Ive got to say I admire the guts it takes to do all this back & forth switching platforms in public hehe. I find I second guess myself a lot in deciding what to do when I want to try something new or think I have figured out what "really" works or is needed for me and my business. So to receive this email seeing you going BACK to substack I was so intrigued and am really enjoying your journey 🙏
And here I was, sweating before publishing this, thinking everyone was going to hate me for all my "changing my mind in public"... 😂 Thank you so much for saying this. I want to normalize second guessing and changing your mind, because you kind of have to do that in today's rapidly changing landscape. At least if you're running a mostly online operation.
I think it's actually quite healthy and also a really important aspect of some of these newer platforms. The fact that you *could* move around is so vital, and would have been impossible in the last decade+ of social media obsession. The slow shift towards more sustainable outlets for artists is so exciting.
Louise, I LOVE that you share all of your decision-making with us and that you allow yourself to change your mind. I know you've gone through a lot experimentation and changes with your business over the past several months and it's beautiful for me to see that experimentation is normal. Within my own business, I often feel pressure to make the RIGHT decision one time and to never change. I'm afraid I'll look silly and amateur if I'm constantly changing my mind, but being able to try different things is an important part of our process, so thank you for showing me that it's okay to do that. 😊
Thank you, that so reassuring to hear. 🖤 It's always a scary thing to do, but knowing I have support from the people who matter makes it so much easier.
Hah, I'm the same way. Want to do everything right and perfect from the start. It's such a stressful feeling, and it took me years to even question it. I believe a much better mantra to have is "good enough for now, better overtime." 😊
It's funny because I watched the goodbye video and sent you some energy and the next day I see that you are returning. Your YouTube presentation is very high quality, I think if you had a podcast where you interviewed other artists you'd do really well building a community out for fellow artists, writers, seekers and authentic minded folk.
What I suspect is collaboration would energize you and complement your YouTube funnel, courses and more "business" side of your work. You are very classy and the kind of person that can rally others.
Thank you so much. 🙏🏻 I must have received that energy, because my decision to return to Substack was quite sudden and strong. One of those gut instincts that you can't ignore.
I completely agree with you on the podcast thing! And I'm playing the idea... Just gonna get over my immense fear of talking to strangers first. 🙈
This post fills me with joy, because it has confirmed the conclusion I'd reached. Which was, just write and don't worry.
So, yeah, that's what I'll do. I write dark sci-fi, horror, darkish fantasy. And I'm just going to have fun doing that without worrying about the stats 🙂
Oooh, a fellow horror/dark fantasy writer! Gonna have to check you out. 😊
Exactly. Without a calm, joyful focus on one's craft, there's no reason to keep doing it anyways. A marketer's mindset might work perfectly for an entrepreneur, who's sole goal is to maximize revenue. But it can have the opposite effect for a creative.
I'm glad you're back! As a fellow painter I appreciate everything you say and your journey to integrate all parts of yourself and to share it so authentically!
I'm so glad you are back on Substack! You are the one that inspired me to give it a try. While I am still having a very slow start with my own writing, I am thoroughly enjoying the writings of so many authors and have found Substack an encouraging place to be! Excited to watch your Calm Marketing course. Working as a full-time healthcare executive while building my art business, I don't have any space for more chaos!
At first, when I saw your image, I felt like I had known you from somewhere but could not pinpoint where and when I had seen you. Then I remembered. You were one of the first people I saw on youtube when starting my Substack. Thanks to your video, I was inspired to start my own Substack and it's been history since then. Thank you so much for all your work, glad to have you back :)
Louise, I too think Substack is a generally good platform, but as you talked about control, I ran into a wall when I could not get an answer from the Substack team about segmenting my subscriber list so I could send to flagged or tagged members without having to send to all. I think you did mention this. In any case this brought me to a full stop and I did stop. And returned. But it would be so nice if Substack could allow us to email groups of our list as we see fit. Hoping that will happen... Good luck on the Calm Creative.
I agree, and I think we'll see more and more of those advanced functions overtime. I've noticed a lot of improvements and new features since coming back, and I was only gone 6 months.
Welcome back, very insightful article, which in most parts resonated with my feelings and thoughts on running my creative business. Thanks for sharing it. And I will give it a listing to the Calm Marketing because is a thing I struggle.
Hej Louise, you don't know how excited I am that you're back on Substack. You made my day! You know why? You're the reason why I found Substack and why I joined it approx. 2 weeks ago (yes, before you re-joined). You could say that you're my 'Substack Hero'! 😄I knew when I joined Substack that you wouldn't be here anymore because the video that made me aware of Substack was the one where you explained why you were leaving it. But even if you told the world that you were leaving Substack, it was very clear that you still loved it. That it was a hard decision for you. You explained all the cons and pros. The pros were so powerful that I had to check it out. And here I am. I've written my first ever Newsletter, followed by a 2nd a week later and the 3rd one scheduled for later today. And as described by you and many other Substackers, it's not only about writing newsletters... it's about the community here. I've already discovered quite some treasures and it's just wonderful... So, thank you so much for introducing me to Substack! 🤗 But I'm stopping now... I might be overdoing it... 😄😄 Welcome back to Substack and I'm looking forward to reading more from you!😊
Rebecca, you made MY day. And you're making me cry. 🖤 I really did not expect such a warm welcome back and was overcome with joy from all the positive feedback.
