This is a really clear statement of intent. The experience you had working at the castle seems so instructive in many ways.
I was talking to some fellow Substackers recently about the challenge of working out the value to your own creative work. It doesn't help that in so many lines of creative work, enthusiasm and passion are expected to be used as stand-ins for compensation.
I took a similar approach when I started my newsletter and made it 50/50 paid/free from the outset, contrary to Substack's suggestions.
I have a belief that the longer research articles I write have a real value (whether educational, practice enhancing or for want of a better term "thought-leadership" <<< cringey phrase!) for those working in design research, and for that reason there is a price attached to them.
Too often (especially in professional environments) value is the mistakenly equated to "time-spent" so the argument will always end be to reduce time spent on creative work to make it more profitable!
Haha, I am glad this statement of intent looks clear to you. I am really trying to stick to it, but I know some changes are unavoidable for I have understood that one needs to adapt with writing online.
I think it is quite hard to value our own creative work here when we don't have a course, a workshop or something more to offer our readers. Especially as you said that many lines of creative work is expected to be compensated through enthousiasm, passion and visibility. Also transparency around compensation between creatives is lacking.
Substack's suggestions are not always right, it really depends on what one writes, wants, and has to offer. It can't be one-size-fits-all.
Your last point is so important! I guess it all comes down to the difficulty to individuate what makes the work valuable. That's why so many professions are underpaid and undervalued.
Coming every week to write is bloody hard work! I think it's easy to get sucked in because we're always being told that we have to show up. Still, we need to show up for ourselves first, don't we? What I meant by focused is that it's cool that you have set some goals for yourself, but of course, those are always a way to stay focused. 😊
Exactly! Showing up every week or month is a promise to oneself, and it is not easy to maintain, but that can also be an excellent driver if you stay focused!
Yeees, goals are just there to keep me in check. With newsletters we have no one above us checking we show up. Writing ir a lonely journey (eventhough along the way we find companions) so setting goals is one way I found to keep going. We all have our own methods to motivate ourselves.
Emmanuelle I do hope things get better for your parents soon. In the meantime, get some rest, the idea of taking some time because you need it is the best course of action. We'll miss you. It's cool how focused you are on your strategy, keep at it, it'll pay off.
Thank you for your encouraging words! I think I was a little bit presomptuous/overly enthusiastic when I started because the initial plan was to post twice a month, and I ended up posting literally every week. So it is indeed time for a good rest.
It's funny you say I am focused on my strategy because the type of posts in which I talk about my objectives is actually to keep myself on check as I am mainly driven by my instinct.
Me encanta mucho que le gusta este relato. Y si, sin ayuda financiera es muy dificil hacer lo proyectos culturales. Ya lo sé por el podcast y el festival que hacemos con mi con mi socia, siempre tenemos que hacer crowdfunding y encontrar entidades para financiarnos.
Muchas gracias, espero volver muy descansada y creativa.
This is a really clear statement of intent. The experience you had working at the castle seems so instructive in many ways.
I was talking to some fellow Substackers recently about the challenge of working out the value to your own creative work. It doesn't help that in so many lines of creative work, enthusiasm and passion are expected to be used as stand-ins for compensation.
I took a similar approach when I started my newsletter and made it 50/50 paid/free from the outset, contrary to Substack's suggestions.
I have a belief that the longer research articles I write have a real value (whether educational, practice enhancing or for want of a better term "thought-leadership" <<< cringey phrase!) for those working in design research, and for that reason there is a price attached to them.
Too often (especially in professional environments) value is the mistakenly equated to "time-spent" so the argument will always end be to reduce time spent on creative work to make it more profitable!
Hello Michael,
Sorry it took me so long to answer.
Haha, I am glad this statement of intent looks clear to you. I am really trying to stick to it, but I know some changes are unavoidable for I have understood that one needs to adapt with writing online.
I think it is quite hard to value our own creative work here when we don't have a course, a workshop or something more to offer our readers. Especially as you said that many lines of creative work is expected to be compensated through enthousiasm, passion and visibility. Also transparency around compensation between creatives is lacking.
Substack's suggestions are not always right, it really depends on what one writes, wants, and has to offer. It can't be one-size-fits-all.
Your last point is so important! I guess it all comes down to the difficulty to individuate what makes the work valuable. That's why so many professions are underpaid and undervalued.
Coming every week to write is bloody hard work! I think it's easy to get sucked in because we're always being told that we have to show up. Still, we need to show up for ourselves first, don't we? What I meant by focused is that it's cool that you have set some goals for yourself, but of course, those are always a way to stay focused. 😊
Exactly! Showing up every week or month is a promise to oneself, and it is not easy to maintain, but that can also be an excellent driver if you stay focused!
Yeees, goals are just there to keep me in check. With newsletters we have no one above us checking we show up. Writing ir a lonely journey (eventhough along the way we find companions) so setting goals is one way I found to keep going. We all have our own methods to motivate ourselves.
Emmanuelle I do hope things get better for your parents soon. In the meantime, get some rest, the idea of taking some time because you need it is the best course of action. We'll miss you. It's cool how focused you are on your strategy, keep at it, it'll pay off.
Thank you for your encouraging words! I think I was a little bit presomptuous/overly enthusiastic when I started because the initial plan was to post twice a month, and I ended up posting literally every week. So it is indeed time for a good rest.
It's funny you say I am focused on my strategy because the type of posts in which I talk about my objectives is actually to keep myself on check as I am mainly driven by my instinct.
Me encanta mucho que le gusta este relato. Y si, sin ayuda financiera es muy dificil hacer lo proyectos culturales. Ya lo sé por el podcast y el festival que hacemos con mi con mi socia, siempre tenemos que hacer crowdfunding y encontrar entidades para financiarnos.
Muchas gracias, espero volver muy descansada y creativa.