Brain Dump vs. Free Write
The Thing I Keep Not Doing
I need to write this brain dump but I keep not doing it because my brain is telling me that this has to turn into a “free-write” that I publish on Substack because that’s a thing that I said I was going to do 3-5 times per week. What’s the difference between a Brain Dump and a Free Write? I don’t know. I mean, I guess a brain dump is more of a stressed-out to-do list where I just can’t seem to start what I’m doing because I have no plan to do what I’m doing and when to do it but I also just want to “get a few things out of the way quick” (they’re never quick, they’re entire projects that take me to 8pm and then I realize that I haven’t eaten, worked out, contacted humans, rested, and now it’s that weird zone where it’s too late to start anything and too early to go to bed, and so I go to bed and zone out until midnight which is hours later than I want to be asleep and then the whole hell starts the next day.)
ANYWAY
So, What Is a Free Write?
I guess that’s the difference. Oh wait, I didn’t define what a “free write” is. A free write is a non-polished essay. It’s interesting to read because it’s pretty subconscious but I’m writing it knowing consciously that someone will read it. And so a brain dump is more like, “No one is gonna see this.” But I can tell by the way that I’m writing this brain dump that it’s turning into a free write about the difference between brain dumps and free-writes.
I’m just letting my fingers type fast and I’m going with what I feel like. I think that I’m going with what I feel like. Maybe this is what I really feel like. Part of me thinks that I need to have a very private journaling session where I talk shit about everyone but I think I’ll reserve that for my hand-written journal.
How I Do These: 750 Words
When I do these fast-type things I use this thing called 750 words. I’m not a sponsor of them. I just love it and try to use it every day. It counts your words as you type and the type font is typewriter and when you hit 750 there is confetti. I think I did an essay about this already called “I am fueled by confetti” or something like that. Okay, anyway. I have this weird aversion to mentioning things twice. “Jen, you already mentioned this 750 words thing in another essay! People will unsubscribe! You’re a broken record!” When in reality, one of the reasons that I think I did not become more successful as a stand-up comedian is that I kept changing. I didn’t just do 87 iterations of “I don’t want kids” and “I’m so glad that I got divorced.” But that’s branding, baby! And I don’t know how to brand or maybe I do but I’m bored by branding.
Okay, The Actual Brain Dump
Okay, anyway, I think I’ll do the brain dump part. Here’s what’s stressing me the fuck out today: I have to make a schedule for July. I have to decide what days to work on my ADHD podcast, what days to create the episodes by researching, and writing a semi-script, what days to film and record, what days to edit and post, what days to promote, ugh, I have to make so many videos for social media to promote this podcast and I don’t even know if they convert. Whatever. I have to do it. Then I have to decide what days to work on my personal/comedy podcast “I Seem Fun Reboot 2026” - and then I have to pick what days to continue working on the second draft of a script that I’m writing that no one is asking me to write or paying me to write but hopefully it lands me a job. And I could even start to write the second episode. I don’t give a fuck. I’ll write a whole first season of a show before anyone buys it. I believe in it.
Okay, then I have to figure out what days I’m going to really sit down and polish up some essays and write some that are meant for reading out loud - I have a show in NYC coming up at Joe’s Pub on August 28th which is my birthday. I’m very worried that weirdos and non-weirdos alike from various areas of my life are going to buy tickets and come to NYC for this so I keep trying to keep it on the DL that it’s my birthday but I also like mentioning it in case it makes people buy tickets but I fear all of the wrong people will buy tickets. We are not hanging out after the show! It is not a birthday party! It’s just something to do on my birthday and when I’m on stage, that’s what I’m doing. When I’m off stage, I’m going to bed. I may even get a bed and put it backstage so that I don’t have to go home after. I’ll leave in the morning. God, imagine if they let me do that. Though, I’d be scared there alone at night, backstage. It wouldn’t be worth the lack of commute.
The Rest of the List
What else do I need to do? Oh yes, schedule times to also write things that I’ll publish here. Schedule times to see friends, read for fun, work out, do life admin, do business admin. Oh, and promote the companies that I have affiliations with so I can get those random $5 payments here and there. That shit can add up! If I promote it. Constantly. Like it’s a full-time job. Hence, why I don’t promote it. What else? Oh, right. I have to come up with things to keep my Co-Work Community engaged, that’s this online business I started where you work on Zoom every day with strangers, like you’re all just there hanging out and it keeps you accountable. I’ll write a whole separate thing on that because it’s an awesome thing and my community is way cheaper than the other ones.
Coming Up With a System
What else? I guess I have to come up with a system, based on my energy levels and things like that. So what times of what days do I do what things? And oh FUCK, I forgot I’m getting certified in somatic exercise teaching and my student-ship expires on August 1st so I have to teach a dozen or so classes before then and study for a test and shit, shit, shit. Okay, the next 29 days are going to be busy. Okay. Okay. I have printed out 3 July calendars on paper so I can start plotting what goes where. That’s a huge cognitive load. My brain is screaming at me that this morning routine thing isn’t working out even though doing a brain dump in the morning with the coffee I made is part of it. Shit, I left my coffee on the counter and I have a TENS stim machine going on my Morton’s neuroma on my right foot so I have to turn the machine off and get up and get the coffee.
And... I Feel Better
Oh my God. I actually feel better. I actually feel fucking better after getting this all out of my head.
That’s amazing how that works. I hope this inspires you to write a brain dump and please let me know how it goes in the comments. For real. I wanna know!
xo, jen
That was a beautiful brain dump, if that’s possible. I feel this way because I was able to follow it step-by-step all along and didn’t get lost.
Maybe because my brain works this way also but I don’t actually have brain dumps, but I have errand dumps where I just start doing all the errands I’ve been putting off and within a couple of hours I’ve gotten a lot done. And then I give procrastination the bird and feel like I’ve accomplished so much.