The People Have Spoken

Issue 114

Dec 14, 2023

Hear ye hear ye. Gather around friends and family. The people have spoken… you prefer my words to my face. Absolutely no offense taken—I feel the same way.

After last week’s newsletter—an admission of change on the horizon for my hair and my newsletter—readers replied, “I’m going to miss your writing.”

Because you spoke your mind, I’m rewarding you with a truth: I never intended to stop writing altogether. However, I want to make The Letter sustainable, educational, and enjoyable—for all of us.

Writing her is a grind. Oh, how I love it, and I, oh, how I don’t. There’s a war inside my consciousness I’ll share with you around the ups and downs of this excellent medium.

I’ll share the ways writing The Letter hurts. Then, I’ll share the ways it rocks. Put on your Debbie Downer hat—first, we’re going down, down, down…

My audience is diverse. How ever do I please them all? Among us are far-off acquaintances, strangers, friends, friends of friends, best friends, lovers (not multiple), clients, and family. How do I entertain all of you? (Spoiler alert: I can’t.)
I don’t want to charge a fee for my newsletter. I want The Letter to be free. Democracy for all. Do I feel this way because my content isn’t worth charging for? Is it because there are so many subscriptions, and I don’t want to be bombarded? (Spoiler alert: It’s both.)
I’m a consumer. I love to shop. I wish I didn’t, but I do. Therefore, sharing the products and services I use and love is a natural fit. Is this shallow? Am I contributing to over-consumption? (Spoiler alert: I’m definitely contributing to consumerism.)
Time. It’s no small task cranking out these babies each week. (Insert tiny violin.)
My thoughts are profound and plentiful. My words get tangled when I write unless there are copious revisions (which brings me back to the time bullet above).
Speaking off the cuff untangles my thoughts, making video and podcasting good mediums for me.
Editing is no joke! It’s a fabulous practice I love doing for others. However, editing one’s (own) work is bananas! hard.

Phew! Take off your Debbie Downer hat and put on your Positive Polly hat. Now we’re going up, up, up…

The dialog we have—you, the reader, and me, the writer is phenomenal. The Letter keeps us connected. I heart that.
Meeting readers of The Letter IRL is simultaneously amazing and frightening—a thrill.
That time you thought, felt, or acted with more ease and enjoyment after reading something in The Letter. Remember that?
A platform for sharing the honest and raw.
A drumbeat—a spot for my head and heart to share what’s inside me with you.
Consistency. A practice. Every week for 114 weeks.
Sharing and caring. When I solve a problem with a product, service, or spiritually/emotionally, I can share what I learned and alleviate your “suffering.”

The above lists of the love-hate between The Letter and me are part of my process of reshaping the experience for me, the writer, and you, the reader.

Who knows where they’ll lead? But, before you go—a couple of polls. Thank you in advance for your insightful feedback.

And another:

It’s hard to pick just one multiple-choice answer. I appreciate you rolling with me. Let’s see what kind of data we get and steer the ship accordingly. Your readership means the world to me.