Sep 29, 2023·edited Sep 29, 2023Liked by Jeff Goins
What I'm working on: edits on a book (The Rewilded Soul) and finding a flow with my Substack community. The biggest challenge I'm facing is the age-old balancing act of creation, connection (marketing/promotion), and the day to day responsibilities that come with being an entreprenuer. : ) I love everything you're doing, my friend.
I'm not familiar with Jessica's book, but it sounds like something I would love to read. The Rewilded Soul is about finding and fulfilling our life's deepest purpose, which is (from my perspective at least) to know our True Self clearly and express it fearlessly through our lives as a creative act. I unpack "rewilding" a bit here, if you're interested in seeing what I mean: https://www.rewildedsoul.com/p/born-in-captivity
The balancing act is definitely something that requires a lot of trial and error. How much time do you spend on marketing/promotion? I think this is the part I struggle with the most. I always feel like I should do more, but then I don't want to take away from my reading/writing time.
I totally relate to this! I've decided to simplify by going back to mostly "just" writing and reading and reducing the time I spend on newsletters for now.
I try to spend at least 1 hour a day on connection/promotion. It's definitely a challenge--everyone I know who considers themselves a creator struggles with the creation/connection/promotion balance, but it's a necessary thing. I'm finding, the more I can accept it as part of the creative process, the easier it is.
I so hear you @Kevin Kaiser, "the age-old balancing act of creation, connection (marketing/promotion), and the day to day responsibilities that come with being an entrepreneur." I find they are often competing head spaces, so certainly a challenge to meet! Go well. "The Rewilded soul" sounds great.
Hi Kevin hi Jeff hi everyone, I totally resonate with this struggle right now. I write and publish regularly which I’m very happy with. But I do next to nothing to connect and promote myself. Part of it’s to do with what Jeff wrote about recently (the challenge of forging meaningful friendships online). And part of it is that my interests and style don’t lend themselves well to the ‘mic-drop Thread boi’ posts that dominate social media. There has to be another way!
That said, I’m glad to’ve found this community around Jeff’s work and I’m now doing 30-60 minutes a day replying to people in the comments meaningfully and honestly. I think it’s helping :)
That balance of creating/writing/editing + marketing/promotion (in my case, I'd say newsletters) = I can relate! I've decided to simplify by removing some writing activities and going back to focusing on my book.
I'm actually transitioning to just writing again. I've been hosting a podcast for a few years now and it's so consuming that I never write anymore. Instead, I keep going into seasons of burnout and can't bring myself to do any creating at all. So I made the decision to take an indefinite break from podcasting and turning it into a newsletter on here. I'm working on a simple episode to announce it now. I haven't been this excited for a long time. I am a writer so I must just write!
That's exciting to hear Iviana! Excited to hear you're returning back to writing. That's where everything begins, yeah? Have you thought about letting your writing feed your podcast? I know several people who write their newsletter and then simply use that as their podcast script. The newsletter auto-creates your podcast, and the podcast also points people back to your Substack. Just a thought.
I just did this! I started a YouTube channel this weekend given the scripts I’ve been using in my newsletters on substack. I love being able to use my voice in multiple ways to reach people. But I can understand the level of burnout that can come with juggling so many things.
Yes! Been thinking a lot about that. I would love to do that while avoiding recording all together. Unless I form it completely as a written piece and just read it out loud without edits. Is that what you mean?
That's exactly what I mean. I'm thinking of doing that with my own Substack columns. I already record audio versions, and am thinking of releasing those as podcasts. There's a Substack feature that allows you to record right in the app.
Hi Kevin. This is on my list to research. Might you have a link on how to do this. I want to record my articles on Substack, in my own voice, and then put that behind a paywall. That was my intention from the beginning once I got going and I have been posting weekly for a number of months now and it feels to me like the time has come. I am not technical though. And I am in a hotel in El Salvador for the next few months away from extra microphones etc...I purchased a few years ago. But I met some people here who do serious recording and I imagine they can help me hook something up to my Mac for this. I will post somewhere else, but I wanted to ask you directly. Thank you...
I used this embed functionality on my most recent post (you can see how it looks in a post here: https://www.rewildedsoul.com/p/intimacy-into-me-see). You can either record it directly in Substack -OR- you can record it on another app and upload it. That's what I did. I recorded using the Quicktime Player app that came installed on my Mac. I do have a nice podcast quality microphone, which makes a big difference.
