To Find Your People, Create The Thing You Want To Consume

From an early age, my number one passion was writing.

I loved to construct stories and fill them with characters. I loved how putting words on a page allowed me to express myself in a way I, a heavy introvert, could never seem to do in day-to-day life, face to face with others. Over the years, I’ve written several fiction manuscripts and a not-inconsiderable mountain of poetry. I’ve also journaled for periods of years at a time. And though I’ve tried to secure an agent for some of my writing- hell, I even self-published a trilogy under a different name that no one read - I’ve never been able to make reliable money writing doing it. Not uncommon for an author, I know, especially if you're considered 'niche.'

Writing is still just as much a passion as ever, but now there’s a new creative pursuit that competes for my daily time.

Last November, I started an Etsy shop after quitting my job. A ballsy move, yes, but something I felt had to be done. (I wrote more about that here.)

My shop Salty Sorcerer Society was born when I borrowed inspiration from the lengthy collection of favorite quotes about writing that I've always taken to heart:

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” - Toni Morrison

The same, I thought, was likely true of creating any other kind of art. I knew from experience that I got the best, most passionate ideas when I wasn't trying to think about what *everyone* wants, what will sell to the lowest common denominator. Because that's not only a frustrating pursuit- it’s impossible and constantly changing anyway.

Whether I am making signs, t-shirts, and other products for my shop, or starting out with a new novel idea, all I’m doing is creating the sort of thing that I would love to read or to buy, and haven’t seen out there yet. For my store, this means shirts that say things like "Maybe Today, Satan." It also means signs for one’s home that say things like “do not feed the demon in the stairwell”, or even “definitely not haunted” (that one’s for if you’ve got a clearly haunted house on your hands but like to be a little *tongue in cheek*)

Whatever you're into, there’s bound to be someone who feels the same as you. The world is huge, and though you may feel like a black sheep in your family or in your small town (I know I sure did), the reality is that you’re not that unique- and that is a good thing!

If there’s a demand in your heart for something, I promise you there’s someone else out there who wishes they could find the same products and books that you’re dreaming of creating. And for every single person like that, there’s a thousand more who don’t even know they want what you’re only thinking of making. Maybe they’ve never been exposed to something like it before and it will fill a hole they didn’t know existed. I know several other creators and writers who addressed needs I never knew I had before I read their work or saw their art.

When I saw this challenge entry and looked into Memberful, I had two thoughts right off the bat:

1. I knew I had to apply to this. I’ve been struggling to make money from the things I love for so long. Using Memberful could be so helpful to me for this purpose!
2. I had no idea which of my passions to talk about, let alone how to create extra incentive for people to join a membership of some sort. My energy feels so split most days between getting writing done and submitted and managing and promoting my shop, while actually finding gigs on the side that, well, made me the money I need to live. If only the effort involved in all three things could be crunched into one!

That’s when I remembered newsletters. Newsletters often have a paid membership option; that was technically an option.

I hated it though.

See, I have a vendetta against newsletters. Both as a writer AND as an Etsy shop owner, I’ve heard dozens upon dozens of times that I am going to NEED an email newsletter or I’m doomed to fail. Newsletters were out to get me, giving me yet another task I’d need to cram into my week.

BUT WAIT!, I thought, as I brainstormed what to write for this post. Maybe I’m just thinking about this the wrong way. A newsletter doesn’t have to be dry weekly tips or constant pitching of other services I offer. Why couldn’t a newsletter be creative? Why couldn’t it be the reward of the membership in itself?

Maybe I don’t have to feel like I’m juggling two different arts as passion. What if this newsletter is the key to joining them both in the middle- killing two birds with one stone, so to speak (I don’t know what those birds did, but it must have been pretty criminal.)

It would allow me to indulge my first passion of writing while promoting my shop and sharing my art and process, maybe previewing things that are about to go up. It would also allow me to connect with other people who are like me.

When I started Salty Sorcerer Society, I named it what I did because 1) it sounded funny. b) it just felt right. Someone I know had commented on that last word 'society', saying it seemed ‘exclusive’ to her. She was saying this as a negative thing, and while I can understand where she was coming from, this shop just isn’t going to be for everyone. Hell, I’ve never been for everyone.

