Welcome to "Doing the Work"
This is fun. I'm glad you're here. :)
Welcome, all!
(Hi, Steve!)
Why am I here?
(You tell us; it’s your newsletter.)
OKAY!
SLOW-CIAL MEDIA
To be succinct1: social media ain’t cutting it anymore.
I have ideas, musings, stories, random thoughts, and, most of all, a creative process that I want to share with the world, but I've come to the conclusion, after fifteen or so years of trying, that social media postings are an inefficient way to communicate with my friends and followers around the internet and the world. Algorithms dictate if my stuff comes flashing across your screen as you scroll, and even then, you've got to stop your scroll and take a glance at whatever content2 I posted. Not that what I usually post on The Socials is particularly deep or meaningful. That's not the point of The Socials. We've all been trained to make and take shallow sips of shallow memes and jokes and rants, etc., and just no thank you. I want to break that cycle - for myself, and, maybe, for you. I want connection and conversation, and I - we - can build that here in this space.
Put another way, if there is a slow food movement, I want to participate in a slow social media movement. I hope you do, too.
Real Talk can be Happy Talk
I want to talk about art and how hard it is to make it and how central to my existence that hard work is. I want to talk about maintaining focus in a world that is scraping away at our collective and individual attention, and especially at ADDled3 minds like mine. I want to talk about things that make me feel good, or at least better, in a media climate that is determined to depress us. Happiness is not for suckers, it's for warriors of all stripes.
Every day can be seen as a Sisyphean struggle4 or as Doing the Work. I firmly choose the latter.
What to Expect
In this space, I will touch on topics such as:
workflow hacks
attention-saving tricks
habits (all kinds)
my creative process
current, upcoming, and ongoing theater projects
food and booze
art & culture I consume
joy
In this space, I will do my best to NOT entertain topics such as:
gossip
complaints about the theater industry
complaints about the F&B industry
complaints about politics, politicians, and the news media writ large
complaints about other people's complaints
Other sources5 are far better at discussing such matters than I.
I also strive to keep these newsletters around a digestible 500 words6.
But wait! There’s more! Three more!
I’m looking forward to this. As a teaser for next week, here are three things I’m going to discuss:
Cal Newport's 2016 book "Deep Work"
Steven Pressfield’s new book “Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be”
Making my own aioli for the first time😬
There will also, I imagine, be memes and jokes and other ephemera from my life. Looking forward to seeing you there!
As always,
- SW
“TL/DR” - am I doing this right?
I could express how much I loathe this word, but this is a feel-good space, so I won’t.
I’m proud of that one.
I like $20 words and alliteration. Sue me.
Most other sources, tbh
This post is 536. You’re welcome.