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Seth Werkheiser's avatar

A fellow re-namer! I started my newsletter as HEAVY METAL EMAIL in 2021, then renamed in 2023. I THOUGHT I was writing for one sort of audience, but along came some lovely people who kept saying "this is written for heavy metal bands, but it applies to other creative fields, too," which made the name change feel more comfortable. Those first 1000 subs or whatever... they didn't just sign up, they helped moved this into a whole new space.

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Kel Rakowski's avatar

Haha. I love the name but see why you made the change! 1000 firsts are the key 🔑

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angel's avatar

oh, i needed this. i haven’t written for my substack in months, frozen in deer-in-headlights fear after a renaming, a still-in-process redefining, all for the half a dozen lovely people who currently read my work😆 thank you for the encouraging shove!

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(Alexandra) Apple's avatar

dare to confuse people and risk finding out! ;)

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Angie Toole Thompson's avatar

You touched on a lot of shit that’s swirling unformed in my heart and mind lately.

After procrastinating and gathering appx. a billion drafts, I finally posted my first stack a few days ago.

The ideas and the delights and the energy is all there waiting to be shared, and I’m motivated to share it — for the community, the camaraderie, the solidarity, the fun of it. But once I share it all I do is wring my hands over typos and assumptions on how any of it will be perceived. Ironically, I love mess — other people’s, my own, the world’s. But a double standard manifests out of nowhere when I hit publish, and I scurry away apologetically.

Anyway, thanks for this post because it’s familiar and it spoke to that rough little weasel in me that just wants to transform freely and messily.

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Katrina Lainsbury's avatar

We love a messy road to find our path <3

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Dot's avatar

Yes. Simply yes. Also, unrelated but speaking of unpolished behind the scenes looks into things I'm very into Ben Stiller's Blue sky at the mo where he posts candid analogue photos from the production of Severance, something deeply satisfying about breaking the fourth wall and seeing behind the curtain.

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Xiu Wen's avatar

thank you for this! your writing always inspires me as a creative, i love the way your incorporate diagrams and your scribbles, it feels so unique

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(Alexandra) Apple's avatar

as usual i 100% agree! "Because clarity doesn’t come from waiting. It comes from doing." this is my motto and i hadn't realized lol...and I love what you are saying about early adopters!! YESS

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