I can relate...I'm toggling back and forth between writing fiction and nonfiction. For me it's about finding balance....but there's infinite ways to do so. Good Luck!
Wow Iviana that sounds wonderful! I sense that this homecoming to the writing part of you is very fulfilling and taps into your deeper purpose. I’d love to read your newsletter once it’s ready. What themes do you write to?
I totally relate! Ever since I took on multiple writing projects, I work on my book less, so I'm going to simplify and return my focus to my book. I think your plan sounds exciting. Good luck and happy writing!
"I am a writer so I must write". So true @Iviana I find that I need "listening" times in order to really write what I need to say, but often find myself calling myself "a writer who isn't writing" so I much prefer your statement "I must write"! Enjoy.
Thanks Iviana. I am excited for you. Just the word, "consuming," is so troubling. Maybe you are not burnt out? Maybe you are just too "consumed" which would burn anyone out and you are now stepping out of the fire and into your soul's calling. I will look your blog up. I like the title. Grace for Breakfast. Yes. Perfect. I also appreciate the thread under your post as it speaks to what I have been toying with and is helpful for me. Best wishes! May you feel joy, aliveness, flow, fulfillment and fun. May you do as you are called, regardless of what any "shoulds" say.
I'm working on one simple thing: just writing as much as I can.
I write on my Substack, Get Real, Man (https://lathamturner.substack.com/) which is where I get to explore ideas about living. It's the creative outlet I never knew I needed and it truly changed the course of my life. It's been almost a year, and in that year I've left work and gained enough confidence in my writing to call myself a writer.
I've also just started writing a memoir about my time flying airplanes in the Navy, which is really me exploring how we relate to the machines in our lives. And maybe its me understanding what those 15 years meant for me.
Thank you Jeff for the opportunity to share and to everyone doing inspiring work here.
Latham, thanks for sharing your inspiring story! I've spent the past 15 years (and almost $15,000!) on coaches and trying to find what I'm supposed to do with myself and thinking that you need a huge audience etc. etc. My goal for the end of 2023 is to just write whatever I can and NOT PUBLISH IT ANYWHERE and not try to get followers first (Jeff had a recent post about this). It's SO HARD to just let your creativity and self-expression come first, but I have to practice it because otherwise....why am I doing it? Thank you for sharing and I'm following :)
Ever since I’ve started my Substack earlier this year I’ve released an ambient song with each of my monthly posts. Well, my article from earlier this week was the last song for now. I’m going to spend the rest of the year posting some of my earlier piano works and brainstorm ideas for my first album.
Starting in January I’ll begin posting new songs from the album as I write them.
Thanks for this space Jeff! I just finished putting together a Zine to celebrate my 1 year on Substack. It’s hand-bound and includes writings, collages, and drawings - made with lots of intention and care. I’m so excited to send it out!
Wow! @Kensho studio, your words "made with lots of intention and care" impelled me to look! How wonderful that even your publishing schedule honours natures (and our own) rhythms. I'm excited to read more :)
Mine is pretty basic....I just launched my newsletter one month ago and I'm just working on building it. I decided to do it specifically because I lost my job in August and the thought of looking for another job kind of makes me want to 🤮
I have a LOT of experience to share as a writer and travel writer, and I KNOW I connect well with people through my words. I'm treating my Substack as an experiment in the art of being alive and adventurous and being fed up with "normal" life 😁 So far, I'm very happy with how my subscriber base is building and very much looking forward to building my community.
You’re speaking my language! (And you picked up a subscriber.) One week in over here, with a similar approach. I’ve got experience writing but haven’t had (or grabbed) the opportunities to do it my way. It’s a big ole experiment, and fun so far! I’m rooting for you.
Just subscribed and started reading your post about disappearing on your birthday. I feel like you're speaking my language because I hate the constant social notifications that it's so and so's birthday. It feels like so much pressure.
I feel like more and more people are starting to dislike social media distraction. We're not alone, that's for sure. The only reason I haven't deactivated Facebook altogether is the memories reminders. I've lost some significant people and I really cherish the memories.
Thank you for subscribing! 😊 I hope I don't disappoint!
The competition? There are only so many hours in a day. While I navigate the acquisitions process with the book, I tend to default to MillersBookReview.com. But here and there an idea will break thorugh I can’t ignore and I’ll work on one chapter or another in the book. It’s a weird in-between place. But it mostly works for me at the moment.
