Things I Said in Substack Notes This Week and Have More To Say About
A weekly column for connecting further and deeper on topics I care about because the conversations here are just so rich and wonderful
This is my weekly free column rounding up things I shared on Notes (and every now and then something poignant in the comments I shared on someone else’s great writing.) I elaborate a little on them, especially trying to emphasize the relationship between art and mental health, which is my specific writing and research niche. (And I believe that all of us are artists and all face mental health challenges to varying degrees.) I hope it also introduces you to writers that you want to get to know better.
Housekeeping:
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A FRAMEWORK TO BEGIN:
Feasts and Fables of Encourage Meant shared their manifesto and I’m here for it:
In addition to my practice of artistic tithing, a huge part of my work is to uplift, empower, support, celebrate and connect other creatives so I’m especially loving be kind, celebrate others, create community, share inspiration and be generous. That’s what this is all about.
PLEASE HELP ME MEET MY GOAL:
My goal is to find 1000 people who are interested in subscribing to this work at a rate of $100 per year. This shows the world that we as creatives believe artists and writers can and should earn six figures. I practice artistic tithing, meaning that at least 10% of my income automatically goes to support other artists, writers, makers, creatives, performers, etc. So if I meet my goal, we keep at least $10000 of that right in the creative community. I also make every effort to continuously encourage, support, share and promote the work of others.
$100 per year feels like a lot. But it works out to less than $2 per week.
INSPIRATION:
I didn’t share my usual inspiration check-in this week. However, I shared a book stack and an invitation - that so far no one has taken me up on. Here’s that original Note if you want to try:
I SHARED:
I loved the Enneagram type post by Mari Andrew of Out of the Blue, and I shared a portion of it in Notes with some additional comments:
“The Fives are brilliant. They are genius musicians, mathematicians, architects, engineers, linguists, and secretly the wittiest person at the party (though you’d never know it, because they’re hiding somewhere).
I am helpless in the presence of a Five because I want to know everything going on in their masterful minds. If my own brain is a creaky old Victorian house with some rustic ‘charm’ but many rooms filled with cobwebbed clutter, the brain of a Five is an intimidating Brutalist building with a bustling laboratory downstairs, a symphony hall upstairs, and a think tank between them.”
As a five, I’ll take it :) Seriously, though, this is such a great article about the Enneagram types from a fresh perspective and including musical numbers for each type.
I love any personality test as a framework and even though I roll my eyes a little at Enneagram, I also have seen it as a really useful tool.
So fun fact: I learned about it from a friend who is very immersed in the world when we were just starting out at grad school together ten years ago. I was really resistant to learning too much about it because I was resistant to all of the woo-woo stuff at my very woo-woo school but naturally I ended up learning a lot about it and really got a lot out of the framework actually.
So, very early on, in our first week of school, everyone was wanting to know what their type was and asking him and talking about it with him. I became mildly curious kind of so he gave me some app on a phone to start figuring out what mine was … and I quickly got an answer from the phone, didn’t get any input or have any conversation about it with him, and I went back to my room alone and read up on intensively on what it meant to be a five … which it turns out is a very five thing to do :) :) :)
So I don’t know about being a genius. But I resonate with these other things in Mari’s post, although I think I’ve managed to work on a few of the bigger flaws over time thanks to aforementioned woo-woo grad school:
“The Five presents as a minimalist, yet their brain is overflowing.
They think way ahead of their time, so it’s an intellectual treat to discuss an idea with them.
But we get into some trouble when we overly romanticize midnight without acknowledging noon, or basking in fringes of society without ever enjoying the community that makes our fringes possible in the first place.
I learned that you can be informed and still be grounded in everyday normal earth life, boring and slow as it may seem to you. I learned that you can be a normie, and you can also be deep, and you can also be happy.”
Who else here knows their Enneagram type? A few people shared theirs with me in Notes. We also talked about Myers-Briggs (which has some interesting history to check out if you’re not familiar) as well as Human Design. I haven’t been able to do the latter or any other stuff that requires you to know your birth time because I don’t know mine. It’s not on the birth certificate that I have. But actually this inspired me to try to order a long form birth certificate and see if it’s on there so maybe in a few weeks I’ll have that!
I ASKED:
Anyone else attending this writer’s retreat?
What a lineup of teachers - Alex Elle and Julia Cameron and SARK and Anne Lamott!
I really wish I could attend in person but with just starting grad school again that seemed like a lot so I’m attending virtually.
There’s a chat started in their Facebook group for Substack writers so even though I hate FB I’ll be hanging out there a bit.
So far I don’t see anyone else here on Substack attending but there must be some of you?!
I ANSWERED:
M. E. Rothwell of The Books That Made Us inspired by June Girvin asked which fictional characters would make the best parents.
I answered:
I'm gonna go with Aibileen Clark from The Help and Dr. Ruth Barnhouse (Sylvia Plath's fictional psychologist in The Last Confessions of Sylvia P.) Yep, I just want two moms. With a little bonus help from the Peter Pan dog Nana.
