anniversary #4

a celebratory reflection on four principles of my newsletter

on 1/11/2021 at 1:11 PM EST, i launched my newsletter! here’s a look back at every post from that date since then:

things i collected: a digital extension of my personal archive with musings on music, style, and more

anniversary #1

anniversary #2

anniversary #3

in four years of writing things i collected, last year was the most transformative. i took a chance to put my work in more places to be seen. i developed collaborative relationships with other writers. i made new friends and i allowed my voice to be heard. i truly accepted that i don’t need other institutions to legitimize my work. after all, that was one of the catalysts for me starting my newsletter in the first place — to see the validity in my own words without the influence of conforming to someone else’s voice.

to date, i’ve written over 200 articles¹ and shared new playlists every month. the word count has got to be somewhere in the tens of thousands, but that’s math i have not done.

in reflection, here are four principles i apply to writing my newsletter:

1. i am serious about my work, but i also know when to not take myself so seriously

i have put so much effort into making this newsletter a cohesive reflection of my inner world that i have to be seriously passionate about it. but it’s also important that i remember when to simply be. to live boldly and crack a joke every now and then. i’m bored with the persistence of binary thinking that i encounter online and with folks who generally seem to hate fun. especially those who act as if fun cannot coexist with a serious work ethic. if the work is overwhelming me, i will step away until i can approach it with more levity.

there’s levels to this life experience. for instance, i can find equal value in lowbrow and highbrow art because high aesthetic value does not always yield interesting work. i personally enjoy knowing the context of 10+ years worth of memes as much as i do reading dense academic theory. you might have gleaned this much about me from the “random” intersections of the topics i discuss.

2. i focus on my own passions; i run my own marathon

i know why i write this newsletter. it’s mainly because i am archiving my personal collection of memorabilia and telling anecdotes through that. if i don’t tell my story, who will? for that reason, i’m not really watching what anyone else is doing. i can also witness things that i admire without feeling compelled to incorporate them into my own practice.

furthermore, it does not serve me to question my ability or eligibility to write by comparing my work to what others write. my publication has its own style of writing and formatting because that’s what resonates with me.

3. i use a posting schedule that makes sense to me

i do not care about growth hacks that tell writers how frequently to post to maximize our subscribers’ list and output. i typically post in accordance with music anniversaries and times that correspond with angel numbers. there are some articles that i plan in advance and others that are written as soon as the inspiration strikes. i aim to not post so frequently throughout the week as to not overwhelm folks’ inboxes with high doses of my work. if everyone else’s inbox looks anything like mine, then i know there are already so many subscriptions and promotions and spam intermingling in that space — and frankly, there’s so much we’ll never read. ultimately, i post when it feels aligned, with a hope and understanding that my audience will read the work when it makes sense to them.

4. i allow the work to evolve as i do

i’ve kept up with quite a few repeating motifs throughout this four-year journey. i like that sense of repetition and i believe that one day, someone will collect the easter eggs i’ve woven into my framework. yet, it’s equally important for me to know when to pivot. if something isn’t working, i don’t typically resolve to scrap it all. instead, how can i refine the overall concept to match my current perspective and energy? it’s much easier to flow with the idea and not force things into fruition. i allow my ideas to evolve by trusting my intuition.

so this year, i plan to keep up more of the same behaviors. but i also hold space for the possibility to change. maybe i’ll change my domain name? maybe i’ll share more poetry? only time will tell.

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thanks to every single person that has ever subscribed to my publication and read my work. thanks for the shares, the likes, and the comments. i don’t take these things lightly because i know there are people supporting me behind those actions. i would never act so high and mighty to purport that subscribers don’t matter to me. in fact, the support has meant more to me than words can even express. so before i get too mushy, i’ll leave you with a song that encapsulates how i’m currently feeling.

1. this is post 245!