I love this. There was a period here on Substack where I was lured into caring about the numbers, but that's now firmly in the rear view mirror. Now it's about enjoying my writing and the conversations that happen around the margins. I'm supposed to be retired, but I'm very engaged in activism on environmental issues. I've long since given up any hope of being paid for either my activism or my writing, so neither feels like a job, which is very liberating. The activism and writing are connected though, they're just part of my life.
Your post provoked some thoughts about the relationship between writing on Substack and art. First, I believe that a personal essay can be art. Next, I believe that any writer wants their work to be read. So there are constraints about writing on Substack if you want to be read.
I write essays that usually approach 2,000 words. if I wrote a 10,000 word essay, it wouldn't fit the medium, although it might fit in another medium.
If a personal essay can connect to readers' emotions and move them to think deeply about their own experiences or beliefs, I believe that is successful art. And part of that success is to incite responses.
My own time conflict is how to divide my writing time. I'm at the very beginning of writing a longer work, but still want to write weekly posts. There are limits to the time I'll spend writing.
Thanks for making me think a bit more deeply some of these issues. Curious as well to know what you think about some of my Subtack assumptions.
And congratulations for "breaking the tie" between your job and your art.
“Next, I believe that any writer wants their work to be read.” Sure I want my work to be read - but not at the cost of sacrificing its content or quality. Never that. I’d rather write the things I want to write that I feel strongly about and reach two people than write wiffle-waffle and reach two thousand. If this is the choice, we have already lost.
“If a personal essay can connect to readers' emotions and move them to think deeply about their own experiences or beliefs, I believe that is successful art. And part of that success is to incite responses.” Artists don’t aim for “success”. I think artists are moved by a deeply selfish personal need to process the world in a way that makes sense to them and, if it resonates with others, so much the better. But they do it either way because the validation from response is secondary. And the responses? Often they don’t come. An oft-cited cliche, but Van Gogh, etc. And particularly somewhere like Substack, with its inherently transactional like-for-like nature, responses are more often than not a “hey look at me too” than a “hey I see what you’re doing here.” I never hear from some of my most engaged readers - people who open my pieces multiple times - and frankly that’s fine with me….
Thanks for the response. By your definition I am not an artist as I do care that people read what I write. And I do want to know that my writing has an effect on them.
I do try to write as well as I can and try to raise the bar for "as well as I can."
Whether any of my writing will ever qualify as art is not something I think about. My goal is to write about what interests me with prose that's fluid, clear, intelligent, and reflective of my intellectual personality. if I can do that consistently, that's enough for me, at least for now.
I think aiming to please yourself with your writing is the right approach. Anything else tends towards pandering, propaganda, didacticism or (worst of all) reassurance/approval-seeking…
I love this. There was a period here on Substack where I was lured into caring about the numbers, but that's now firmly in the rear view mirror. Now it's about enjoying my writing and the conversations that happen around the margins. I'm supposed to be retired, but I'm very engaged in activism on environmental issues. I've long since given up any hope of being paid for either my activism or my writing, so neither feels like a job, which is very liberating. The activism and writing are connected though, they're just part of my life.
May *those* posts seize less and less of your time. You have much else to think over, even that striker!
True. Beautiful men occupy at least 75% of available brain space at any given time
I'm with you all the way!!!
😃🤝
Can't teach this kind of thing. Excellent stuff. Like a female Jeffrey Bernard. (Don't cancel me.)
🤣 So looking forward to my chaotic, louche adventures in Soho 😃
Jeffrey Bernard is unwell. 😅
Hell yeah.
You go girl - definitely the right decision! Good things don't just happen, we have to make them happen! Proud of you mate!
😘😘🤗 thanks Richard. Things are moving in the right direction anyway.
Hi Jill,
Your post provoked some thoughts about the relationship between writing on Substack and art. First, I believe that a personal essay can be art. Next, I believe that any writer wants their work to be read. So there are constraints about writing on Substack if you want to be read.
I write essays that usually approach 2,000 words. if I wrote a 10,000 word essay, it wouldn't fit the medium, although it might fit in another medium.
If a personal essay can connect to readers' emotions and move them to think deeply about their own experiences or beliefs, I believe that is successful art. And part of that success is to incite responses.
My own time conflict is how to divide my writing time. I'm at the very beginning of writing a longer work, but still want to write weekly posts. There are limits to the time I'll spend writing.
Thanks for making me think a bit more deeply some of these issues. Curious as well to know what you think about some of my Subtack assumptions.
And congratulations for "breaking the tie" between your job and your art.
Two thoughts:
“Next, I believe that any writer wants their work to be read.” Sure I want my work to be read - but not at the cost of sacrificing its content or quality. Never that. I’d rather write the things I want to write that I feel strongly about and reach two people than write wiffle-waffle and reach two thousand. If this is the choice, we have already lost.
“If a personal essay can connect to readers' emotions and move them to think deeply about their own experiences or beliefs, I believe that is successful art. And part of that success is to incite responses.” Artists don’t aim for “success”. I think artists are moved by a deeply selfish personal need to process the world in a way that makes sense to them and, if it resonates with others, so much the better. But they do it either way because the validation from response is secondary. And the responses? Often they don’t come. An oft-cited cliche, but Van Gogh, etc. And particularly somewhere like Substack, with its inherently transactional like-for-like nature, responses are more often than not a “hey look at me too” than a “hey I see what you’re doing here.” I never hear from some of my most engaged readers - people who open my pieces multiple times - and frankly that’s fine with me….
Thanks for the response. By your definition I am not an artist as I do care that people read what I write. And I do want to know that my writing has an effect on them.
I do try to write as well as I can and try to raise the bar for "as well as I can."
Whether any of my writing will ever qualify as art is not something I think about. My goal is to write about what interests me with prose that's fluid, clear, intelligent, and reflective of my intellectual personality. if I can do that consistently, that's enough for me, at least for now.
I think aiming to please yourself with your writing is the right approach. Anything else tends towards pandering, propaganda, didacticism or (worst of all) reassurance/approval-seeking…
I don’t like numbers, I like words. Which is fortunate as I have few numbers but lots of words 🤝