TIL Turns 1 Today!

Time to drink some bubbles (or whatever floats your boat).

Photo by Thomas Bonnet

When I started this newsletter, I had one specific goal: to get used to writing and sharing online regularly. That was it. This exercise, largely inspired by

Austin Kleon

’s book Show Your Work, was about being present to the words and my audience, no matter how small. And I will not lie. It was small. That was by design, as I dipped my toes into the water. I needed to get familiar with the temperature, the tides, and the currents. I had to identify the undertows to avoid drowning or getting swept away unexpectedly.

I’ve attempted to start a blog many times and failed, never getting past a few posts. Initially, I shared my substack with only a small group, afraid I would give up after a few weeks. Not even my mom or my partner had seen it. That’s how small I’m talking.

I gradually shared the link with a few more people as the year progressed. Then, when it felt appropriate, I’d drop the occasional, “Oh yeah, I have a substack if you’re interested. No obligations, of course!”

Some kindly obliged and were sweet enough to fuel me with a compliment. Others didn’t, but I’m grateful they didn’t tell me to stop.

Now I have enough subscribers that the numbers appear on the front page, but don’t go check, because it’s still embarrassingly low. (Since writing this, I think Substack felt sorry for me and has hidden those numbers until they are more respectable.)

I plan on doing a better job at sharing this coming year. But if there’s a thing I’ve learned:

TIL: I need to go at my own pace if this is going to work.

The Internet can say what it wants but I’ll do it my way. Because this is not a race. And besides, I’m not doing it for the numbers; I’m doing it for the long haul.

#yourthabest

Since there is so much content to read these days, I am eternally grateful for the time you’ve taken to read mine.

I wanted to be mindful of your time and the space in your inbox. So I tried to keep it concise and interesting. I sorta get offended by really long articles now. Don’t people know we’re in an attention-deficit world?! My time is precious. I have a backlog of unopened emails, books, movies, and shows to get through, never mind my daily thumb exercises (aka scrolling) to do.

Jokes aside, I know your time is finite too. I hope I respected it. If not, drop me a line, I appreciate the feedback. But if you don’t know how to say it kindly, be like Bill.

Bill is on the internet meme. Source: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/be-like-bill

TIL: I discovered I enjoyed writing for this newsletter.

When I couldn’t keep up with a regular schedule, I missed it. When I spent too much time away from it, I felt rusty. I feared it would become a chore on my to-do list. Instead, it’s been a rewarding experience.

I’m proud to say I now have 30 posts published, even if:

• I stopped writing weekly after a few months.

• There was a period between December and January when I took a longer-than-usual break.

• I told myself it’s been a while and no one will notice if I just stop.

• Life got busy (but when is it not?).

• I wasn’t feeling it. (Every creative faces this problem, so you just have to learn to deal with it.)

• I wondered if it really mattered. (And it did to at least one person: me. That was reason enough to continue.)

“It’s not for everyone”

“…but it might be for you.”

That’s a home run.

- Seth Godin

Despite all these obstacles, I kept going and somehow found myself with a little collection of writing that now floats on the interweb.

TIL: If your work matters to you, it will matter to someone else.

Because the are over 8 billion people in the world. Maybe you’re unique, but you’re not THAT unique. Seriously. Someone else shares similar thoughts and interests. You just have to find them.

Not all posts are of equal length, caliber, or interest, but that’s still an average of 2.5 posts per month. And that’s what we call a start. If my writing journey were a video game, this would be the moment where I tackled a boss and won. Hazaah! (Hey Lisa H., can you write a game for me where this happens?)

The Great Mighty Poo from Conker's Bad Fur Day. One of the weirdest bosses ever? Source: Conker Fandom Wiki

There’s something scary and vulnerable about publishing things that are personal. But fear eventually morphs into something else the more you do it. I can’t say it completely disappears, but maybe you just learn to deal with (aka ignore) it better. And when your work no longer lives in your head, you are pleasantly surprised to see how others relate, expand, and improve it.

If I hadn’t pushed the button a year ago and continued to push it (push it real good 🎵), I would be here on the left:

TIL: The most noteworthy lesson in my writing journey is the importance of persevering.

No matter how hard it gets, how little anyone seems to care, no matter how often you get rejected, you can never know how much it will change you (or someone else) beforehand. You just can’t.

But it’s also an arduous journey, so make sure you have fun and celebrate the wins.

Thanks to a large online community of writers and creators who shared their experiences freely and publicly, I’ve been able to muster a bit of courage and make the jump.

That’s the beauty of the Internet. While there may be a lot of repulsive things out there, there is also a lot of good. 💗

So I started Things I Learned to pay it forward, hoping that others (ahem, I mean you) might also be encouraged to do more creative work, in whatever shape or form works best for them (you).

How’s your creative work going so far? Do you have any wins to share? I’m always looking for an excuse to celebrate.

If you’re still not taking your creative work seriously, I urge you to at least try. ASAP. It’s one thing for people to tell you all this stuff; it’s another to experience it yourself. And there’s only one way to find out. (Hint: push the button.)

Ok, time for bubbles! 🍾 🥂

A few changes

You may have noticed that my substack is actually called Mad Zany Musings. It was always my intention to use this name for the space where all my work lives. In the upcoming months, you’ll see new sections pop up on the page as I expand and explore other types of content. All TIL posts will still be available via Mad Zany Musings, but will also be on a new website coming soon. Stay tuned!

TIL will always be free, but if you want to further support my work by buying me an ice cream, pen, book, or a corgi named Cornichon via a donation, well shucks! That’s very kind of you 🥲❤️. I love dogs and my partner will be thrilled (he just asks that you also include the cost of a dog-sitter if we go away on holidays). In return, I will send you lots of cute corgi pictures, in addition to mailing you a thank you card in the silhouette of a heart-shaped corgi butt that says Cornichon loves you.

Writing is often a solitary act that needs witnessing. Thank you for being my first readers and sending encouraging notes throughout the year. 🙏.

Before I leave you, here’s an amazing playlist created by some guy named misterdjules on Spotify.

Play it during your next BBQ or living room dance party. Bobbing heads and good vibes are guaranteed.

Happy writing, happy creating.

(And make it fun!)

G.G. Law

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If you enjoyed this post, maybe you know someone else who might like it too. Sharing is caring and I know you care a lot. So thanks!! 🫶