I say this often but it bears repeating: if you make your money from creating art then you NEED to find an art or craft where you just do it for fun and don't try to be perfect or make any money from it, and when anyone tells you to monetise it you say 'No', because otherwise your soul will die.

Imposter syndrome, historical goldmines and a hunger for knowledge that is never sated. A great new Substack post by @melaniejmilne.bsky.social

All I want for Christmas is to pull a loose book from a bookshelf and finally, at long last, find that it opens a hidden door.

#onthisday Christmas Eve 1731, Gerrard Russel crouched in an alley near Fleet Street to do his "occasions", when a woman approached him. She proceeded to punch him in the face, push him over, and steal his watch. She was never caught. Merry Christmas 🎄

Writing is an act of rebellion. Writing is an act of creation. Writing is an act of salvation. Writing is an act of exploration. Writing is an act of emotion. Writing is an act of confession. Writing is an act of speculation. Writing is an act of reflection. Keep writing.

Schroedinger's puberty blockers: For trans kids: deadly, dangerous, unknown, unresearched... But for all other kids? 🤷🏼‍♂️ You can take them like TicTacs!

It feels right to create my first Bluesky post after submitting my PhD application. Always better to save the scarier things until last.