I so appreciate your newsletter, Joel, and I can't wait for your book. I said to J the other day that a quote from your welcome email, "A Uniquely Portable Magic", would be a great title. :)
Thank you for saying that, Chante! I actually had Portable Magic as my working title for a while, but then Emma Smith came out with a book by that title (argh!) and I relented. Maybe the longer phrase might still work.
Jeff- I think your gift to readers is your essays. They are insightful and have an earnest depth to them. It is not like you are writing just to fill the page with words but it is as if you are thinking out loud(with your fingers and keyboard), sharing your thoughts unfiltered by writer rules or regulations. Conversing with the reader, and ending the essay with space for us to ponder a response, or even move us to some sort of action. Sometimes, I finish one of your posts, shaking my head, "Jeff, Jeff, Jeff. What is it you are rambling about?" I ask myself. But there is something that haunts me about a phrase, a word, a thought you shared, and I'd find myself reflecting on the "why".
Your self-examining encourages the reader to do the same and given enough reflection time, personal growth takes place. So, I suggest you delay the self-help book- write the essays- pick a theme that resonates with you and your ghost network, (which posts do we respond to the most) and keep us scratching our heads while questioning your point, and finding our personal answers to your queries.
This is what I love about Jeff as well. Jeff: I love that you don't give us answers, but instead give us stories and words and things to chew on . . . it's such a relief from my self-help addiction LOL
Molly- exactly! He prods at our hidden spots, reminding us to just sit with our own thoughts for a while- permission to reflect as the spirit moves us. Thank you Molly for your response- a kindred soul! Some times growth comes with “Aha!” moments, other times a slow simmer, hardly noticed.
I am split between two personal writing projects and preparing paintings for an upcoming art exhibit. This split makes it hard to fully focus on both and I keep finding myself switching gears right when the flow starts to hit me. Nothing better than a deadline to clarify priorities as my artwork is due Monday so you know what I'll be doing this weekend. Here's my website, which could use some love as well an update on the show https://vanessashinmoto.com/. Have a great weekend everyone!
How did the art exhibit go? What type of medium do you use to paint in? Where was your show? My girlfriend paints with acrylics and will be doing some oils too. It seems to be a challenging field in which to make money. People don't realize how much goes into a painting when they look at the 'price tag'. My husband is a jazz musician and people don't understand all that goes into his processes also.
I am just so amazed by all the talents out there-and all the creativity!
What do you like to write? I have self-published two haiku books. I love that these poems are short and jam packed with emotion. I am tweaking my website that has an on-line store with unique haiku gift items. I also enjoy photography and memory keeping.
Hi Sylvia, thanks for asking about the exhibit. The opening was lively and my artwork will be up for the rest of the year. My show is at a wine shop in Chicago's Roger's Park neighborhood; the shop is called Picnic Wine & Provisions. I plan to invite people to private showings and chat them up about the artwork to make some sales.
I write about yoga, health, and lately politics. I would love to see your website of unique haiku gift items. Haiku is such a sweet poetry form. Please send me your website and let's stay in touch on here.
Thank you Sandra! Yes, I built it myself with Godaddy's website template builder. These are easy to use for people with no website coding knowledge so if you are looking to build your own website, I highly recommend it.
I've juuuuuust taken the plunge this week to begin to publish some of my work here on substack. It's all very new, and incredibly intimidating, to share my writing with anyone, much less everyone.
Nonetheless, here I am, tentatively excited to start on this new path.
Sep 29, 2023·edited Sep 29, 2023Liked by Jeff Goins
This sort of ties into your book “Real Artists Don’t Starve” which I’m currently enjoying, but I’m fascinated with excellent writing because when it’s done well, it “feels” like it’s so easy anyone can do it, but like watching Roger Federer hit a poetic backhand or watching the late, great Jeff Beck, play guitar that sounds so insanely fluid it doesn’t really sound like a guitar because the melody in Beck’s head overpowers the mechanics of the instrument. They both make it look SO easy…
I used to be a professional songwriter/performer who followed the same career path as the fictitious band SweetWater in the movie “Almost Famous”. I got as close to the “big-time” as one could get and realized I was facing a cross-roads and the question I found I kept asking myself was: “Do I REALLY want this BAD enough?” And the answer was no. We had a deal with Columbia Records and the whole smash but after 15 years of seeing too much of the ugly side of “show biz”, (and it IS VERY ugly and there is a LOT of it), I realized that what I wanted was not so much to play music, but to communicate.
