CreativeMornings - 💌 A love letter, from me to you

May 18, 2023

Photo by Ella Mettler.

👋 Hello! Annie here, the steward of this beautiful newsletter we make together. I’m writing to you today because this is my 100th issue! Thank you for trusting me to fill this space in your inbox every week.

When I arrived at CreativeMornings HQ in May of 2021, I was daunted by the prospect of taking over this beloved email. I had never written a newsletter before, much less one that goes out to over 200,000 readers. Hitting that “schedule send” button the first time took many deep gulps (and lots of reassurance from my sweet colleagues at HQ that it will all be fine).

Since I started writing this newsletter, I’ve learned a few things:

There is nothing like the CreativeMornings voice. All heart and sincerity, a winking playfulness, and a firm belief in the world’s goodness (not to mention a high level of GIF literacy). Sarcastic, punchy takedowns don’t live here. I'd protect it to the end of the world.
The most popular links are an exercise in the mortifying ordeal of being known. It turns out, based on what you all click on, that the afflictions keeping my mind whirring late at night are far more widespread than I realized (think: how do I handle that awkward email introduction? is this newsletter going to be written by ChatGPT? can a nervous system even be regulated?). And I think that means none of us are as alone as we might feel.
You really pay attention! Thanks to the reader who noticed I had shared the same secret link several times in one month. Because you caught it, I don’t think I ever forgot to update it again 😉 (Speaking of, did YOU know we have a secret link? Look for THIS! in the footer of every email).
Above all, you are the kindest, most thoughtful readership a first-time newsletter writer could have ever asked for. Sending words into the internet every week feels like shooting a message into the void and waiting for an echo back, but you’ve made sure I’ve never heard silence for long. I don’t know how to thank you.

Here are some of the generous notes you’ve sent me:

“Just a quick note to say thanks for the work you do, and let you know it was an inspiration that helped me recently release a newsletter (an internal one, at my day job) that got really great feedback. As I was building it, I kept thinking of the ways the CM newsletter builds in delight and a human touch, and aimed to do the same in small but meaningful ways. ✨ I got great direct feedback as a reply to the email, so I just wanted to keep that going and give credit where credit is due (to you!), for the spark that helped me infuse this new creation with content that truly resonated with readers.” — Jacquelyn

“I'm a fellow writer in admiration of your latest CM newsletter. Thank you for caring deeply about your audience, about what you do.” — Leslie

“I absolutely love your sign-offs in each newsletter — it’s often what I look forward to reading the most! Thank you for always adding an extra, thoughtful touch at the end. You have a special gift in capturing words, pairing it with the perfect image, and making the sentiment come alive. Poetry!” — Sarina

If you’ve ever felt moved, tickled, or filled with wonder after pulling one of these out of its digital envelope, could you tell someone you love about it (and maybe forward an issue)?

And if you’re that beloved person who keeps receiving these from someone, maybe it’s time to click subscribe. We have a beautiful new sign-up page for CreativeMornings emails, including our FieldTrips newsletter and updates from your local (or other!) chapter(s).

💗 Madly, truly, deeply yours,
Annie

P.S. Friends don’t subscribe friends to newsletters without their permission! This is all to say, we love the support, but make sure the email address you’re entering into the form is yours and yours alone!

Fun Stuff to Click On
Have something to share? Fill out this form.

💌 FEATURED FIELDTRIP: Revive the art of the handwritten letter next Wednesday!

“Nothing in the universe is stationary. Not the sun and the moon. And most definitely not any part of you.” Gorgeous quotes from DC chapter’s speaker Amirael Gawly.

Explore Wistia’s 2023 State of Video report to see how consumers are watching video – based on data from 80 million videos.*

Don’t forget: you have until next Monday, May 22 to submit to our Reverie round-up.

Do you always feel like there’s never enough time for your creative projects? Here’s how to get out of that feeling.

What does it mean to rewild ourselves? adrienne maree brown and Prentis Hemphill discuss embodiment and ease.

5 ways to future-proof your career from AI, according to Harvard Business Review.

Bake snickerpoodles! (Aka snickerdoodle cookies in the shape of poodles.)

A gorgeous Starling bird emerges through many layers of block printing.**

Listen to this podcast episode on financial planning for artists.

A guide to AAPI-owned small businesses.

The age of average has come for us.

* This content is curated by us, brought to you by our sponsors.
**Thanks to Emily White for the link inspiration.

CreativeGuild Spotlights
A global directory of creative companies and individuals.

Live Love is a Beirut-based organization that’s on a mission to build communities who create hope & positive impact for Nature, Society and Culture in cities around the world.

Modipow is a furniture and tableware design company in Rotterdam. They offer stellar furniture & product design explorations. Check out their interstellar candleholders.

Cool Jobs in Our Universe
Hiring? Looking for work? Check out the CreativeGuild.

Mailchimp is looking for a Senior Manager, Marketing Operations - Lifecycle Campaigns to deliver cutting-edge, end-to-end marketing campaigns in a fast-paced environment with rapidly evolving marketing demands.

Wistia in Cambridge is on the hunt for a rockstar Group Product Manager to help lead the Create division of their product.

SYPartners in New York is on the search for a Senior User Experience (UX) Researcher who possesses a strong curiosity surrounding user decisions and can quickly distill complex research data into actionable insights.

Information is Beautiful is seeking a remote Digital Editor/Producer to work closely alongside the founder and provide support across the whole creative operation.

Atlason Studio is hiring a Creative Services Manager who will be orchestrating the day-to-day of their industrial design studio in New York.

Innovation Law Lab in Portland is looking for a Program Coordinator to lead collaboration for delivering a diverse array of goals, objectives, projects and programs that leverage law, technology and organizing to advance immigrant and refugee justice.

Animated illustration of a black sphere circled by rotating rings of light

The vast recesses of the internet can be a scary place to lob a little newsletter into. Thank you for being here with me and nurturing the kind of intimacy that makes a writer feel known.

🌚 Waving,
Annie Yi, CreativeMornings HQ

GIF artist unknown