Category: sethwCategory: sethw

I recently asked “What’d we learn this year,” and Shane Valle offered this inspiring lesson:

“Of the 19 times someone performed one of my pieces of music (I’m a composer) this year, 17 of those times were because I directly reached out to an individual musician or ensemble, not because they were passively consuming or interacting with me or my content on social media.”

Finding musicians and ensembles to approach takes time and effort, and results aren’t promised. Posting to social media is much easier, and gets us off the hook – we get to say “hey, I tried!”

If the work we’re doing is magic, if it has the power to transform and uplift and inspire, then the work required to get it out there goes beyond just the work.

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I worked with artist IKSRE via my Email Guidance offering, where we swapped emails about getting Instagram followers to their Substack email list, clarifying her live offerings, and their website.

They were originally on Square Space, but I introduced them to my WordPress guy Tommy and now they have this great new site!

Note the lead image which says THIS IS ME, then the “latest from the blog.” This shows things are current, updated, “this is what I’ve been doing lately.”

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Maybe quitting social media is more than apps and hacks which lean heavy on the SELF HELP industrial complex.

Maybe quitting social media involves other people who want to quit. Other small businesses folk who want to find new ways to market their work. Other creative people who could use the support of other people who seek the same escape.

Social media platforms isolate us, making us feel like we can just figure out the algorithm, the scheduling, the pacing, the engaging.

Then we try to walk away and look around and notice we’re alone. With more likes or comments, we lose the validation, the comfort, and we go running back. Or we buy a dumb phone, or a device, or set time limits on our apps, or try to go cold turkey.

This is why we need support, we need each other. Tough things are worth doing together with other people.

We have potential fans beyond the social media platforms, we just have to let them know we exist!

1/6/2026 – Rabbit Cavern, “Do you want to be friends with a crow?”

1/3/2026 – Elise Granata, “Flyering as a Spiritual Practice“

12/29/2025 – Mel Mitchell-Jackson

12/15/2025 – Mel Mitchell-Jackson

After listening to you chat with Amelia on Off The Grid I made a bunch for my tutoring offers! Here’s one in San Francisco after a few months of sun and fog fade!

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12/14/2025 – From WBEZ Chigago (link via Jen):

The 51-year-old graphic artist, Derek Erdman, swears there’s no catch behind his quirky side project. Instead, he describes his public art stunts as acts as civil disobedience, or “civil d” for short.

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This from ‘MTV Cancels Itself‘ by kd:

MTV didn’t ask me what I wanted to watch. It told me what I would watch.

When you go to someone’s blog, that first post says “this is where we’re starting today.”

Just like MTV, as kd says, the writer didn’t ask what you wanted to watch or listen to, the writer told you.

When a musician gets on stage they don’t run a poll, they’ve made a set list.

When you walk into a record shop, no one asks what you want to hear. Just like MTV, the choice has already been made.

Pick, choose, lead. You’re allowed to say, “I’m going this way, come along if you want.”