"You are allowed to ebb and flow, no matter what is still unknown." 🌊 ~Morgan Harper Nichols
I started writing this intro no less than seven times yesterday. And still, the magic was not coming into my fingers.
None of my usual tricks worked. I ran some errands and got a little bit of walking in. I tried setting a timer. I tried just writing, and nothing seemed to take.
My friend Kandice told me that I probably needed to relax and do some self-care. And reminded me that Mercury is in retrograde. Which, of course, had me like, "OF COURSE IT IS. THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING." 🤯
It's like the non-dystopian version of being in the Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in our favor? 🏹
I told my Facebook friends I was blocked and asked for their suggestions on what to write about. Some folks said I should write about the weather (snow and brutal temps in the Chi 🥶), loneliness (that struggle is also real), or just let the answers come to me. Others suggested I just write about feeling blocked. So here I am, in all of my blocked glory, asking for some of your help:
What are YOUR favorite tricks/hacks/tips for dealing with writer's block?
On to the picks!
P.S. Brandy and Whitney Houston's Cinderella is coming to Disney+ next week. This is happy news I didn't even know I needed.
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#loves 😍
💰 Tool: Hecto. If you want to offer sponsorships and classified ads in your newsletter, this tool makes it really easy to get started. And it's a good marketplace as well. It was so nice to see some bookings come through for February this week.
🎧 Listening: Fan Wars: The Empire Claps Back. My friend Shenee created an audio rom-com about two Star Wars fans arguing over Skype once their favorite forum closes. It is hilarious and so good. I was reminded yesterday that I never listened to the last few episodes, so that's on deck.
📺 Watching: Leap! Félicie and Victor, two orphans in 1880s France, escape an orphanage to pursue their dreams of becoming a dancer and inventor. This was such a cute, go-after-your-dreams movie. I think the movie may also be called "Ballerina" in some circles.
#reads
10 Brilliant WFH Productivity Tips from Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant — www.brit.co
This is an oldie but goodie. Theresa Gonzalez took some tips from Adam Grant’s interview with Brit & Co about working from home. Here are some of my faves:
Make work work for you. As introverts (me!), we may get drained by video calls, so opt to do more audio calls when you can. Extroverts may prefer video calls. Lean into those things that work better for you.
Get creative outside of work. If you have time to take up a hobby, do it—something you can do purely for the joy and recharge properties. I’ve found that to be jigsaw puzzles, reading, and coloring lately.
Focus on attention management versus time management.
"You can't control the number of hours you have in the day," says Grant. "All you can do is try to focus as much of your energy as possible on the people and the projects that really matter to you."
50 lessons learned from writing 50 newsletters — nesslabs.com
Anne-Laure Le Cunff is an amazing human. She has an incredible newsletter about mindful productivity and has built a community around it, which has so much awesomeness in it, I can't keep up.
"[T]here is no step-by-step playbook one can follow to run a successful newsletter. As with many creative projects, running a newsletter is all about experimentation. Embrace the uncertainty and have fun—it’s worth it."
She covers 50 lessons learned from writing her newsletter. Reading through this list (even if you skim) has so much value if you have a newsletter or are thinking about starting one.
#icymi
😍 Last issue’s top pick was: Starting a Side Hustle Step by Step
🎧 Chatted about creating a curated newsletter with Tara McMullin.
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Thank you Luciano, Colie, Chasity, Laurie, Latienda, Collette, Anne, Kristen, Liz, Katherine, Monale, Betsy, Melissa, Lindsay, Jennifer, Kayla, Madison, Rae, Stephanie, Christine R., Christine M., Frances, Hannah, Chris, Brandy, Mea, Kristian, Maria, Avery, Adam, Monale, Barbara, Shenee, Desiree, Lisa, Kandice, L'Oreal, and LaVerne for being #jesspicks supporters!! ❤️
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