Well, this looks kinda new. Because this is the first post on the new platform, I'm hoping it looks as good or better than before. Please let me know about your viewing experience going forward.
NOTE: I have moved a few articles from Substack, which you can still read HERE. Unfortunately, I cannot bulk upload past articles to this platform so I won't be moving all of them. However, those will remain on Substack for people to view.
If we're all good, let's proceed like everything is normal by starting with one of my contrarian opinions.
I Have a Sickness
This condition comes with chronic symptoms that I've carried for years, and if you're anything like me, you may also suffer these symptoms.
What I'm talking about is Overwhelmed by New Things Syndrome (O.N.T.S.), and it occurs in most creative people because of their constant need to start new projects.
You may not have heard of O.N.T.S., but you've likely felt its effects whenever you review the laundry list of to-dos you've created for yourself on the projects you want to finish or start.
Even as I write this, I'm thinking about the next thing I need to work on to turn The Hungry into the resource I know it can become, and that list of items is long.
I can only get to some of them, yet the list continues growing.
I'm willing to be that is a relatable feeling, and though there is no known cure for this condition, there are things we can do about it...
Read More About This Common Condition
There Are No Perfect Platforms
Maybe you noticed or didn't, but things here look slightly different. Last week, I announced that I was jumping from Substack to ConvertKit, and it's been smooth sailing.
That's a lie. I don't care how tech-savvy anyone is; changing platforms is always challenging. Ask my wife how many times I hollered at my screen trying to figure out how to do things within ConvertKit that were seemingly simple on Substack. Despite leaving, I still believe Substack is an excellent platform, and I will continue to tell people that.
ConvertKit is also great. I'm getting more comfortable with all the tech now, and there is so much potential here that I cannot wait to use because it will help me deliver content that's more relevant to your specific tastes and needs.
However, there are things about ConvertKit that I cannot do that I may have taken for granted on Substack.
No Podcast Support: Despite being able to embed video directly into an email like this one, there is no way to embed an audio file. The only way to add a podcast here is to subscribe to another paid platform and embed their player into the emails.
No Polls or Questionnaires: One of the best parts of Substack is dropping a quick poll into an email to get readers' feedback. I love that, and it's missing from ConvertKit.
Limited Blog Functionality: Whenever I write my deep dives, I post them as a blog, not sending them to the subscribers but linking to them via the Friday post. With ConvertKit, if I want to have a stand-alone article, I still have to broadcast it to someone. I have to send a broadcast just to myself as a work-around.
No Community: This is a big one because Substack is much more than a newsletter service. I will miss the interactivity of the community and the different ways to connect that aren't available on ConvertKit.
Other little things are different with ConvertKit that I have to accept because I know I will use the extended functionality it provides that Substack cannot touch (yet).
For the next few weeks, I will keep tabs on my stats and analytics to see how things are working out, but I may end up still using Substack as a secondary source of information.
No hasty moves yet, but if you prefer the Substack reading experience, I've got you covered.
Art Snack: Cara Lawson-Ball
Today, I am honored to give the first shout-out to a subscriber who referred a friend. As part of the Substack referral perks, you get this for bringing a friend to the party. Cara is a multi-disciplinary artist specializing in painted landscapes and sculpture. I'm particularly fond of her abstract landscapes like the one above.
Do me a favor, check out Cara's work, and tell her I sent you.
Biz Bites
Content Marketing, as a term, sounds like complete drudgery to most creative people, but that doesn't make it any less necessary for growth.
Although 2023 may be the leanest holiday shopping season in recent history, one way you can impact the buyers you get is how you package the work.
Are you trying to grow a YouTube channel and get paid? Creator Wizard by Justin Moore is a MUST-READ! (ad)
This might be the most genius name for a restaurant ever.
A thought I've had lately is that social media has become an unreliable partner, but is the golden age of posting over?
Art Bites
Watch a woman carefully dusting Michelangelo's David for a full minute. No, she doesn't touch his fig leaf bits, you sicko.
ChatGPT made a sizable leap toward becoming sentient, and I am unsure how I feel about it.
El Tono's art is in the process.
Inspired by stories and funny conversations, Alex Skyrme uses illustration to bring a smile to everyone's face.
DAZED magazine's New Music Friday is not to be missed.
If you're a graphic designer and not reading the Dribbble blog, are you really a designer? They are constantly posting great reads, and you should check them out.