But the unexpected blessing and REAL lesson I learned from the HEAVY constraints of songwriting is that it makes writing in general, feel like a breeze. In writing a “pop” song, you have to have a point, and GET TO THE POINT in less than a minute, (the “hook”) and it has to rhyme! Once you’re freed of those constraints, you feel like you’ve been released from jail! But the other thing I learned is that excellent writing has a lyrical quality to it as much of yours does. Many people don’t know but when Paul McCartney wrote “Yesterday”, his original lyrics were “Scrambled Eggs” because the syllables of “scrambled eggs” ARE lyrical.
In short, I’m fascinated with documenting life’s lessons. They are literally EVERYWHERE and for most people? They miss them completely because they just aren’t paying attention…
YouTube channel - sBrianBell - Finding LIFE! Launched 1/30/2023. Been going live every M-F at 6:00 AM PST ever since! It’s definitely had its challenges & low points, but overall, I am loving every minute of it. There’s nothing greater than doing what you feel called to do. Thank you for the opportunity to share, Jeff.
I have multiple projects in various stages of progress, but right now I’m focused on completing the second draft of book 2 in my dark sci-fi/ fantasy series about evil’s chosen one turned superhero.
I’ve set a deadline of November 31st and a weekly goal of revising at least 3 chapters.
I’m working on self-publishing two self help books and building out a social media presence. I would like to develop a paid newsletter as my next step. Direction is a challenge for me.
Well I signed up with Matt Rudd-Write Your Book already, you can find him on FB. His program kept me on track for completing the books. Then I hired someone on Fiverr to professionally format and upload the books. I learned how to use Canva and created my own book covers. You might say I’ve been bootstrapping all these project to save money. I built out my website by myself using Goddady website builder. You can find that at Narcissismsurvivorsplaybook.com.so, pretty much myself with a little help. I also, hired someone on Fiverr to help me set up the social media links on my website and they aren’t quite complete yet. It’s a process for sure. If you need book formatting and I let you know who I used. He was great and cost effective.
Hi Latham. Thanks for your note. Just ended my first session with my writing coach, who is a writer friend I've known for a few years. I'm working with her to re-establish my writing habit and write a personal essay. I've much newsletter writing experience, but am new to the personal essay arena. Happy to let you know down the road how this is going if you ping me again in a couple of months. We are meeting bi-weekly, so it will take a while to assess how it is working.
I've taken classes before too. Found them inspirational but then the onus is on me to keep going.
What I'm working on: edits on a book (The Rewilded Soul) and finding a flow with my Substack community. The biggest challenge I'm facing is the age-old balancing act of creation, connection (marketing/promotion), and the day to day responsibilities that come with being an entreprenuer. : ) I love everything you're doing, my friend.
I'm reading Jessica Kraft's book Why We Have To Be Wild right now. In fact, I spoke with her this morning. Is your book about a similar sort of thing?
BTW, I just checked out your newsletter and became a new follower. Excited to learn more about your journey, Bowen!
👁🙏🏻 there’s a lot there... a couple of recent pieces that mention “wild”
https://bowendwelle.substack.com/t/wild
...And my entire memoir-in-progress
https://bowendwelle.substack.com/s/memoir
Love this. Looking forward to digging in and exploring your world, Bowen.
I'm not familiar with Jessica's book, but it sounds like something I would love to read. The Rewilded Soul is about finding and fulfilling our life's deepest purpose, which is (from my perspective at least) to know our True Self clearly and express it fearlessly through our lives as a creative act. I unpack "rewilding" a bit here, if you're interested in seeing what I mean: https://www.rewildedsoul.com/p/born-in-captivity
Is that going to be on your podcast Bowen?
No, I was talking to her about publishing...
The balancing act is definitely something that requires a lot of trial and error. How much time do you spend on marketing/promotion? I think this is the part I struggle with the most. I always feel like I should do more, but then I don't want to take away from my reading/writing time.
I totally relate to this! I've decided to simplify by going back to mostly "just" writing and reading and reducing the time I spend on newsletters for now.
I try to spend at least 1 hour a day on connection/promotion. It's definitely a challenge--everyone I know who considers themselves a creator struggles with the creation/connection/promotion balance, but it's a necessary thing. I'm finding, the more I can accept it as part of the creative process, the easier it is.
If I work on marketing it changes my art. I have to stay on one track.
I so hear you @Kevin Kaiser, "the age-old balancing act of creation, connection (marketing/promotion), and the day to day responsibilities that come with being an entrepreneur." I find they are often competing head spaces, so certainly a challenge to meet! Go well. "The Rewilded soul" sounds great.
