It’s amazing how much data these companies have, the ones we pay $70+ a month for, and yet when it comes time to really “connect,” they just send out these plain, “for everyone” sorts of email marketing messages.
WHEN EMAIL OVERLOAD IS A GOOD OMEN
Back when I ran Noisecreep for AOL Music (2008-2011), the incoming email never stopped. I’d tend to emails till midnight, then wake up to my inbox.
I remember the first day after I left, and I went for a hike and felt such a relief from the inbox.
It’s now 2025, and my freelance work email is very tolerable. I am blessed to have a handful of clients who pay well and don’t email me throughout the day, so that’s great.
Back in 2021 I stared Social Media Escape Club, because I just wanted to talk to more about leaving social media. In 2023 I decided I’d start hosting Zoom calls to talk to even more folks, (virtually) face to face!
Now I’ve got a good problem – an inbox filled with messages from people revolving around the work I want to do.
As I just quoted American theatre and opera director Anne Bogart, “a good omen is ‘a moment when the world seems to answer you back. It is not a guarantee of success, but a charged sign that your attention, your desire, and the circumstances have aligned in a way that invites you to proceed – more awake, more responsible, and more brave.'”
I’ve acknowledged the all of the good energy around this, “is not a guarantee of success,” but now I am “more awake, more responsible, and more brave,” and that’s all I want.
GOOD OMENS
From Carly Valancy, a quote from American theatre and opera director Anne Bogart:
Anne Bogart says, a good omen is “a moment when the world seems to answer you back. It is not a guarantee of success, but a charged sign that your attention, your desire, and the circumstances have aligned in a way that invites you to proceed – more awake, more responsible, and more brave.”
LET THE MAINSTREAM COME TO YOU
I love this from Kel Rakowski, in their announcement of Popular Co.
“Stop trying to reach the mainstream. Let the mainstream come to you. When you’re building something real for a real community, the mainstream eventually has to pay attention.”
I TRUST BOOM
I can’t recommend BOOM enough.
If you do a lot of Zoom calls (I host 3 of them a week for Social Media Escape Club), look good, feel good, right??!
Instead of spending a bunch of money on a fancy camera, 4K converter, and everything else, get the best image from the device you’re using (in my case I use a Logitech Stream Cam).
I love being able to frame my video, and adjust exposure, vibrance, and all the other cool stuff.
UPGRADE YOURSELF
From Patrick Rhone:
“I have come to believe that the best and most cost effective technology upgrade that one can make is to themselves. I’m not talking cyborg implants here. I’m speaking about knowledge. That is, increasing your skill, aptitude, and understanding when it comes to any device, application, or tool.”
Years ago when I used to read all the bicycle magazines, it was hard to miss all the talk about saving weight. How new technology was shaving ounces off of stems, handlebars, seats!
All this shaving cost hundreds of dollars, of course. Lighter bikes and components costs thousands of dollars more than their heavier counterparts.
But I’ll never forget when someone wrote that it was easier and cheaper to lose 10lbs than shave 10lbs from your bike.
MAKING PEACE WITH THE DAY
Walking is so good, from Kate McCusker in The Guardian:
These days, walking is, for me, the exercise equivalent of hiding vegetables in my mashed potatoes: suddenly I’ve covered four miles in one stretch without really noticing. In the evenings, walking 90 minutes home from work is like making peace with the day, however good, bad or unremarkable it might have been.
A 90 minute walk in no joke. (via rebecca toh)
WHERE TO NEXT?
I’ve been thinking about how we get away from social media, or spending less time on our phones, and I think it’s less about dumb phones or apps and more about people.
As Priya Parker has said recently it’s less about “self-help” and more about “group-help.”
Social media has isolated us so much that we thinking breaking free is a solo endeavor, when I think it’s more of a group effort, with the support of other people (I host three Zoom groups per week, ask me about ‘em).
Getting away from social media isn’t just quitting, it’s about starting something else, or a return what came before.
So, where to next?
FIRST BIG SNOWFALL
Woke up to a winter wonderland this morning. After clearing off the deck and stairs, had to get out and take some photos.
Once the snow stops, “the boys come out to play” as my neighbor said.
UNPROFITABLE PATHS
A fun question posed to Kareem Rahma, about deciding on a “generally unprofitable path,” to which Kareem replied:
“I waited until I was 33 and had worked a couple of corporate jobs. I knew if I failed I could always go back to corporate life. I also didn’t stop working when I decided to pursue the comedy career. I did both at the same time!”
This came up in two different conversations today, regarding the whole “doing the thing love” versus doing something safer, or which makes better money.
Most people I know who are doing “the cool thing” for a living have are doing it after decades of hard work. I don’t know anyone who started making music or art or whatever and like, two months later they could quit their full time job.
“Consistency is key. You can’t be in the right place at the right time without showing up consistently. You have to fail—and keep failing—until you succeed. People see Keep The Meter Running and SubwayTakes, but they don’t see the ten other failures that helped me get here.”
Kareem Rahma over at Feed Me.