Lots of other great answers to explore in the original post!
Who would you pick?
A DISCUSSION:
“Here’s a question I’ve been dying to ask but feel very self-conscious about: how do people afford multiple subscriptions of $50+ a year? Or, perhaps a better question is how many Substacks do you subscribe to and how often do you juggle subscriptions to make sure you can read all the ones you want to? There many writers I love and many I would like to support — many more than I have the budget for.”
I answered:
It’s a great question and I don’t think you should be self-conscious about asking it. As I mentioned in another comment here, I practice artistic tithing (not specifically on Substack but as a reflection of my full budget and spending throughout the year.)
I love when people are transparent about their spending and earning whether in the creative space or elsewhere. Right now I only have 11 paying subscribers, and I subscribe free to 200 publications (I do this work full time) but I am only currently paying for 6. I aim to add at least one per month if I can.
Sometimes this means adjusting where my other money is going. Instead of paying $20 to go see one blockbuster movie in a theater I might either go see a local play for the same price or give that money directly to a filmmaker I know. Instead of buying a bestselling book on Amazon, I might support the work of a writer on Substack throughout the year. There’s nothing wrong with any of the approaches, it’s just a matter of consciously choosing where we want our money to go. <3
People have had a lot of questions about artistic tithing so to answer some:
To answer a few of the questions that have come up … Mine isn’t directly tied to Substack. I set aside ten percent of my pre-tax earnings from anywhere throughout the year to give to writers/artists/creatives/performers … I do this because I believe we have to put our money towards our beliefs, that our expenses reflect our values, and that if I want to create a world where people pay me a sustainable wage for my art then I have to be actively creating that world. It also has been helpful for me because I never have to think twice or doubt whether I “should” or “can afford” to pay for that because I’ve prioritized it in my budget and spending already.
Of course, some people are on a really stringent budget because money is hard for so many reasons … and since I prioritize working with artists who have mental health challenges, I definitely see that in so many ways … but a lot of people are able to find the wiggle room. They choose to cancel streaming TV services or newspaper or magazine subscriptions and put that money directly in the hands of artists and creators, for example.
Robyn Ryle said:
“This is a good and important question that’s always seemed to me like a problem with the whole paid subscriber model—I just can’t afford to subscribe to a lot of newsletters. I pay for maybe 2-3, honestly. That’s more than a 10% “tithe” as I don’t make much from Substack myself. I don’t push paid subscriptions because how can people afford it? Sort of an endless cycle.”
I think this this is a terrific and valid point … but also I personally believe in the power of the subscription model to change the world in favor of supporting creative careers as sustainable livings that we value in our culture. The problem is that it can only be one part of the solution because capitalism and consumerism and all the things … But I feel like I can do my part by supporting artists and creatives directly and hopefully as more and more people do the same then we shift this whole dynamic.
I’ve mentioned elsewhere but for me the artistic tithe of ten percent is based on my entire income from everywhere and goes to all creatives not just here on Substack; it’s something I practice regardless of where I earn my money because I really do believe in a world that values art.
I think one big issue here on Substack is that so many of the subscribers that we get are coming from Substack itself, which makes for a really awesome community that I’m loving, but it’s also a community of people who are already supporting other Substackers and who are also trying to earn money here themselves, which creates a finite number of subscriptions … I think in terms of earning money, it’s important to reach the people who are interested in our work but who aren’t already so active on Substack. Does that make sense?
A few other great responses I want to note:
Claire Venus said:
“What a brilliant question! I have an annual self development budget and I’ve invested in a business mastermind from one of my mentors that was incredibly good value so all the rest goes on Substack subs. I also have some “swaps” with folks too. Suggested by them but very much welcomed by me!”
I LOVE the idea of an annual self development budget.
Russell Nohelty said:
“I designate a portion of my revenue to subscriptions and a portion of my overall company to buying and supporting artists.
Additionally, I have tried to set up my publication for maximum value. So, readers have access to 12 novels and 3 non-fiction books. I’ll be adding 5-7 more by the end of the year. The average person reads 10-12 books a year, so that is a year of reading or more, plus my archive and other things, for $50.
I try to use the adage “give 10x the value you charge”, but honestly, I mostly just support people who are really unique, and I only do it b/c I make enough money to support myself.
One last point I think people miss is that while 80% of people right now are living paycheck to paycheck, the other 20% aren’t.”
Kevin Alexander said:
I invest a portion of my own writing income back into newsletters I love.
A couple of years ago, I also made a conscious decision to revamp my "content diet,” and money that was going to other platforms has been reallocated here.
I get that not everyone is in a position to do that.
I don’t rotate it around; once I decide to support a project, I stick with it.
It’s worth noting that while you might not have the budget to take out a paid subscription, you can still actively support a writer by sharing their work. Recommending them, etc.
Linn Thorstensson said:
“This is such a great question and so many great replies here too!
I am currently paying for a handful. Some I might stick with for a good while, others I might rotate.
