Celebrating YOU 30 Subscribers!
...and highlighting the biggest thing that Substack provides that other platforms do not
My new favorite “social media”
I recently checked my Digital Wellbeing app to see how often I use my 2 most favorite social media apps — Instagram and Pinterest — because I had thought I had put an hour limit notice on my Instagram app, but I wasn’t seeing the blackout “You’re daily hour time-limit is up” screen. Surely this is a mistake…. Nope. After powering through a bit of 5th grade math, I found out that my average time on Instagram last week was 27 minutes! The average time spent on Pinterest was 34 minutes (it honestly would probably be longer if there weren’t so many incredible, tempting, sweet treat recipes on there). Alternatively, I have spent HOURS a day on my laptop on Substack — either writing or reading.
The purpose of this is not to boast how much time I spend on social media, but rather, assessing how my habits have adjusted and where my creativity has room to flourish.
Through Substack, I have discovered so many incredible writers, gamers, and artists, and I have even figured out a way to leverage this as a great place to monetize my own art! I discovered communities of RPG nerds like myself, and there are SO many Substack writers calling for others to create!
And that is what other platforms don’t do: they don’t call you to action. Sure even Pinterest can be a bit doom-scrolly, but I gather inspiration, recipes, sketch ideas, even some D&D character development ideas from there. But while I can get sucked into the inspiration rabbit hole easily, it really doesn’t call me to action.1
Adam Ming calls for people to do 10-minutes of drawing every day.
Austin Kleon has a post that’s literally a list on things you can go and DO (first thing being to roll up your sleeves!)
Not to mention, Substack writers pump out all KINDS of inspiring articles that push me to create or live a certain way as soon as I finish reading a post of theirs! For example, A cozy girl’s guide to journaling?? I want to be a cozy, journaling kind of girl!
And don’t even get me started on the Hobbit Homemaker…like…say less. I love Hobbits and I love turning my little troll cave into a home!
Even I call out to folks to collect, play, create, and, more recently, recover:
Personally, I feel it’s like YouTube, but without the yapping. Creators don’t need to drag a camera everywhere with them or make sure they always have the best shot and look good in every frame. They don’t need to be that person in public trying to get content for their vlogs. (No shade, honestly. I envy that kind of main-character bravery!)
Throwing it back
It all started out as an outlet for rock journalism (RIP Melo-Maniac). Then I started anew as a fitness blogger sharing her body building journey and fitness tips I’ve learned along the way. Now it has accumulated into this platform of sharing not only fitness lifestyle, but touching on mental health topics, art, D&D, and culture. I ALWAYS have something going on in real life that I want to share to the masses.
All 30 of you, dearest, feral goblins.
Thank you
From the deepest roots of my being. I am not a writer by talent, but my favorite days were show ‘n’ tell days. Thank you for subscribing to my weekly show ‘n’ tell, no matter how TMI they are. You choose to return and read and comment and engage. Thank you.
I do this for free, because I don’t believe in gate keeping and I want to only put a paywall on products like playable characters in Side Quest…which I’m going to be adding a second character soon (within the month)! I find it hard to justify putting a price on published thoughts and things that people could still find on their own or through other resources.
If interest and curiosity find you, I’m offering a FREE 30 day trail to my fledgling Side Quest section (offer available through the end of April) just to say thank you!
Until our next encounter, feral beings. Go git you some!
Thinking about the uses of different forms of digital media just absolutely tickles my old, multi-media/journalist/mass-communications brain.