One year on Substack changed my view on life
I promise this is absolutely the last time I will talk about the pre-order sale of Mag Bash. I also promise you will not get another chance at this opportunity.
Limited edition, signed and numbered book (100 copies only)
Limited edition art print (Up to 100 copies only)
A chance at FREE original art!!
and extra goodies for good measure
If you’re waiting for a special moment, this is that moment!
The Finds
Buckle up because I have so many things to share with you.
Eternal Spring is a beautiful and mesmerizing short (3:30 minutes) film by Christopher Dormoy, that will put you into a zen state while you contemplate the future of our planet.
These upcycled plastic tables made by Karyn Lim are very cool, Just make sure you use heat-resistant coasters for your hot coffee and tea.
I had no idea Senior Cords were ever a thing until Hypebeast and Bode told me. They’re still not really a thing for me, but they might look good on you.
You may have heard stories about how the Nazis stole countless millions of dollars worth of art and antiquities during the Third Reich, which art historians and legislators are still hunting down. You may also think that could never happen in the U.S.A., but you’d be wrong.
Grattage is a word I didn’t know I needed to know until now. It sounds way worse than it is.
If you own Procreate, then you likely know Flo. And with this YT video, now you can know what Flo knows.
Last week, I wrote about my personal experience with rejection, but nobody offered to throw me a party.
I’ve been doing a lot more writing lately, and one thing I’ve considered adding to the mix here is product reviews. If you’ve ever thought of starting that yourself, this in-depth guide from Printify should help.
Popular blogger and author, Zulie Rane suggests that if you want to win on the Internet, pick two platforms, and kill the rest.
Artist of the Week
Effective immediately, I’ll be sharing one or more artists that show up, inspire others, and make killer work.
This week I’m sharing Nishe, a French artist and graphic designer who specializes in making traditional paintings fusing her design aesthetic with a deeply rich impasto technique. As an artist with a design heart myself, I fell in love with these works almost immediately, and she inspired me to find new ways to bring dimensionality into my art as well. Check out more of Nishe’s work below:
What a Difference a Year Makes
In April of 2022, I watched a video about Substack and how it was quickly becoming the future of content marketing. At the time, I was becoming more and more disillusioned with social media, feeling like no matter how much I posted to Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, I would never achieve the level of success that some of my peers had achieved.
I’d done the newsletter thing in the past and even wrote a book about it, but with readership waning and open rates declining, I’d lost the motivation to keep up the struggle. So when a YouTube video about Substack popped into my feed, I went into it with deep reservations.
By the end of that video though, I was cautiously intrigued, and because I’m always the guy willing to give new things a try, I opened an account, uploaded my previously established email list, and sent off my first update.
A lot has changed since that post, but one thing is clear. Joining Substack is arguably the best decision I made last year. As my subscriber count grew and my passion for writing renewed, I realized I was into this platform for the long haul.
Twelve months later, not only am I a devotee, but I’m an investor, because I believe in the promise of Substack, especially when the leaders of other social media apps are losing their minds.
Full Disclosure: Substack CEO Chris Best stepped in it on the Decoder podcast last week when asked about his stance on bigoted and discriminatory content. Thankfully, his cofounder had enough sense to clarify the company’s position on the topic.
Regardless of c-suite staffers and their views, most independent writers on Substack (myself included) should feel empowered by the ease and capability to express themselves in the many ways that Substack allows, and I’m encouraged by the growth Substack has made even in the short amount of time that I’ve been using the site.
The Future is Written
Encouraged by some recent feedback I’ve gotten from readers, I’m forming a view of what comes next here. These are just a few of the current ideas I have for The Hungry Artist:
Extending my resource list to improve the level of research and content curation to share with you the most diverse stories and links I can find on creativity, business, and social issues surrounding the art world.
Increasing the number of updates to make sure information is as timely as possible.
Writing more in-depth posts on topics that are important to creative individuals.
Inviting others to collaborate and write for The Hungry Artist (if you’re interested, hit me up).
Finding ways to show appreciation and reward loyalty (Makers, I’m looking at you).
Building a brand around The Hungry Artist that includes products, publications, and possibly events.
Focusing the vision toward fearless creativity and an enterprising spirit.
I read dozens of different newsletters daily and the ones that hold my attention, the ones I can’t wait to open, are those that are entertaining and bring tremendous value. I don’t know if I’m there yet, but that’s the goal—to be the kind of publication that people can’t wait to read when it hits their inbox, and then share with all their creative friends (please share with all your creative friends).
So thank you for 12 months of being totally awesome readers and friends, I appreciate you being part of this exploration. Hold onto your hats and glasses because it’s about to get wild.
See you next time.
Extra(s)
Malakye Bayoh will bring you to tears and this skier will terrify you.
Congratulations on your one-year Substack anniversary, Dave! It's great to hear your enthusiasm for writing has been reinvigorated by the use of a new platform that doesn't feel ick. Love The Artist of the Week spotlight too :)