Yep 👍
Hi Kevin hi Jeff hi everyone, I totally resonate with this struggle right now. I write and publish regularly which I’m very happy with. But I do next to nothing to connect and promote myself. Part of it’s to do with what Jeff wrote about recently (the challenge of forging meaningful friendships online). And part of it is that my interests and style don’t lend themselves well to the ‘mic-drop Thread boi’ posts that dominate social media. There has to be another way!
That said, I’m glad to’ve found this community around Jeff’s work and I’m now doing 30-60 minutes a day replying to people in the comments meaningfully and honestly. I think it’s helping :)
That balance of creating/writing/editing + marketing/promotion (in my case, I'd say newsletters) = I can relate! I've decided to simplify by removing some writing activities and going back to focusing on my book.
Good luck!
I'm actually transitioning to just writing again. I've been hosting a podcast for a few years now and it's so consuming that I never write anymore. Instead, I keep going into seasons of burnout and can't bring myself to do any creating at all. So I made the decision to take an indefinite break from podcasting and turning it into a newsletter on here. I'm working on a simple episode to announce it now. I haven't been this excited for a long time. I am a writer so I must just write!
That's exciting to hear Iviana! Excited to hear you're returning back to writing. That's where everything begins, yeah? Have you thought about letting your writing feed your podcast? I know several people who write their newsletter and then simply use that as their podcast script. The newsletter auto-creates your podcast, and the podcast also points people back to your Substack. Just a thought.
I just did this! I started a YouTube channel this weekend given the scripts I’ve been using in my newsletters on substack. I love being able to use my voice in multiple ways to reach people. But I can understand the level of burnout that can come with juggling so many things.
Yes! Been thinking a lot about that. I would love to do that while avoiding recording all together. Unless I form it completely as a written piece and just read it out loud without edits. Is that what you mean?
That's exactly what I mean. I'm thinking of doing that with my own Substack columns. I already record audio versions, and am thinking of releasing those as podcasts. There's a Substack feature that allows you to record right in the app.
I love this idea. A few friends and I were just talking about this today.
go for it. Takes time, but also a great adjunct to writing, and good way to help yourself in the editing process. Your writing will get (even) better.
I've done this a fair bit and it's dead simple. Just record and upload. Many readers like it a lot. For example:
https://bowendwelle.substack.com/p/rocky-mountain
Hi Kevin. This is on my list to research. Might you have a link on how to do this. I want to record my articles on Substack, in my own voice, and then put that behind a paywall. That was my intention from the beginning once I got going and I have been posting weekly for a number of months now and it feels to me like the time has come. I am not technical though. And I am in a hotel in El Salvador for the next few months away from extra microphones etc...I purchased a few years ago. But I met some people here who do serious recording and I imagine they can help me hook something up to my Mac for this. I will post somewhere else, but I wanted to ask you directly. Thank you...
When I searched "audio voiceover" in Substack's support docs, I got this: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/7265784112916-How-do-I-add-a-voiceover-to-my-Substack-post-
I used this embed functionality on my most recent post (you can see how it looks in a post here: https://www.rewildedsoul.com/p/intimacy-into-me-see). You can either record it directly in Substack -OR- you can record it on another app and upload it. That's what I did. I recorded using the Quicktime Player app that came installed on my Mac. I do have a nice podcast quality microphone, which makes a big difference.
You can also create a full-blown podcast through Substack: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/360037462092-How-do-I-create-and-publish-a-podcast-
Hope that helps!
Wow! Thank you! Had no idea all this was going on in Substack!
Thank you. I saved all this and am excited to give it a try!
I can relate...I'm toggling back and forth between writing fiction and nonfiction. For me it's about finding balance....but there's infinite ways to do so. Good Luck!
Wow Iviana that sounds wonderful! I sense that this homecoming to the writing part of you is very fulfilling and taps into your deeper purpose. I’d love to read your newsletter once it’s ready. What themes do you write to?
That’s a great idea to turn it into a newsletter! It sounds exciting!
Love the last line...”I’m a writer I must write! Keep writing!!
I totally relate! Ever since I took on multiple writing projects, I work on my book less, so I'm going to simplify and return my focus to my book. I think your plan sounds exciting. Good luck and happy writing!
"I am a writer so I must write". So true @Iviana I find that I need "listening" times in order to really write what I need to say, but often find myself calling myself "a writer who isn't writing" so I much prefer your statement "I must write"! Enjoy.
Congratulations! :)
Cool!!! Write away!
