Your pieces are always good to read and so thought provoking in a positive way.
I haven't given much thought to my brand. I don't have one. I just write. Yep, doomed for publishing failure, but at 74 I don't see a glittering future just time to indulge myself in writing for myself. If I were to invent a name for me (a la 'fairy witch') it would be either cosmic mouse or fantasy hedgehog - 5 ft and not expanding in any direction, except when I write. I loved being published by a traditional publisher but when the bubble burst it took years to return to the worlds inside my head and on my laptop. I'm back there now and loving it.
Thank you for a very insightful post. If we are honest we all have two sides, one s bit darker than the other. Maybe my brand should be hitmanandpoetry ( hitman being a metaphor for my sarcastic side)
Thank you for this. I have been wrestling with my identity "purely as a horror writer" post-COVID, as well. Your story put into words so much of what I've been feeling, and it helped me to process that we are complicated: what I'm feeling is not a crisis but evolution. I love the idea that there is an identity, but that it can grow and change, and that's okay. Better than okay. You are a delight, lady. Thank you again.
I love this. I've always struggled with how to maintain the different facets of my life into a cohesive "brand". I find these days that I just have specific bits hiding in various social media. Insta is a bit more perfectionist, Twitter/Theads is more edgy, TikTok is more fun and where I just don't care too much and just allow myself to be creative. Substack is where the honest side where I like to get real. Internet personas are such a tricky beast to tackle and it's hard to really know what other people see in you as well, but I like reading your posts and seeing how similar we actually are. It's really cool.
Yay! It's damn near impossible to try to boil down the complexity of a human being into a damn brand, let alone someone who is creative. Social media has really forced people to exist in these little manufactured boxes and it can be so damn stifling. For what it's worth, I love your eclectic brand and think you sell yourself well!
I don't have the challenge of needing to embrace all my sides in my professional life. I can keep that as just my professional side. My silly side something peeks in, behind the scenes, with just my team. But I can keep it all compartmentalized. I'm also not building a brand. So I respect the challenge you face. In the rest of my life, the more I embrace all my sides, the happier I am. I like dark spooky thing, I like color, I'm a mom, I'm a romantic, I'm a nerd, I'm hilarious, I'm insecure, I'm deeply sensitive, I'm fluent in sarcasm, I love people and I avoid them as much as possible. I'm so many things and the more I recognize that, the less I feel lost. Watching you brace your duality has been really inspiring - and it also brings an authenticity that people respond to. I think you're pretty amazing and I've loved watching you grow and succeed these past couple years since I stumbled bacross you. Looking forward to where you go in the future 🤍
I am always reminded of my old friend Mr. Whitman, I am large I contain multitudes! Like Persephone, you have found the balance, both Goddess of Light and Queen of the Underworld. I think She is no doubt very proud of you, Mother of Crows, Cupcakes and Bats! ;)
Your pieces are always good to read and so thought provoking in a positive way.
I haven't given much thought to my brand. I don't have one. I just write. Yep, doomed for publishing failure, but at 74 I don't see a glittering future just time to indulge myself in writing for myself. If I were to invent a name for me (a la 'fairy witch') it would be either cosmic mouse or fantasy hedgehog - 5 ft and not expanding in any direction, except when I write. I loved being published by a traditional publisher but when the bubble burst it took years to return to the worlds inside my head and on my laptop. I'm back there now and loving it.
Thank you for a very insightful post. If we are honest we all have two sides, one s bit darker than the other. Maybe my brand should be hitmanandpoetry ( hitman being a metaphor for my sarcastic side)
Yes, I agree. Definitely gotta have balance, in our personal lives as well as professionally 💯
Thank you for this. I have been wrestling with my identity "purely as a horror writer" post-COVID, as well. Your story put into words so much of what I've been feeling, and it helped me to process that we are complicated: what I'm feeling is not a crisis but evolution. I love the idea that there is an identity, but that it can grow and change, and that's okay. Better than okay. You are a delight, lady. Thank you again.
My absolute pleasure. Glad it resonated with you!
This is so vulnerable. Thank you for sharing!
I love this. I've always struggled with how to maintain the different facets of my life into a cohesive "brand". I find these days that I just have specific bits hiding in various social media. Insta is a bit more perfectionist, Twitter/Theads is more edgy, TikTok is more fun and where I just don't care too much and just allow myself to be creative. Substack is where the honest side where I like to get real. Internet personas are such a tricky beast to tackle and it's hard to really know what other people see in you as well, but I like reading your posts and seeing how similar we actually are. It's really cool.
Yay! It's damn near impossible to try to boil down the complexity of a human being into a damn brand, let alone someone who is creative. Social media has really forced people to exist in these little manufactured boxes and it can be so damn stifling. For what it's worth, I love your eclectic brand and think you sell yourself well!
I don't have the challenge of needing to embrace all my sides in my professional life. I can keep that as just my professional side. My silly side something peeks in, behind the scenes, with just my team. But I can keep it all compartmentalized. I'm also not building a brand. So I respect the challenge you face. In the rest of my life, the more I embrace all my sides, the happier I am. I like dark spooky thing, I like color, I'm a mom, I'm a romantic, I'm a nerd, I'm hilarious, I'm insecure, I'm deeply sensitive, I'm fluent in sarcasm, I love people and I avoid them as much as possible. I'm so many things and the more I recognize that, the less I feel lost. Watching you brace your duality has been really inspiring - and it also brings an authenticity that people respond to. I think you're pretty amazing and I've loved watching you grow and succeed these past couple years since I stumbled bacross you. Looking forward to where you go in the future 🤍
This is so sweet; thank you so much! I love that we can be all the things.
Also I did my nails and now I can't type on my phone 😂
I am always reminded of my old friend Mr. Whitman, I am large I contain multitudes! Like Persephone, you have found the balance, both Goddess of Light and Queen of the Underworld. I think She is no doubt very proud of you, Mother of Crows, Cupcakes and Bats! ;)
You really touched my heart, thank you!
The best, most interesting people tend to be Sugar Bats -- can't appreciate the sweet unless you've also tasted bitterness.
This is the sweetest thing ever; thank you so much for sharing it with me! I hope she's flying free and happy with the crows.