Awesome return letter! I appreciate your humorously self-deprecating yet self-aware writing style. It’s a much needed reminder that writing can be more than an academic endeavor.
Drawing my creativity definition from a conversation with my daughter. She’s an artist and had been sick and home from school for nearly a week. Countless hours spent laying down and often just watching shows or checking out. In my mind, it was the opportune time for her to sit at her “art desk” and create. She enlightened me…letting me know that although it seemed like this would be the perfect time, she actually just didn’t have the energy for it. This helped me to see that creativity is possibly energy invited to play. There’s an intentional element, a decision to devote the space and energy simply to the experience that creativity offers. And yet, it also can’t be forced. Interestingly, the creativity of one can offer inspiration for the creativity of another…thinking of how music is such a beautiful, group creative endeavor.
5th: It’s a great space to start practicing mindfulness. It’s easy to “zone in” and there’s an inherent deep breath that filters through. It’s that humbling reminder that we all require margin.
It's so funny you mention me here because I often have the same thoughts about others -- "why bother when _______ is here doing it so much "better "?" Goodness, the reminder that we're all battling self-doubt and wondering if there's room for us. And I believe, even when I forget, that there is -- perhaps it won't look the same, but choosing to share what you have to share matters. If only for yourself, that's enough. Thank you for listening to the call and following it, regardless of where it leads. ✨
Blake, your newsletter is nine kinds of delightful. I started writing on substack about four and a half months ago, and it's been a roller coaster, with lots of euphoria and dips of what-the-hell-was-I-thinking? Welcome back. I connect with your honesty and humor. Please keep it up.
Creativity- a singular, selfish, transcendental, insular experience. When you are writing, and the words come too fast, when in a Celtic construction, I can keep the line. What I imagine Tesla, or Einstein felt about their puzzle-thoughts. 5th lesson.? Can one ghost procrastination? Didn't your newsletter come back? You can choose when to take on the things that will not be silent. Not choosing, will choose for you. (Ha. Life- hero or victim? ) Go.
Howdy, I found this post from your recent note on your friend with 100k IG followers. Great note also. As someone who has also started and stopped many projects, typically just when the momentum kicks in, I appreciate what you have written here. I also quit graduate school three separate times in working towards my mental health degree so we might have a few things in common 😂, but of course those topics are the focus of all of my writing.
I'm a fan of finding new writers here and going back to their first few posts, it's such a great place to start.
I would add to your list, that we all need to get something out and writing seems to be the easiest, fastest, least distracting way to do that, at least for me. I spent years making a lot of video content and have now realized how much more difficult it is to create compelling writing.
Keep up the good fight, glad to have found your writing. 👍
To clarify... no, number 1 isn’t a trick question. Just a dumb copy and paste error I didn’t catch when I switched the order of the questions 🙃
Awesome return letter! I appreciate your humorously self-deprecating yet self-aware writing style. It’s a much needed reminder that writing can be more than an academic endeavor.
Drawing my creativity definition from a conversation with my daughter. She’s an artist and had been sick and home from school for nearly a week. Countless hours spent laying down and often just watching shows or checking out. In my mind, it was the opportune time for her to sit at her “art desk” and create. She enlightened me…letting me know that although it seemed like this would be the perfect time, she actually just didn’t have the energy for it. This helped me to see that creativity is possibly energy invited to play. There’s an intentional element, a decision to devote the space and energy simply to the experience that creativity offers. And yet, it also can’t be forced. Interestingly, the creativity of one can offer inspiration for the creativity of another…thinking of how music is such a beautiful, group creative endeavor.
5th: It’s a great space to start practicing mindfulness. It’s easy to “zone in” and there’s an inherent deep breath that filters through. It’s that humbling reminder that we all require margin.
So good. Thanks for this! Love how your daughter inspired your creativity through listening to herself and not forcing it. Such a good lesson.
It's so funny you mention me here because I often have the same thoughts about others -- "why bother when _______ is here doing it so much "better "?" Goodness, the reminder that we're all battling self-doubt and wondering if there's room for us. And I believe, even when I forget, that there is -- perhaps it won't look the same, but choosing to share what you have to share matters. If only for yourself, that's enough. Thank you for listening to the call and following it, regardless of where it leads. ✨
Thank you for being my main inspiration to start writing here.
Blake, your newsletter is nine kinds of delightful. I started writing on substack about four and a half months ago, and it's been a roller coaster, with lots of euphoria and dips of what-the-hell-was-I-thinking? Welcome back. I connect with your honesty and humor. Please keep it up.
Thanks D’Arcy! Same to you - onward.
Creativity- a singular, selfish, transcendental, insular experience. When you are writing, and the words come too fast, when in a Celtic construction, I can keep the line. What I imagine Tesla, or Einstein felt about their puzzle-thoughts. 5th lesson.? Can one ghost procrastination? Didn't your newsletter come back? You can choose when to take on the things that will not be silent. Not choosing, will choose for you. (Ha. Life- hero or victim? ) Go.
This is great. Also love your definition of creativity. Thank you!
I love this post dude! And I was loving it before I even saw the BAT shoutout which I did not know was coming, so thank you so much for that.
#4 really resonated w me. I felt that this morning, just goofin writing my thing i even clocked it like, dang, this shit is fun.
Keep writing i love reading it
Thanks man. Appreciate your encouragement! Yeah, if I can keep bringing myself back to #4, I have a feeling I’ll write more stuff.
Howdy, I found this post from your recent note on your friend with 100k IG followers. Great note also. As someone who has also started and stopped many projects, typically just when the momentum kicks in, I appreciate what you have written here. I also quit graduate school three separate times in working towards my mental health degree so we might have a few things in common 😂, but of course those topics are the focus of all of my writing.
I'm a fan of finding new writers here and going back to their first few posts, it's such a great place to start.
I would add to your list, that we all need to get something out and writing seems to be the easiest, fastest, least distracting way to do that, at least for me. I spent years making a lot of video content and have now realized how much more difficult it is to create compelling writing.
Keep up the good fight, glad to have found your writing. 👍