Thanks Iviana. I am excited for you. Just the word, "consuming," is so troubling. Maybe you are not burnt out? Maybe you are just too "consumed" which would burn anyone out and you are now stepping out of the fire and into your soul's calling. I will look your blog up. I like the title. Grace for Breakfast. Yes. Perfect. I also appreciate the thread under your post as it speaks to what I have been toying with and is helpful for me. Best wishes! May you feel joy, aliveness, flow, fulfillment and fun. May you do as you are called, regardless of what any "shoulds" say.
I live for these creative bursts of inspiration. Wishing you much success and enjoyment!
I'm working on one simple thing: just writing as much as I can.
I write on my Substack, Get Real, Man (https://lathamturner.substack.com/) which is where I get to explore ideas about living. It's the creative outlet I never knew I needed and it truly changed the course of my life. It's been almost a year, and in that year I've left work and gained enough confidence in my writing to call myself a writer.
I've also just started writing a memoir about my time flying airplanes in the Navy, which is really me exploring how we relate to the machines in our lives. And maybe its me understanding what those 15 years meant for me.
Thank you Jeff for the opportunity to share and to everyone doing inspiring work here.
Latham writes fascinating stuff 🙌🙌🙌
Latham's work is a real pleasure to read, and - man, I am looking forward to your book!
Thank you Bowen. Likewise
Latham, thanks for sharing your inspiring story! I've spent the past 15 years (and almost $15,000!) on coaches and trying to find what I'm supposed to do with myself and thinking that you need a huge audience etc. etc. My goal for the end of 2023 is to just write whatever I can and NOT PUBLISH IT ANYWHERE and not try to get followers first (Jeff had a recent post about this). It's SO HARD to just let your creativity and self-expression come first, but I have to practice it because otherwise....why am I doing it? Thank you for sharing and I'm following :)
Ever since I’ve started my Substack earlier this year I’ve released an ambient song with each of my monthly posts. Well, my article from earlier this week was the last song for now. I’m going to spend the rest of the year posting some of my earlier piano works and brainstorm ideas for my first album.
Starting in January I’ll begin posting new songs from the album as I write them.
Very cool!
Thanks for this space Jeff! I just finished putting together a Zine to celebrate my 1 year on Substack. It’s hand-bound and includes writings, collages, and drawings - made with lots of intention and care. I’m so excited to send it out!
ooh! where can i learn more?
Here! ☺️
https://kenshostudio.substack.com/p/paper-pixels
Wow! @Kensho studio, your words "made with lots of intention and care" impelled me to look! How wonderful that even your publishing schedule honours natures (and our own) rhythms. I'm excited to read more :)
Thanks so much Melanie! I hope you enjoy what you discover 😉
Mine is pretty basic....I just launched my newsletter one month ago and I'm just working on building it. I decided to do it specifically because I lost my job in August and the thought of looking for another job kind of makes me want to 🤮
I have a LOT of experience to share as a writer and travel writer, and I KNOW I connect well with people through my words. I'm treating my Substack as an experiment in the art of being alive and adventurous and being fed up with "normal" life 😁 So far, I'm very happy with how my subscriber base is building and very much looking forward to building my community.
You’re speaking my language! (And you picked up a subscriber.) One week in over here, with a similar approach. I’ve got experience writing but haven’t had (or grabbed) the opportunities to do it my way. It’s a big ole experiment, and fun so far! I’m rooting for you.
And I subscribed right back based on the name of your pub 😁 I love it! We can root for each other!
Congratulations!!
Just subscribed and started reading your post about disappearing on your birthday. I feel like you're speaking my language because I hate the constant social notifications that it's so and so's birthday. It feels like so much pressure.
I feel like more and more people are starting to dislike social media distraction. We're not alone, that's for sure. The only reason I haven't deactivated Facebook altogether is the memories reminders. I've lost some significant people and I really cherish the memories.
Thank you for subscribing! 😊 I hope I don't disappoint!
Love this!!!!!!
I suppose I have two concurrent projects and they tend to compete for my headspace. You already know about both.
1. A book project on the book as a technology.
2. Running MillersBookReview.com to my personal satisfaction and joy of my readers.
The competition? There are only so many hours in a day. While I navigate the acquisitions process with the book, I tend to default to MillersBookReview.com. But here and there an idea will break thorugh I can’t ignore and I’ll work on one chapter or another in the book. It’s a weird in-between place. But it mostly works for me at the moment.