So happy to hear about your newsletter! You'll soon gather momentum. That's the beautiful thing about writing within a larger community/ecosystem. It feels much less lonely, even when just starting out. Welcome! 🥳
I stumbled on your YouTube video about leaving substack and felt a bit sad because I’m just getting to this substack party. But I was happy to see that you’ve rejoined. I’m also in the marketing world and am so fatigued by funnels and all of that. It feels right to have a space where you can just be authentic and human. Maybe a hybrid approach with keeping some automation to sell courses via your site can be a happy medium 🤷. Wish you the best.
I totally agree! There's still a way to utilize funnels in an enthical and transparent way, which I might do in the future. I guess it comes down to what kind of business one wants to run. I find that I really enjoy putting out content regularly and staying in touch with my subscribers, so for me, automated marketing isn't really necessary. Whereas if I wanted someting more hands-off and scalable, automated funnels make a lot more sense.
Funny, I just had the same experience. The video was actually pretty positive about Substack as a content platform, and I’m not looking for marketing automation at this time, so it actually made me more interested in joining.
I get that a lot, since that video performed pretty well on my channel. And you're right: it is a very positive message about Substack, despite the "quitting" part. Wish I could go back into the video and edit out that part, but YouTube won't let me... 😂
You helped me start using substack. I've been on here a year now and I was sad when you announced you were leaving. I'm glad you're back and have found a new way to use Substack to fit your needs 😊
Ive got to say I admire the guts it takes to do all this back & forth switching platforms in public hehe. I find I second guess myself a lot in deciding what to do when I want to try something new or think I have figured out what "really" works or is needed for me and my business. So to receive this email seeing you going BACK to substack I was so intrigued and am really enjoying your journey 🙏
And here I was, sweating before publishing this, thinking everyone was going to hate me for all my "changing my mind in public"... 😂 Thank you so much for saying this. I want to normalize second guessing and changing your mind, because you kind of have to do that in today's rapidly changing landscape. At least if you're running a mostly online operation.
I think it's actually quite healthy and also a really important aspect of some of these newer platforms. The fact that you *could* move around is so vital, and would have been impossible in the last decade+ of social media obsession. The slow shift towards more sustainable outlets for artists is so exciting.
Louise, I LOVE that you share all of your decision-making with us and that you allow yourself to change your mind. I know you've gone through a lot experimentation and changes with your business over the past several months and it's beautiful for me to see that experimentation is normal. Within my own business, I often feel pressure to make the RIGHT decision one time and to never change. I'm afraid I'll look silly and amateur if I'm constantly changing my mind, but being able to try different things is an important part of our process, so thank you for showing me that it's okay to do that. 😊
Thank you, that so reassuring to hear. 🖤 It's always a scary thing to do, but knowing I have support from the people who matter makes it so much easier.
Hah, I'm the same way. Want to do everything right and perfect from the start. It's such a stressful feeling, and it took me years to even question it. I believe a much better mantra to have is "good enough for now, better overtime." 😊
It's funny because I watched the goodbye video and sent you some energy and the next day I see that you are returning. Your YouTube presentation is very high quality, I think if you had a podcast where you interviewed other artists you'd do really well building a community out for fellow artists, writers, seekers and authentic minded folk.
What I suspect is collaboration would energize you and complement your YouTube funnel, courses and more "business" side of your work. You are very classy and the kind of person that can rally others.
Thank you so much. 🙏🏻 I must have received that energy, because my decision to return to Substack was quite sudden and strong. One of those gut instincts that you can't ignore.
I completely agree with you on the podcast thing! And I'm playing the idea... Just gonna get over my immense fear of talking to strangers first. 🙈
Yeah strangers are pretty scary but at least they might be artists! So nice to have you back.
Strangers are simply friends you haven't met yet. 😉
Glad to meet you, Louise. Brand new to your Substack, and loving it already. 💖
This post fills me with joy, because it has confirmed the conclusion I'd reached. Which was, just write and don't worry.
So, yeah, that's what I'll do. I write dark sci-fi, horror, darkish fantasy. And I'm just going to have fun doing that without worrying about the stats 🙂
Oooh, a fellow horror/dark fantasy writer! Gonna have to check you out. 😊
Exactly. Without a calm, joyful focus on one's craft, there's no reason to keep doing it anyways. A marketer's mindset might work perfectly for an entrepreneur, who's sole goal is to maximize revenue. But it can have the opposite effect for a creative.
I'm glad you're back! As a fellow painter I appreciate everything you say and your journey to integrate all parts of yourself and to share it so authentically!
