Exciting news + some changes

Brace yourself, because this is going to be a long one... 😅

There's a lot going on right now. Some changes, and some new and exciting things. I almost don't know where to begin.

But perhaps the most noticeable: I've moved this email list from MailChimp to Substack. For three primary reasons:

1. Substack is free, while MailChimp has charged me $11 a month just for the ability to schedule my emails. (I mean, come on...)

2. Substack is a lot easier to use than MailChimp. If you've watched my latest video on YouTube about how to build an email list in MailChimp, you know. MailChimp has many strengths, but user friendliness isn't one of them.

3. Substack has a lot of interesting features. Such as the ability to host discussions, publish podcasts, and create paid subscriptions/receive donations.

I actually started a Patreon a few days ago. It was something I had thought about doing for a while, and I suddenly decided to just get it done. Spent a lot of time figuring out my tiers and writing the text and creating the graphics. Then I had it up for like 24 hours before I took it down because it just didn't feel good. (That's me in a nutshell, by the way.) I took it down because it felt like I had just created another full-time job for myself, and the thought of someone becoming a Patron and me having to deliver all of those things stressed me out. It also didn't feel right to put a bunch of things behind a paywall, when I really wanted everyone to have access to it.

So that's why Substack felt like a simpler solution. It's still a email list/newsletter and not something you would have to create an account on. Nothing really changes on your end, you're still going to get my emails as usual. But those emails will be easier to interact with. You can comment on them, like on a blog post, and we can have discussions around them and around other topics. It will be easier to access all of my previous letters and content, as they will all live on my Substack page.

I'm super-excited about this move, and it makes me want to invest more time and energy into making this a really great weekly letter. (As opposed to the more sporadic update email it has been up until now.)

Don't worry, it will still be free. 😊 There is an option to become a paid subscriber, as a way of saying thanks and supporting my work. But it's totally optional. And that was my original reasoning behind a Patreon at first - I just wanted a way to be supported directly by my "people", and not have to go via huge tech companies who put algorithms between us, capitalize on our time and attention and drown us in ads.

I love making YouTube videos, and I will continue doing that, but I have very mixed feelings about the platform. I can feel it impacting how I view myself and my creativity, and how it erodes my attention span and sucks away hours of my time. There's a lot of things I feel like I can't really do on my YouTube channel, like speaking freely from the heart, going deeper into topics, and showing up just like myself. Without editing myself into oblivion and worrying about maintaining viewers’ attention. (Which is increasingly hard to do on YouTube.)

And that is whyyyyyy....

I have started a podcast. 🥳

I've played with the idea of starting a podcast for quite a while, but wasn't sure if I could do it. There's so much about running a podcast that scares the living daylight out of me, like talking without a script and interviewing strangers. But. I fully believe in going where my fear takes me, because there's usually immense growth and possibilities there. Podcasts feel like the last bastion of depth, nuance and human connection, compared to other forms of content. It's a slower, more distraction-free environment. No censorship and no puppet master in the background controlling your feed. And it's very personal and intimate, listening to someone's voice, I feel. Even more so than seeing them on video. I can relax into a podcast. I'm not skimming, fidgeting, or looking for a reason to click away, the way I tend to do with text and video. Plus, you can do other things while you listen to a podcast, so it's much easier to fit into your day in a guilt-free way. Podcasts make me almost want to cook dinner, do the dishes and go for long walks. 😂 I also love listening while I'm painting.

And honestly, I feel like a podcast is more in line with me as a person, my values, and the type of content I want to create. So, introducing...

Confessions of a terrified creative: A podcast about the creative life, in all of its terrifying beauty, with all of its high and lows, joys and fears. In each episode, we dive deep into a particular challenge we creatives face, and - in a lighthearted way - explore ways to overcome it and thrive in our creative practice. I share my personal stories, learnings, failures and insights, and the strategies and resources that have worked for me.

For now, all of the episodes will be solo shows, but I will start doing interviews later. And I also want this to be something we create together. A place where we help and hold each other. So you are invited to share your questions, suggestions (or confessions) for me to respond to in the show. I believe that just talking about our problems, laughing at our fears, and being vulnerable, is healing and strengthening. And that’s the effect I want this podcast to have.

I will aim to put out one episode each Friday. The trailer and episode 1 is already out, and the second will come next week. I hope you'll check it out and subscribe. It's available in most podcast apps/platforms. And let me know what you think! Are you excited about the podcast? What would you like to hear me talk about? Send me a reply, or try this comment button...

And that is it  for this week's studio letter. I promise not every one is going to be this long. 😅 Just had a lot to tell you.

We're having my mother-in-law over for her birthday dinner today, so I'm going to go prepare a raw blueberry cheesecake-type-of-thing and stash it in the fridge. It's been an eventful and stressful week and I can't wait to spend the weekend reading, painting and playing piano.

Hope you have some relaxing or exciting activities planned as well. Take care of yourself, and I'll see you next week!

With love,

Louise

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A few great things

New podcast/channel: Make Art Don't Starve, by my dear colleagues Kelsey and Al.

Article: "Why birds do what they do", by Jenny Odell.

Video: Master copy of Van Gogh's portrait in Oil pastel, by Misako Flodin.

"A Cloud Never Dies" biographical documentary of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.

The Elizabeth Gilbert interviews on the Quitted podcast.

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My latest stuff

Podcast: Episode 001 - Who am I, and why did I start this podcast?

YouTube: Email marketing for artists! How to start and build an email list (MailChimp tutorial)