Good to see you posting again 😊I agree regarding having something worth sharing as the first step, rather than feeling obliged to post something/anything. Simply to stick to a schedule. And yes…book cases can tell you a lot about someone, and perhaps about the person they would like to be seen as. There’s a whole life history in bookshelves…something I would be reluctant to share, though I am interested in what other people put on their shelves. A fascinating idea 😊
Unless you fancy a visit to Romania, would you mind having a photo with my bookshelf sent to you?
And regarding the writing - completely a familiar feeling, whenever I want to upload or write anything. Particularly now that the connectivity and community you've had before with a blog is being crowded out by seo and affiliate articles, ai slop and zero value news.
"the longer it took me to find something to post about the less I wanted to post anything" I can relate very much with this.
I love all the photos, I've never seen bluebells in person and I would love to one day.
My great aunt had a chicken that used to follow her around everywhere and slept on her slippers when visited indoor.
Your bookshelf says that you are a person with whom I'd like to share a beverage and talk about books (is The Terror actually good?? I had started the TV series but somehow I didn't finish it. I plan to read my first Brandon Sanderson this summer when the heat will be so unbearable that the only cure will be escaping into a fantasy world. I'm considering Mystborn. "Careless People"...I know, right?? I struggled a bit here because even the author wasn't fully likable for me. Okay I'll stop now.)
Love that I came across this, as I've been asking myself a similar question -- though for different reasons!
I don't struggle to find things to write about, what I have struggled with is how I prioritize my time. Last year I spent much more time on writing and creating content (photography/video), but this year I decided to prioritize side projects and business ventures in my free time "because that's what will actually determine my career trajectory", I thought. And I completely neglected my art, thinking it wasn't a justified use of my time.
But over time, I started getting stressed out and struggling to do anything productive in my free time.
Then last week I finally realized: this is why we make art. It's a form of self expression, a way to indulge in the needs and wants of the soul and create balance in our lives. Art shouldn't be just a marketing tool, it's nourishment for our spirit. And since I have created mandatory reading & writing breaks for myself last week, and write about what I truly feel than what "I think looks good for an audience", I feel much better again.
I loved discovering your substack and this piece really made me slow down! When I have a bookshelf that you can photograph, you can absolutely count me in.
If you want to travel to New Zealand you can take pictures of my bookshelves 😁😅 I'm happy you've come back to Substack, you may not think it's worth anything or doesn't need to exist, but I love your work and I promise you it's valuable.
Good to see you posting again 😊I agree regarding having something worth sharing as the first step, rather than feeling obliged to post something/anything. Simply to stick to a schedule. And yes…book cases can tell you a lot about someone, and perhaps about the person they would like to be seen as. There’s a whole life history in bookshelves…something I would be reluctant to share, though I am interested in what other people put on their shelves. A fascinating idea 😊
Unless you fancy a visit to Romania, would you mind having a photo with my bookshelf sent to you?
And regarding the writing - completely a familiar feeling, whenever I want to upload or write anything. Particularly now that the connectivity and community you've had before with a blog is being crowded out by seo and affiliate articles, ai slop and zero value news.
Coincidentally, we are also in Romania, so a similar offer stands to the writer of this post.
I've also just started reading a set of books, starting with Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson. It will make it to the shelf when I'm done reading it.
Love this post. And the photos. And the bookshelf idea!
"the longer it took me to find something to post about the less I wanted to post anything" I can relate very much with this.
I love all the photos, I've never seen bluebells in person and I would love to one day.
My great aunt had a chicken that used to follow her around everywhere and slept on her slippers when visited indoor.
Your bookshelf says that you are a person with whom I'd like to share a beverage and talk about books (is The Terror actually good?? I had started the TV series but somehow I didn't finish it. I plan to read my first Brandon Sanderson this summer when the heat will be so unbearable that the only cure will be escaping into a fantasy world. I'm considering Mystborn. "Careless People"...I know, right?? I struggled a bit here because even the author wasn't fully likable for me. Okay I'll stop now.)
Just wanted to say that I enjoyed reading this Thomas
Love that I came across this, as I've been asking myself a similar question -- though for different reasons!
I don't struggle to find things to write about, what I have struggled with is how I prioritize my time. Last year I spent much more time on writing and creating content (photography/video), but this year I decided to prioritize side projects and business ventures in my free time "because that's what will actually determine my career trajectory", I thought. And I completely neglected my art, thinking it wasn't a justified use of my time.
But over time, I started getting stressed out and struggling to do anything productive in my free time.
Then last week I finally realized: this is why we make art. It's a form of self expression, a way to indulge in the needs and wants of the soul and create balance in our lives. Art shouldn't be just a marketing tool, it's nourishment for our spirit. And since I have created mandatory reading & writing breaks for myself last week, and write about what I truly feel than what "I think looks good for an audience", I feel much better again.
I loved discovering your substack and this piece really made me slow down! When I have a bookshelf that you can photograph, you can absolutely count me in.
If you want to travel to New Zealand you can take pictures of my bookshelves 😁😅 I'm happy you've come back to Substack, you may not think it's worth anything or doesn't need to exist, but I love your work and I promise you it's valuable.
Lovely photos! I'm glad you posted that, I've been thinking very similarly about what I'm adding to the world.