75 Things I Learned From Running My Substack
After 2 years and 100 published interviews, I've gained some wisdom.
Creative Reverberations wasn’t meant to last this long. I launched it during a difficult time in my life. It was a distraction, a way to do something productive while I figured out the next steps in my career. I assumed I’d interview a few artist friends about their work, maybe publish an interview every three or four weeks, and move on to something else after six months or so.
Two years and 100 interviews later, Creative Reverberations is still going strong. Over the last 26 or so months, I’ve interviewed more than 100 artists, and have learned quite a few things about perseverance, resilience, and the creative process. I’m sharing some of what I’ve learned in the hopes that it might help others as much as it’s helped me.
If you run a Substack, most of the people who are closest to you won’t read your work, and that’s okay.
That said, your biggest fans may turn out to be your mom and your spouse. (Hi guys!)
Want to interview someone? You’d be surprised by how many people will happily say yes. All you have to do is ask.
But, if you don’t get the interview you want, don’t be discouraged. Even respected journalists working on major book projects have a hard time getting people to talk to them.
The pieces you think will do great sometimes fall flat.
That’s true for all mediums—sometimes the projects you love the most get the least recognition.
No one will, or should, care about your work as much as you do.
Stay true to your vision, even when it goes against everything else out there.
Just because you make a connection with someone during an interview, it doesn’t mean you’re friends.
People you don’t know will open up to you about deeply personal things during an interview. Still doesn’t mean you’re friends.
Celebrities are just as insecure and anxious as the rest of us.
The entertainment industry is in a free fall. Even people who have been in the business for decades are worried.
Still, don’t give up on your dreams. Better to try and fail than not try at all.
And if you’re not landing
If you’re just starting out and you want to make a living in the arts, don’t quit your day job.
In fact, maybe don’t try to monetize your art at all.
It’s okay to just make art for the fun of it. Sometimes it still leads to a lifelong career.
When the world is becoming a raging dumpster fire, the arts are what will save us.
All work is tolerable when you feel like you’ve found your purpose.
If you get offered an incredible opportunity, like the chance to work with an artist you admire, don’t let fear stand in your way.
Even the most talented artists struggle with imposter syndrome.
The people you interview may say things that get them in trouble. Doesn’t mean your time with them wasn’t worth it.
Artists have always struggled to make money, and monetization platforms like Substack are not new.
Even if you’ve interviewed someone five times already, if you like their work enough you’ll always have new questions to ask.
A creative life requires the ability to pivot and try new things.
Sometimes working for free on friends’ projects pays off in the long run.
There is no reason to feel like you have to stay in one lane. Cross lanes. Or abandon them entirely.
Sometimes literal childhood wounds can influence the work we do as adults.
Art has the power to heal entire communities.
It can also be a gift during life’s darkest moments.
Playing pretend as a grown up isn’t silly. In fact, it’s empowering.
Chance encounters can literally change the trajectory of one’s life.
You can create an entirely new story out of a well-loved work of art.
Even bestselling authors sometimes have day jobs.
When you’re working on a project that’s important to you, be prepared to see it through to the end.
Reality is far more wild and weird and wonderfully interesting than any work of fiction.
A single piece of art can live “a thousand years.”
Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply live for a living.
Even the littlest ones deserve access to good art.
Taking time off to creatively recharge is a must.
Life’s darkest moments can be turned into beautiful art.
Don’t shit on one-hit wonders.
Marriage in the toilet? Write about it.
There are no rules when it comes to making art.
Successful writing careers can begin anywhere, even Reddit.
Parenting—having a parent, being a parent—is an endless well of inspiration.
It can take decades, sometimes an entire lifetime, to unravel all that was done to us as kids.
When all else fails, laughter is the best medicine.
The thing you’re most scared to share is most likely the thing everyone will relate to.
First thing in the morning is the writing sweet spot for most authors.
Burnout is legit; you have to take care of yourself if you’re going to maintain a career in the arts.
Having a mentor can be enormously helpful in navigating industry changes and challenges.
Sometimes it’s good to hand over the reins, especially if you’ve been the one in the driver’s seat for most of your career.
Twitter, shockingly, can actually lead to something good.
Sometimes success means being so good that people don’t even notice your work.
It can take decades before your work is recognized by critics. Doesn’t mean you haven’t been doing great work all along. They just took a while to catch up.
Oddly, the work can actually get harder as you get older.
If you have an idea that seems utterly bizarre—like, say, launching a print magazine as publications are folding left and right—just try it. You might be surprised by how well you do.
Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that your unique voice and perspective matter.
In fact, embrace what makes you different.
Even when it feels like you’re totally alone in your work, people are, in fact, noticing.
Starting over is terrifying, but also wonderfully freeing.
When the world feels messy and awful, rage cleaning along to a good playlist is a great way to get through it.
Don’t beat yourself up over the little mistakes. They are, after all, what separate us from AI.
True artists never stop learning.
Still, when you’re a working artist, it’s hard to not pay close attention to what other artists are doing.
There is nothing wrong with saying no to an artistic project if it doesn’t fill your soul.
Sometimes silence is the most profound statement that one can make.
This is your life. Right now. Do what you love, because this is all we get.
Hopefully some of this has resonated. Thank you for reading! Can’t wait to see what we learn from the next 100 interviews!
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