! and expect it to be busy)
🦞 Seafood Shanty — Bourne (miss Wishbone Kitchen herself recommends this one, so you knowww it's good)
Report back on which one you like best! I'm choosing Sesuit Harbor Cafe every time.
LOVE YOU LOBSTER BYE <3
—S
P.S. I'm off for summer but I am booking September and October for website copywriting projects! All the details about my services (with pricing!) is right here 🩵
Subscribe to my newsletter! I send one marketing tip, once a week - and, according to my subscribers, it's "the best marketing newsletter on the Internet" and "the only reason to wake up on Tuesday mornings." So... yeah. You'll love 'er. 😏 Click here to subscribe!
Check out my services. I write website copy, sales pages, email sequences, blog posts, and brand messaging guides for entrepreneurs of all kinds! Maybe you’re my next favorite client.
Read my blog. It’s home to everything from copywriting tips, to marketing education, to freelance advice, to portfolio-worthy projects… if you like this post, you’ll love the blog. Here’s a quick roundup of my most popular posts.
Sign up for my email marketing course. Learn how to grow your email list full of loyal, ready-to-buy readers with this self-paced course teaching you how to write the best lead magnets, opt-in copy, welcome sequences, and newsletters.
Enlist me as your mentor. I have an entire in-depth blog post about my one-on-one consulting process for new and aspiring copywriters, if you’re interested in having a big-sis-style mentor to help you grow your freelance copywriting business & get results.
To get in touch with me directly, send me a DM or email sara@betweenthelinescopy.com. Have a great day!