How I decided to write the things I’d enjoy reading

Hello there!

Good to see you again. I’ve been away from the email newsletter since fall. (Did you miss me? :)

To be honest, I got burned out on the type of writing I was doing for a while, and it took me longer than I expected to get started again. Here’s why it happened and what I’ll be doing differently now.

I realized I wasn’t enjoying re-reading the stuff I wrote myself.

I didn’t want to admit it at first, but it’s true. I wasn’t enjoying the stuff Iw as writing myself. How would I tell others to enjoy it? ¯_(ツ)_/¯ So I took a break from publishing what I wrote.

I was writing and reading different things

As a designer, I’m in a way my own target audience. But the stuff I was reading for inspiration, and enjoying, was very different from the stuff I was aiming to write.

At the end of the day, or between work and dinner, I would read about other artists’ technique, supplies, and daily practice. The posts that motivate me tell about life as it is: how to run errands, how to paint in a sketchbook when living out of a car, and generally how a day goes. Or, how a painting comes together, when you overcome resistance or the feeling of funk, and get it done, and realize it’s not too bad a couple days later.

Then, I realized I had neglected to mention all of those fun real-life bits in my own posts.

Mine sounded too much like an attempt at academic writing, with references, logical conclusions and even a moral to each story. Academic writing is useful and good, but not always fun to read. So I am giving myself permission to chill out.

I wasn't sending weekly emails, but wrote a bunch. Here are six things from this winter!

…so, I’ll write a bit differently now :P

I’ll keep the story of how things came together. I’ll keep things shorter. And I’ll be around more often, sharing things that are fresh.

I value the experience I got from trying to write “serious” articles that connect art history, UX design, and art practice - but writing one weekly nearly got me burned out. In all creative projects, it’s important to know when to stop and pivot. That’s what I’m doing now - and you should, too, if you’re feeling stuck.

See you next week!