Hey there storyteller,
This was a newsletter I wrote at the end of January, and still feels relevant, if not more so. As we dust the snow and slush off in the Midwest, the itch to move into action is growing.
For those who are longtime subscribers, you'll know that my sentiment around social media is ambivalent at the best of times. But due to the state of the world, I'm putting more conscious and deliberate time into the more nuanced content such as longer videos and email newsletters as a content consumer and a creator.
Please vote in the poll below-- I want you to influence how the format of this newsletter adapts and changes to what you need in the coming year.
Have more detailed suggestions? Drop them in the Storyspark Discord server.
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NEWSLETTER EXCLUSIVE
The Update from Hell: Creating when roles collide and the world is burning
Every January feels like the necessary hangover where we grieve and process events from the previous year.
After that snowstorm that kept schools and Kansas City closed for an entire week, I knew that this year would be different from the rest.
Then TikTok got banned and unbanned in the span of a day.
I’d wonder if they got David Lynch to direct this one but rest in peace, David. This shit was too weird even for you.
January felt like an episode of the Twilight Zone. My son had surgery on December 4th (and I lost my voice the next day). He seemed to be healing slowly then over winter break the incision opened back up again and he was in the ER.
Being the parent to a kiddo with medical needs is never boring, even when you’re begging for it to become normal any time now or at least not come to a screeching halt every few weeks.
He ended up going back into the OR less than six weeks after the last time. He was in good spirits but I was just so tired.
We’ve all been “just so tired” for what feels like a decade at this point. But weirdly enough, I feel so invigorated.
Maybe it’s to battle back the creeping rise of fascism. Maybe it’s out of fear of getting old.
But I’m no longer procrastinating or looking for excuses to hide away and be invisible.
The word I chose for 2025 is EMERGE.
My personality may tell you otherwise, but I’ve been avoiding the spotlight. I’m sick of waiting til I feel more confident or have a perfect offer before stepping out of the shadows.
It started by committing to being more visible through speaking and conversations. Feel free to let me know if you hear of any aligned opportunities.
I wanted to pull together all of the content I’d created over the years and batch entire funnels and nurture content in the first weeks of the year.
Suffice it to say, that didn’t happen.
Consistency is important to me, and I want to expand on this concept in a future newsletter.
The short explanation is that I think that there are different types of consistencies and rhythms to creating and we focus on the type that requires the most amount of effort.
My own sicknesses and the medical misadventures of my kiddo make this type impossible, but I yearn for legacy and being able to finish larger projects that need my sustained focus.
I’m not always in the frame of mind to edit and publish, but I’m considering participating in a 30-day content challenge to get in the habit of capturing my thoughts, stories, and insights.
After a long break (and writing fiction behind the scenes), I needed the time away to fall back in love with writing and content creation.
There are things I’ve been working on. The word “emerge” came to mind because most of 2024 felt like being remade inside the chrysalis. Caterpillars turn into shapeless goo before they emerge fully formed and brilliant.
I’m invigorated and ready for action. Not just for myself
I want these newsletters to relieve you of the judgment, the comparison, the shoulds, the doubts, and the criticism that come up every time you try to create something bigger than yourself.
It’s not easy at the best of times but now? When you have to worry about your neighbors’ safety? When your identity is a battleground? When hate and cruelty are incentivized against those who are othered?
We need to keep going. Not just for ourselves, but for everyone else.
Especially especially in the times when everything is burning down around us.
More than ever before, we need community. We need spaces where we are supported and held accountable, where we can take messy imperfect action and we’re invested in each others’ success.
It’s why I created the Storyspark Lounge (my free discord community). And why I want this medium to be more of a conversation instead of a broadcast. I’m actively looking to revamp the structure and frequency, so please give you feedback by voting in the poll or responding.
P.S. Because of how heavy the world has been lately, this issue is the first of a 5-part series of reflections on Creating & Promoting Amidst Chaos.
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