#6 Normal voices
"If you practice any kind of art, hold on to it dearly. Pour your heart into it and anything else that matters to you"
Whaaa, hello old friends and new friends!
New sign-ups: a special shout out to you. I hope you enjoy the weekly peek into someone’s mind. Please don’t hold back with any comments, either directed at my work or as an elaboration on the post.
I have been struggling to think about ways to attract more readers to the newsletter. Even though, this 'lil exercise was started as a hobby for myself, I notice the excitement to be able to share it with others. If you have any thoughts other than the standard means of adding everyone in my address book manually (Kiiiddinngg. Partially at least. Sorry mom). Of course it would also be great if you could spread the word to one of your rabbits who would also enjoy reading this.
This week’s conversation is very “soft”. With this I mean you can feel the sincerity and good intentions in the words of the interviewee.
It also includes a shout-out to the newsletter of the interviewee. This is something I expect to be open with on Normal voices as I think sincere shout-outs can actually be great and sincere recommendations. That being said, the shout-outs will always be curated so this place does not become a marketing tool. As long as I am nowhere near being paid more for a shout-out than for my reality series of course, but I’m sure y’all understand that.
ENJOY!
#6 Normal voices
If you could choose any superpower, what would it be?
I'd choose invisibility and levitation!
If you were invisible, do you have a particular place in mind you would like to sneak in to see and hear what is usually behind closed doors?
That's an interesting question! Let me see. I think I'd want to go to two places:
1) I'd like to hear what my family - my mom in specific - prays for. If that's something I can cater to, I'll want to take care of it for them; and
2) Inside the writing rooms/ libraries of a few of my favourite writers.
Would focus first on the second one: who are some of your favorite writers?
Cole Schafer, Marilynne Robinson, Mitch Albom
What is it that you look for in a writer?
Anything that has the ability to move me. And I don't just mean feel-good happy endings here. Marilynne Robinson's Gilead is a beautiful book. It shatters your heart as it progresses, but somehow leaves you in a state of unknown tranquility. So I guess anything that can speak to me rather than my intellect. I'm not a big fan of business books.
I'm not one for tamed emotions. Pour it all out in your words and I'm hooked.
It seems you like newsletters.. could you eleborate?
Of course! For me, newsletters are almost like love letters written for you. It feels a lot more personal than any other medium and has always held the old school charm!
Are you afraid that with newsletters getting more "mainstream" the sincerity of it will go away, or do you think it will only work in favor of it?
I'm partly worried and partly expectant because this would mean that only the ones that are able to retain the sincerity and personal connect will be able to succeed.
Any tips for aspiring writers out there?
Always be curious. Don't read the best books on writing because "successful" writers ask you to. Don't chase frameworks and structures. If you have to force ponytails, relationships, and words, you're better off without doing that.
Let your words flow. Your first few pieces might make you cringe so bad. But persevere. You'll get there.
Do you want to make any shoutout to a recommended or your own newsletter?
I run a podcast+newsletter that's focused on celebrating stories of independent newsletter creators across the world. If you amplify their voices, you amplify mine too :) You can check it out here - The Newsletter Nerd Show.
In the last part I would like to ask you about the first place you mentioned about where you would go if you'd be invisible: the prayers of your family. What would you hope they pray for?
I hope they pray for continued happiness and good health.
Is it the same you would pray for for them?
Without a smidgen of doubt.
Any last thoughts at the end of the conversation?
If you practice any kind of art, hold on to it dearly. Pour your heart into it and anything else that matters to you.
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