Thank you so much, Lora! 🖤
I'm so glad you are back on Substack! You are the one that inspired me to give it a try. While I am still having a very slow start with my own writing, I am thoroughly enjoying the writings of so many authors and have found Substack an encouraging place to be! Excited to watch your Calm Marketing course. Working as a full-time healthcare executive while building my art business, I don't have any space for more chaos!
Thank you! 🙏🏻 Slow starts are better than no starts. 😌 Keep on painting!
At first, when I saw your image, I felt like I had known you from somewhere but could not pinpoint where and when I had seen you. Then I remembered. You were one of the first people I saw on youtube when starting my Substack. Thanks to your video, I was inspired to start my own Substack and it's been history since then. Thank you so much for all your work, glad to have you back :)
So happy the hear that. Thank you!
Louise, I too think Substack is a generally good platform, but as you talked about control, I ran into a wall when I could not get an answer from the Substack team about segmenting my subscriber list so I could send to flagged or tagged members without having to send to all. I think you did mention this. In any case this brought me to a full stop and I did stop. And returned. But it would be so nice if Substack could allow us to email groups of our list as we see fit. Hoping that will happen... Good luck on the Calm Creative.
I agree, and I think we'll see more and more of those advanced functions overtime. I've noticed a lot of improvements and new features since coming back, and I was only gone 6 months.
But, are you sure you can't target these subscribers by filtering them out and sending them an email? I don't think we can save the filters as segments yet, but I've been able to do it on a one-off basis, and I know there's a ton of things you can filter on. I think this is the article that details it: https://support.substack.com/hc/en-us/articles/19163529016212-How-do-I-send-an-email-to-one-or-a-select-group-of-subscribers-on-Substack
Welcome back, very insightful article, which in most parts resonated with my feelings and thoughts on running my creative business. Thanks for sharing it. And I will give it a listing to the Calm Marketing because is a thing I struggle.
Thank you. 🙏🏻
Hej Louise, you don't know how excited I am that you're back on Substack. You made my day! You know why? You're the reason why I found Substack and why I joined it approx. 2 weeks ago (yes, before you re-joined). You could say that you're my 'Substack Hero'! 😄I knew when I joined Substack that you wouldn't be here anymore because the video that made me aware of Substack was the one where you explained why you were leaving it. But even if you told the world that you were leaving Substack, it was very clear that you still loved it. That it was a hard decision for you. You explained all the cons and pros. The pros were so powerful that I had to check it out. And here I am. I've written my first ever Newsletter, followed by a 2nd a week later and the 3rd one scheduled for later today. And as described by you and many other Substackers, it's not only about writing newsletters... it's about the community here. I've already discovered quite some treasures and it's just wonderful... So, thank you so much for introducing me to Substack! 🤗 But I'm stopping now... I might be overdoing it... 😄😄 Welcome back to Substack and I'm looking forward to reading more from you!😊
Rebecca, you made MY day. And you're making me cry. 🖤 I really did not expect such a warm welcome back and was overcome with joy from all the positive feedback.
So happy to hear about your newsletter! You'll soon gather momentum. That's the beautiful thing about writing within a larger community/ecosystem. It feels much less lonely, even when just starting out. Welcome! 🥳
I will read your writing no matter which platform you use to send emails - welcome back!
Thank you so much, that means the world to me. 🖤
You're back! Hello again. :) I missed this announcement back in February.
Hi Simon! 👋🏻😊
I stumbled on your YouTube video about leaving substack and felt a bit sad because I’m just getting to this substack party. But I was happy to see that you’ve rejoined. I’m also in the marketing world and am so fatigued by funnels and all of that. It feels right to have a space where you can just be authentic and human. Maybe a hybrid approach with keeping some automation to sell courses via your site can be a happy medium 🤷. Wish you the best.
I totally agree! There's still a way to utilize funnels in an enthical and transparent way, which I might do in the future. I guess it comes down to what kind of business one wants to run. I find that I really enjoy putting out content regularly and staying in touch with my subscribers, so for me, automated marketing isn't really necessary. Whereas if I wanted someting more hands-off and scalable, automated funnels make a lot more sense.
Funny, I just had the same experience. The video was actually pretty positive about Substack as a content platform, and I’m not looking for marketing automation at this time, so it actually made me more interested in joining.
I get that a lot, since that video performed pretty well on my channel. And you're right: it is a very positive message about Substack, despite the "quitting" part. Wish I could go back into the video and edit out that part, but YouTube won't let me... 😂
It makes for a good story, Louise. Far better to keep it as is, with the note you added in the description.
I discovered both in one go, and couldn't be more pleased! 👍
Welcome back! 👋
Thank you!
you abandoned us and now you want us to re-embrace you? the audacity! :)
I know! Shameless. 🙈
You helped me start using substack. I've been on here a year now and I was sad when you announced you were leaving. I'm glad you're back and have found a new way to use Substack to fit your needs 😊
Yaaaaay, so happy to hear that! 🥳
I just love seeing how many people you've introduced to Substack ~ and I hope that's been a happy surprise for you, as well!