Hello dear readers,
It’s the one-year anniversary of Life (un)Learned this month. In celebration, I’ve jotted down 12 observations for the 12 months I’ve been here.
1) Comparing is inevitable – keep an open heart and be kind to yourself and others. The writing here is good. The writer’s exceptional. Talent is everywhere. But, there is no one like you. Remember that and carry on.
2) Build your own town square – Find your people. Go to Substack Office Hours on Thursdays. Reach out to others on Notes who create a spark of interest and recognition—even if they’re not writing on same topics or same genre.
3) Branch out – learn new things. See above. Sourdough baking anyone? Sketching or painting? You won’t run out of interesting things to discover here. But, do so in moderation (ie don’t overeat at the buffet table).
4) Don’t over-commit – to yourself. You may start to feel overwhelmed. No one will notice if you don’t publish, so give yourself a break if you need to. Stop and re-tool if you need to. It might take three or four months here to figure out where your sweet spot is—for writing schedule, topics and style. Give yourself grace and space.
5) Publish regularly – A schedule is beneficial only because this platform is based on relationships. Like anything. If you’re not around, people can’t get to know you, which means, you might get lonely on here if you only jump in now and again. However, if that’s what you want to do here, then go for it. But then be gentle with yourself and don’t compare and wonder why you aren’t hitting certain numbers—subscribers, opens, likes etc.
6) Numbers don’t mean shit. Engaged subscribers are where it’s at. So, write for those that are there on the regular. They are your audience. It’s easy to hit subscribe, but it doesn’t mean they’re reading. So, focus on engagement, not the subscriber numbers.
7) Shorter is better, but not always – I love to read and if you’re here, I’m assuming you do too. Writing is not easy and if you’re writing essays, it’s hard to knock them out of the park every week. Mixing it up each week with shorter and longer pieces is fun for the reader and the writer. However, if you’re telling a compelling story, the length won’t matter. My longest piece was also one of my most popular.
8) Have fun- and if you stop having fun, take a break. Breaks are good. Fill your creative cup by going outside—smelling the roses, looking at the clouds, walking amongst the trees, floating in the ocean. Whatever you need to give your mind and body space away. Your writing will thank you and so will your mood.
9) Niche/smiche – I thought I really needed one to be able to write a newsletter on here. Turns out, nope. So, if you’re fretting over a niche, don’t. Write and eventually what you write about most will tell you what your niche really is.
10) Experiment – This space is the perfect place to experiment and fail if need be. No one is going to notice but you. If it doesn’t land, try something else. Don’t be afraid to break out of the prescribed writing cadence or genre you’ve decided on. Try new things. This is YOUR newsletter, do with it what you want. *Unless you’re a Nazi, then go away.
11) Change your Mind- If your brilliant idea isn’t feeling so brilliant anymore, change your mind and move on. If your interests change and evolve over time, that’s ok. Change your newsletter, change the name, change the schedule. Change the town square you hang out in. There is no one, right way.
12) Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned on here so far. If you were an addictive workaholic before you got here, guess what, you’ll likely just move your addictive habits and hangups to here. So be on guard for those habits that weren’t serving you before you got here, and adjust as needed.
Most of all, do what feels right for you. Don’t try to fit your square peg into someone else’s idea of a round hole that’s not of your making.
I want to thank each of you for being here. You are why I show up here every week. Nameste, thank-you, gracias, tak, merci and so much more. Looking forward to what year two brings to Life (un)Learned and the space we’re carving out here for each other.
Keep (un)Learning. KVB. xo
Share with us:
If have been here for awhile, or are new to LuL, please introduce yourself below, and let us know any observations you’d like to add to the mix (as a reader or writer.)
What brought you here? If you’re too shy, feel free to reply by email. I’d love to hear from you. kimvanbruggen5 at gmail dot com.
Happy Anniversary, Kim! I agree with you on your points, and will add: take time to figure out what success here means for you, and this is a great place to practice writing.
I could restack every one of these tips, but this one is key to the others:
8) Have fun- and if you stop having fun, take a break. Breaks are good. Fill your creative cup by going outside—smelling the roses, looking at the clouds, walking amongst the trees, floating in the ocean. Whatever you need to give your mind and body space away. Your writing will thank you and so will your mood.