I so appreciate your newsletter, Joel, and I can't wait for your book. I said to J the other day that a quote from your welcome email, "A Uniquely Portable Magic", would be a great title. :)
Thank you for saying that, Chante! I actually had Portable Magic as my working title for a while, but then Emma Smith came out with a book by that title (argh!) and I relented. Maybe the longer phrase might still work.
I think if you wait long enough, Joel, all your titles will be taken. ;)
LOL. So true.
Jeff- I think your gift to readers is your essays. They are insightful and have an earnest depth to them. It is not like you are writing just to fill the page with words but it is as if you are thinking out loud(with your fingers and keyboard), sharing your thoughts unfiltered by writer rules or regulations. Conversing with the reader, and ending the essay with space for us to ponder a response, or even move us to some sort of action. Sometimes, I finish one of your posts, shaking my head, "Jeff, Jeff, Jeff. What is it you are rambling about?" I ask myself. But there is something that haunts me about a phrase, a word, a thought you shared, and I'd find myself reflecting on the "why".
Your self-examining encourages the reader to do the same and given enough reflection time, personal growth takes place. So, I suggest you delay the self-help book- write the essays- pick a theme that resonates with you and your ghost network, (which posts do we respond to the most) and keep us scratching our heads while questioning your point, and finding our personal answers to your queries.
Thanks for the chance to share-
Kathy
Jeff, I agree with Kathy. I love your essays and the raw, vunerable voice coming through the pages.
This is what I love about Jeff as well. Jeff: I love that you don't give us answers, but instead give us stories and words and things to chew on . . . it's such a relief from my self-help addiction LOL
Molly- exactly! He prods at our hidden spots, reminding us to just sit with our own thoughts for a while- permission to reflect as the spirit moves us. Thank you Molly for your response- a kindred soul! Some times growth comes with “Aha!” moments, other times a slow simmer, hardly noticed.
Take care-
Kathy
I am split between two personal writing projects and preparing paintings for an upcoming art exhibit. This split makes it hard to fully focus on both and I keep finding myself switching gears right when the flow starts to hit me. Nothing better than a deadline to clarify priorities as my artwork is due Monday so you know what I'll be doing this weekend. Here's my website, which could use some love as well an update on the show https://vanessashinmoto.com/. Have a great weekend everyone!
That is wonderful Vanessa!
How did the art exhibit go? What type of medium do you use to paint in? Where was your show? My girlfriend paints with acrylics and will be doing some oils too. It seems to be a challenging field in which to make money. People don't realize how much goes into a painting when they look at the 'price tag'. My husband is a jazz musician and people don't understand all that goes into his processes also.
I am just so amazed by all the talents out there-and all the creativity!
What do you like to write? I have self-published two haiku books. I love that these poems are short and jam packed with emotion. I am tweaking my website that has an on-line store with unique haiku gift items. I also enjoy photography and memory keeping.
Take care-I'll check out your website.
~Sylvia~
Hi Sylvia, thanks for asking about the exhibit. The opening was lively and my artwork will be up for the rest of the year. My show is at a wine shop in Chicago's Roger's Park neighborhood; the shop is called Picnic Wine & Provisions. I plan to invite people to private showings and chat them up about the artwork to make some sales.
I write about yoga, health, and lately politics. I would love to see your website of unique haiku gift items. Haiku is such a sweet poetry form. Please send me your website and let's stay in touch on here.
Congrats on the exhibit! I hope it goes well. I love the colors in your work.
Thanks Katherine!
Beautiful artwork and website Vanessa. I want to get back to my art too but figuring out the writing is taking up much of my time.
Thanks Jeanette. I hear you re the struggle to make time for both art and writing. Both are creative practices but they are so different.
I'm impressed by your art, and even more so by your simple but effective GODADDY website!! Did you do that yourself?
Thank you Sandra! Yes, I built it myself with Godaddy's website template builder. These are easy to use for people with no website coding knowledge so if you are looking to build your own website, I highly recommend it.
Beautiful work Vanessa!
Thanks for checking it out Troy. Your reading list looks interesting, a good combo of creativity and well-being.
Thank you Vanessa!
I've juuuuuust taken the plunge this week to begin to publish some of my work here on substack. It's all very new, and incredibly intimidating, to share my writing with anyone, much less everyone.
