Michael Macfadden’s Approach to Teaching, Parenting, and Writing

How He Finds Time for Creativity in a Busy Life, Embraces Imperfection, and Builds Guitars

Nov 09, 2024

Hey, welcome to Methods—the series where we explore the creative habits of fellow Substack writers.

Today’s feature is Michael Macfadden, a father of two, husband, and high school teacher who writes about creativity and innovation in teaching and learning.

Check out his article, We Can Dance If We Want To.

In this interview, Mike shares insights on finding time to write with kids, balancing multiple hobbies, and dealing with perfectionism.

Enjoy!

Know someone with a unique creative process? Drop their name in the comments—I’d love to feature them!

Finding Time to Write with a Busy Schedule

Balancing Teaching, Parenting, and Creativity

Working as a teacher and raising two little boys doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for writing, but I‘ve found I can usually be productive before my household wakes for the day, or after everyone has fallen asleep.
I typically set my alarm for 5:15 AM to grant myself such a window. By the time I get coffee made, I typically have 20-30 minutes to get the creative juices flowing.
I’ll steal a few minutes here and there when time permits, but these windows are not conducive to creativity. I find I am able to do revisions in these short bursts though. My writing style emphasizes brevity out of necessity. This may actually be a good thing.

Simple Rituals and Note-Taking

Capturing Ideas on the Go

Since time is tight, I don’t have elaborate routines, but I do keep a note on my phone of topics I’d like to cover—a swipe file of sorts.
Often these topics come from podcasts I am listening to while prepping meals or doing chores around the house. I will transcribe a quote or topic into the note and include a timestamp and link which I can reference later in my post.
Other than that, I just try to find inspiration in the work itself rather than work when I find inspiration.

Writing Space Realities

Creating in a Multi-Use Environment

I have a lovely office and desk that I wish I could work in, but time doesn’t permit that in this chapter of my life.
My workspace is frequently my kitchen counter, the couch, or work desk (during my lunch break).

Favorite Tools for Writing

Minimalism in Substack and Note-Taking

I typically write directly in Substack as I like to create the product as it will be displayed in its final form. Its minimalist toolset forces me to be concise.
I also love that if you type “TK” in the body of your writing, TK will appear in the margins, so you can quickly find the areas that need more attention later.
The apple notes app offers me a constant feed of inspiration to pull from, and I like to use ChatGPT as a sparring partner for ideas as
Maalvika
has said in her writing. I don’t use it to generate writing, but I do ask it to review what I have already written.
Interestingly, I’ve found that it doesn’t catch typographical errors, but it is good at detecting weak arguments or logical fallacies, and it’s good at calling me out when I drone on for too long.

Influences on His Craft

Teachers, Copywriters, and Comedians

I had an English teacher my senior year of high school that helped me realize I could actually enjoy writing. Mrs. Owens was encouraging and made the act of writing fun.
Through college and during my masters programs, I learned the craft of writing through brute force repetition: I learned to separate drafting from revising and learned to tighten up my prose.
I’ve learned a ton from copywriters like Sam Parr and Shaan Puri. Made to Stick and Smart Brevity are great books about writing that have been influential.
I recently discovered David Perrel’s YouTube Channel which is a wealth of information about writing by world class writers.
I just started Stephen King’s On Writing as well, and I’m enjoying it thoroughly.
I think a lot can be learned from stand up comedy as well, so I make that a regular part of my consumption habit—no one has to be as economical with their words as a comedian.
Austin Kleon’s Steal like an Artist, Show Your Work, and Keep Going should be considered mandatory reading for anyone who fancies themselves creative. Stop what you’re doing, and read those books! They’ve provided a framework upon which I built the majority of my creative self.

Creativity-Boosting Habits

Cross-Pollination Through Diverse Hobbies

My interests are wide and varied.
I love fiddling with computers, the outdoors, teaching, exercising, listening to podcasts, playing with my kids, reading, singing, and playing and building guitars.
I’ve found that these interests cross-pollinate, sparking both divergent thinking and convergent synthesis, which is invaluable to me as a creative person.

A Unique Hobby with a Lesson

Building Guitars and Embracing Imperfection

I recently took up the hobby of building cigar box guitars (I make a habit of finding weird corners of the internet to explore).
Instrument building is a precise craft. A 16th of an inch off and your guitar will never intonate (it’ll always be out of tune and definitely sound like crap).
It’s tempting to obsess over the aesthetics, because who doesn’t want a rad looking three string guitar, but if you do that at the expense of getting your measurements right, you’re going to end up with a “wall hanger,” not something that’s enjoyable to play. How has this impacted me creatively?
I prioritize the things that are truly important and try to ignore the “devastating imperfections” that only I can really see in my work.

Evolving Creative Philosophy

Writing for Self and Finding the Right Audience

I stopped trying to create “things” that I thought others would like or position myself as some sort of expert.
Instead, I’ve started to create the things that are most interesting to me and share my unique perspective about those things.
Most recently, that has meant writing about creativity and innovation in teaching and learning. With 17 years of classroom teaching experience, and decades of creative projects under my belt, I feel I have something worthwhile to say—at least to the right audience.
I’ve found that my unique perspectives and life experiences are what are interesting to others. Instead of writing for the masses, I am writing and sharing and finding the audience that resonates with what I have to say.

Check Out: Hemingway Calls Out F. Scott Fitzgerald for a Lack of Integrity

A Grounding Rule on Perfection

Accepting Imperfection to Stay Productive

My dad taught me a long time ago that better is the enemy of good. I think I am as creatively productive as I am, because I’ve accepted that nothing I do will ever live up to my own expectations, but that in of itself is a horrible reason to not share it with the world.
The people who matter, generally don’t care that it’s not “perfect,” and those who do care, generally don’t matter.

Thanks Mike!

Be sure to check out his weekly roundup on Substack, where he shares the coolest things he's come across online along with creative takeaways.

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