💌 you had me at "subscribed"

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So if you like the idea of listening to me read this, just click that yellow triangle above to hit play!

I've been thinking a lot about this new relationship we're building, you and me. It's a bit like one of those 90's pen pal things, isn't it? 

Except instead of kitschy postcards and international postage, we've got Gmail tags and Substack servers. (📧 Shoutout to Alex, for the vintage Hotmail vibes!)

But here's the thing – this newsletter gig? It's a marathon, not a sprint. 

We could be in this together for years, swapping stories, insights, and the occasional questionable metaphor. It's still early days, but I'm in it for the long haul if you are.

My job is to show up every week with something worth reading. Yours is to flag my emails with one of those cute little stars, so you can savor them when the moment's right. No pressure, but I'll be over here, perfecting my craft to keep you coming back for more.

Now, I'll be honest – sometimes the muse is elusive. 

Like the other day, when I was working on this Substack-specific piece. It was supposed to be helpful, insightful, all that jazz. But it just wouldn't come together. Even my writer friends couldn't muster the energy to take a look.

That's when I turned to Rick Rubin, and his book "The Creative Act." Flipped to a random page, as one does, and there it was: "It's helpful to work as if the project you're engaged in is bigger than you."

And it hit me – this newsletter can be bigger than me.

It's about our relationship, the connection we're forging through these digital dispatches. It's about the stories we share, the wisdom we glean, and the moments you snort tea out your nose laughing (hopefully more often than I use questionable metaphors). 😂

So even when the writing feels like a slog, or the ideas run dry, I'll keep coming back to this – the bigger picture. The relationship we're building, word by word, week by week.

I'm not saying it'll always be easy. There will be ups and downs, moments of flow and moments of frustration. But that's the gig—showing up consistently, patiently, and creatively, tapping away at the keys to bring you something worthwhile.

And in return? I get the privilege of your readership. Of knowing that somewhere out there, you're flagging my emails, setting aside a moment with a ☕ cup of tea to be entertained, enlightened or even educated. It's a two-way street, this writer-reader relationship.

So here's to the long game. To the bigger picture that keeps us going, even when the muse plays hard to get. I'll be here, showing up, ready to occasionally befuddle you with my writerly ways.

And you? Keep flagging those emails. This is just the beginning of a beautiful, wordy friendship.

Until next time,

Jen

P.S. I’m getting ready for Morocco in May. I’ll spend a few weeks there tempting my writing mojo to return in a luxurious velvet and lace kaftan! Oh the photos…