Category: sethwCategory: sethw

During an interview last week I spoke with someone about musicians getting email addresses from live gigs. I gave two examples I’ve heard over the years, which broke something open for my host, who burst out a whole new idea.

On a group call over the weekend, a musician was stuck in the mire of writing music, recording it, getting the word out – the never ending list of things to manage and tend to. After we batted some ideas around the group, they said the magical words: “you can really clarify your thinking by bouncing stuff off other people.”

As I said, “your next big breakthrough will happen with other creative people.”

“If you were the lone creative weirdo in high school back in the day, well…, you’d better read some books and find some magazines because you’re on your own.

Now we have websites, Zoom, internet radio, email, and a thousand messaging apps – there’s no reason to do any of this alone.

We know the villains in the current landscape. We know what we’re up against.

Time to stop playing games we don’t want to play (and can’t win), and figure out what’s next.”

Platforms can only take you so far. Time to pull great people in your creative orbit. Email someone way up the food chain. Go to the event. Ask for an introduction. Make your own luck.

Your next big break could be one email, one interaction, one person away.

On a morning walk this week, I saw a university work truck holding up traffic while the driver got out to pick up a paper cup that someone threw on the sidewalk. Sometimes the tools we use can be overkill. What gigantic tools are you using that could you stop using today and still get the job done?

Don’t expect a platform to serve you, or look the way you want it to look. You’ll never be satisfied.

Instead, serve your readers. The people already on your email list, the people who trusted you enough to subscribe and say “I wanna hear more from you.”

From today’s ’Making Cozy Videos’ Zoom call, an absolute mic drop quote from a guest:

“(Treat) making a video (on your website) about making someone comfortable, like, if someone came to an opening of mine, I’d want them to feel welcome and comfortable.”

Video isn’t just for touting your expertise and knowledge but to give the visitor a glimpse into what it’s like to work with you, or run into you at a book shop.

Don’t think of each video as something that has to end up on YouTube to be seen by everyone. Think of how one video can put someone at ease, to let people know they’re in the right place when they show up on your website.

From my piece “How I Write” over at Indie Thinkers:

For me, staying in the game is winning, and winning just means I get to play again tomorrow. I just never stopped writing for my little corner of the world.

Read the full piece here.