Nonetheless, here I am, tentatively excited to start on this new path.
excellent! welcome. :)
This sort of ties into your book “Real Artists Don’t Starve” which I’m currently enjoying, but I’m fascinated with excellent writing because when it’s done well, it “feels” like it’s so easy anyone can do it, but like watching Roger Federer hit a poetic backhand or watching the late, great Jeff Beck, play guitar that sounds so insanely fluid it doesn’t really sound like a guitar because the melody in Beck’s head overpowers the mechanics of the instrument. They both make it look SO easy…
I used to be a professional songwriter/performer who followed the same career path as the fictitious band SweetWater in the movie “Almost Famous”. I got as close to the “big-time” as one could get and realized I was facing a cross-roads and the question I found I kept asking myself was: “Do I REALLY want this BAD enough?” And the answer was no. We had a deal with Columbia Records and the whole smash but after 15 years of seeing too much of the ugly side of “show biz”, (and it IS VERY ugly and there is a LOT of it), I realized that what I wanted was not so much to play music, but to communicate.
But the unexpected blessing and REAL lesson I learned from the HEAVY constraints of songwriting is that it makes writing in general, feel like a breeze. In writing a “pop” song, you have to have a point, and GET TO THE POINT in less than a minute, (the “hook”) and it has to rhyme! Once you’re freed of those constraints, you feel like you’ve been released from jail! But the other thing I learned is that excellent writing has a lyrical quality to it as much of yours does. Many people don’t know but when Paul McCartney wrote “Yesterday”, his original lyrics were “Scrambled Eggs” because the syllables of “scrambled eggs” ARE lyrical.
In short, I’m fascinated with documenting life’s lessons. They are literally EVERYWHERE and for most people? They miss them completely because they just aren’t paying attention…
Love this, Tomas. Fascinating. Almost Famous is a great movie and it paints quite a picture of what I imagine your journey was like.
You are too, TOO kind… Thank you!
That was Mary Oliver’s contention... it is our good and proper work to pay attention!
Why write what one thinks readers want? Is the purpose of your writing to affirm - or to challenge? .
Once you get into product mode, you become a business.
Once a business, you worry about increasing readership.
Once you worry about i increasing readership, you asymptotically approach the mundane.
To sell a larger slice of the pie you must make it blander.
Are you after bland? I'm not!
YouTube channel - sBrianBell - Finding LIFE! Launched 1/30/2023. Been going live every M-F at 6:00 AM PST ever since! It’s definitely had its challenges & low points, but overall, I am loving every minute of it. There’s nothing greater than doing what you feel called to do. Thank you for the opportunity to share, Jeff.
go, brian!
I have multiple projects in various stages of progress, but right now I’m focused on completing the second draft of book 2 in my dark sci-fi/ fantasy series about evil’s chosen one turned superhero.
I’ve set a deadline of November 31st and a weekly goal of revising at least 3 chapters.
I’m working on self-publishing two self help books and building out a social media presence. I would like to develop a paid newsletter as my next step. Direction is a challenge for me.
Wow! That’s amazing. How are you managing the juggle of so many different plates?
Only my the grace of God!
Sounds like we are roughly in the same place. I'm curious - do you have help or are you winging it?
Well I signed up with Matt Rudd-Write Your Book already, you can find him on FB. His program kept me on track for completing the books. Then I hired someone on Fiverr to professionally format and upload the books. I learned how to use Canva and created my own book covers. You might say I’ve been bootstrapping all these project to save money. I built out my website by myself using Goddady website builder. You can find that at Narcissismsurvivorsplaybook.com.so, pretty much myself with a little help. I also, hired someone on Fiverr to help me set up the social media links on my website and they aren’t quite complete yet. It’s a process for sure. If you need book formatting and I let you know who I used. He was great and cost effective.
Working on my next marketing newsletter issue and also starting to work with a writing coach (today!) on personal essays.
I'd love to hear how the writing coach helps you. I've taken a number of classes but never really thought about working with a coach in this area.
Hi Latham. Thanks for your note. Just ended my first session with my writing coach, who is a writer friend I've known for a few years. I'm working with her to re-establish my writing habit and write a personal essay. I've much newsletter writing experience, but am new to the personal essay arena. Happy to let you know down the road how this is going if you ping me again in a couple of months. We are meeting bi-weekly, so it will take a while to assess how it is working.
I've taken classes before too. Found them inspirational but then the onus is on me to keep going.
Yeah! I just reached out to someone with the same idea of hiring her as a writing coach. It sounds so fun.
I like the ability to get tailored help and be candid about my challenges. That's harder to do in a large group or in a class.
Yes, for sure. I hope it goes well for you.