It is a very different way of thinking about consuming content online I think. And it is cheap still comparing to what typical online courses costs…”
I love the comparison to online courses because I get so much value from writers here that I definitely feel like I’m learning from them all year long
And Katie Burkhart :
“I'm still figuring this out. Part of it was reworking the hardwired expectation that newsletters should be free. Then I’ve been toggling with how many I can realistically read with what gives me a balance of different perspectives and topics.
At the end of the year when I draw up my budget, I'm going to see what I've been spending. If I'm worried it's too high, I will weigh the investment against others I'm making. In my case, there's likely some software subscriptions I could cancel.
We all have to make choices and reading is up there in value to me. Oversubscribing and not being able to read the newsletter is not. I cannot imagine a writer being happy to take your money knowing you're deleting their posts.”
NOTES ON NOTES:
Terry Freedman posted a note in response to Jillian’s great Noted article about ways students took notes before computers arguing as a teacher against taking notes. There are some interesting points there and some good for-and-against arguments worth checking out in the comments. I said:
The different comments here already highlight what I was about to say which is that I think that’s different for different people.
I am in the camp where the act of taking notes itself helps me both focus in the moment and recall the information better whether or not I ever look at the notes again.
I am a words-based person but don’t learn at all well from listening, only from writing and reading. The weekly digests I do here are also a reflection of this … I rewrote portions of people’s words and draw connections and share them mostly because I want to support, promote and connect other writers but also largely because it helps me engage with the work itself.
To that end, sometimes I’ve tried in classes to not take notes and just be present and then to sit down immediately after and summarize what happened in my own words in writing. That helps too but it makes me anxious so notes while the teacher is speaking remain best for me.
For those who just need to doodle, I have also found that crocheting during lectures helps me focus. Some teachers frown on this but it helps a lot for some of us.
But then there are others I think for whom your observation is exactly right and taking notes doesn’t help and maybe even hinders. I think it’s a process of learning how you yourself learn and making space for other learning styles as well.
Donna McArthur added:
“This is an interesting conversation. I have not had a chance to read the article yet but I am in the same boat as @Kathryn Vercillo, I need to write it out for it to get into my brain. Listening does not work. When I was in college I could just hold my pen almost in one place and move it enough to access the brain pathway. It was bizarre but effective.
I’ve never tried crocheting but can see how that would work. I’d love to hear from a neuroscientist on this…anyone???”
I answered:
I spent about ten years researching crochet and knitting as therapy and you’re right there’s a neuroscience side to it that is only just beginning to get research attention. With knitting especially there’s something about the bilateral movements similar to emdr practice. And there’s indications that the repetitive motions of each release dopamine/serotonin which can reduce anxiety and therefore lead to increased concentration. But it’s young science. Stitchlinks has some good research to check out.
Terry added:
“I’m a firm believer in ACTIVE listening. If all the students are doing is trying to get down what the teacher is saying, they might as well bring a tape recorder (which actually happened at one university).”
That’s a point I can understand. There are a lot of different mental health/ neurodiversity/ memory/ learning reasons that someone might take notes, record the lecture to review again later, etc. For me, that doesn’t mean that I’m not actively listening at that moment that I’m taking the notes … but it might mean that the setting itself or my own anxiety or whatever else makes it challenging to take it all in so I need to supplement that.
And it’s tricky, right, because I know that when I would crochet in class, sometimes it really distracted classmates and even one teacher who hated that I did it. But it was one of the only ways that I could focus and learn. So I would try to do so in the back as unobtrusively as possible. But we all have different learning needs in classrooms.
I also had a fun conversation with Jillian Hess about the article. I had shared it in my digest of writing about writing and we chatted:
I RESTACKED:
Because I adored:
I WANT TO THANK:
Emily Charlotte Powell for quoting my post to continue the conversation about artistic tithing
Sue Clancy for saying that my newsletter roundups are like opening up a box of assorted chocolates and also for sending me a great postcard
Diamond-Michael Scott for mentioning me as a resource for connecting around mental health stuff
M. E. Rothwell for including me in a response to a prompt by Andrei Atanasov about great experiences on Notes by saying that I’m “one of the good ones, always cheering on others, celebrating art through her tithing, and does excellent roundups of Notes conversations.”
radicaledward for linking to the interview with me again in the post on The Past and Future of Wolf
Wendi Gordon for re-sharing the interview we did about my book
Laura Joyce who when re-stacking last week’s Thoughts on Writing roundup called it “such thoughtful literary citizenship” which absolutely made my day
And of course more big thanks to the people who helped me wrap up my month-long virtual book tour with the final posts:
William Collenof RUINS shared more thoughts on the book
Mya Dexter ofThe Bite Of The Sunshared a chapter review on Yayoi Kusama
Bryce Seto ofBird's Eye View wrapped it all up with a book review
Thank you for considering supporting my work with your Create Me Free subscription. Our expenses reflect our values and priorities, and it means a lot to know that you value my research and writing about the complex relationship between art and mental health. This support means more than I can ever express. You can also donate or gift subscriptions:
Thank you so much for the mention and I'm delighted you liked my card!! 💚
Love that photo of the books. 📚