Change is a Comin'
TL;DR: This Substack will soon look a whole lot different
To say that I have been suffering creatively over the past two months would be an understatement. In that time span, I have also begun filing for divorce, moved across the country, and started an entirely different life in a place I had never been before leaving on a whim.
These two things are, in fact, related.
It may not be surprising to you, which is to say I feel like I am the last one to realize it. When I first arrived in Colorado, I immediately noticed how free and motivated I felt to create–like all of the boundaries I had constructed around myself had fallen away. Factor in the thriving arts community, and I had never felt more at home (I still do!).
The pressure I felt to create, however, did not dissipate. Rather than questioning why, I continued to grind away at all of the existing goals and deadlines I had made for myself – all of the goals and deadlines that were established well before my life did a 180.
This week, I finally reached my breaking point. In haste, I was ready to throw away all of my art supplies and kill this Substack. What kept me from doing so, however, was taking the time to piece together all of what I explained above.
The pre-existing goals and deadlines.
The massive overhaul of my life.
My new surroundings and community.
It has never been more clear that my creative process needs to evolve, too–and it only makes sense for me to stop fighting the tide. I want nothing more than to take advantage of my newfound freedom and inspiration to create based on these beautiful changes.
If that means breaking out of the existing structure I have in place to do it, so be it.
Let’s do this. Let’s keep making art.
So, what does that mean for this Substack? Here is some of what you can expect:
Far less structure. This means that if you heavily relied on reading a recurring segment each week, you might need to adjust your expectations (read on!).
Creative writing, photography, and works-in-progress updates are still going to be here – they’re just going to be posted organically/according to no particular schedule.
Design tweaks. Maybe a new Substack name? Who knows! Again, I’m not going to go against the tide.
Ultimately, the goal is to allow my creativity to begin flowing more freely now that I’ve been fortunate enough to reach a point in my life where it can.
This morning, I read an article on what it means to “rebrand,” rather than burn everything to the ground and start again. Rather than succumbing to shame or guilt, why not embrace the growth and evolution of yourself as a creator?
And so, welcome to the beginning of everything.