A while back, I took a free masterclass by the brand strategist Kaye Putnam which taught me it’s just as important to know who you’re not interested in selling to as who you do want as customers (if you’re unfamiliar with Kaye, she has a great brand archetype quiz on her site you can take for free! If you done been knew and you've already taken it... where my fellow mavericks at??)

Anyhow, this newsletter would really bring home the ‘society’ aspect, creating an actual ‘society’ or ‘club’ of sorts that receives a special treat in their inbox once a week. Sometimes feeling like you’re part of something exclusive is pretty cool.

I know most newsletters are free, and don’t get me wrong, I would have a free option that went out once a month or so. This would include the more basic stuff like the listings I’ve put up that month, a discount code or giveaway announcement, maybe even a little sampling of some of the stuff that gets sent out in my more exclusive newsletter. But having the free one be less frequent would allow me to pour my real creative juices into making the weekly something people could enjoy and be inspired to subscribe to, even if they’re not familiar with my shop.

As an artist, I often fall into the familiar trap of feeling like I don’t have any skills worth paying for. No one really needs an exclusive newsletter for spooky weirdos. But then again, no one really needs a sign that says “please excuse the random screaming” hanging in their home, or a shirt about the plight of this poor demon:

(actually I take that last part back; demon activism & the cruel practice of exorcism is all but ignored in today’s society)

But someone has bought both of these things.

No one needs a novel to read, but there's a lot of us who would go insane if we didn’t.

Because art has never been about rational need, has it?

Art is craving. Art is meaning.

So how to create a craving & a meaning for this newsletter? How to go about deciding what would go in it?

The same way I’d decide what books to write or what decor and t-shirts to create. Yep, we’re back to that Toni Morrison quote again: CREATE THE THING YOU WOULD WANT TO BUY.

So. What would I want in a newsletter that I’d be willing to pay a little pocket change for each month?

I came up with the following things:

• Stories on how I made what I made that week for my shop. ~Creative retellings~, if you will. Maybe one week the hag who stumbles around in the woods behind my house gave me a commission for a sign she then never picked up (rude.) Maybe the next week I created a shirt to get me out of attending a wizards’ enclave I wasn’t in the mood for. Ideally these would be mixed with actual looks at the process, for those who love a good ‘how it’s done’ moment (also me).

• Irrelevant horoscopes - Just like regular horoscopes, but completely irrelevant to what the stars are actually doing, and a thousand times more pointless. Here’s an example of some I wrote the other day for my friend’s newsletter:

On the more serious side- the meaning side if you will- I want to add a dose of empowerment for people like me, who’ve maybe been made to believe they need to mute their personality to be successful. You know, all of us who have to suffer hearing things like: Be less sarcastic, so people like you more! Dress less creepy, so people aren’t scared of you! (or dress your age”, whatever that means.) Art isn’t a real job! Don’t be “too much”, but don’t be too shy either! Don’t talk about how you’re building your own coffin in front of polite society! (Well, maybe the last one is just me).

I can imagine this more heartfelt part of the newsletter expanding as well.

I would like to feature other people in the society, either little funny profiles/shoutouts to people who have joined or more serious, heartful interviews with other dark creators who live my dream life of being their uncensored self every day while doing what they love. I’ve always wanted to be in the interviewer’s chair; I love coming up with interesting questions. I would like to have this angle too to prove that it can be done & collect tips from people who know more than me about getting to that place of freedom. I want to prove this to myself just as much as I want to encourage others!

As I wrote out all my ideas, I began to get excited. Creating this subscription would be just as interesting for me to make as it would for my subscribers to read. It would give me an outlet for a lot of the more absurd, darkly humorous ideas I’ve had but never found an outlet for because they just didn’t stand that well alone. It would provide some laughs, some educational materials and some inspiration for both me and its readers.

Unlike with many newsletters, I’m not placing myself as an expert. I don’t have any great success thus far to show off. I’m just one person on a journey to live their dreams who wants to take like-minded people along for the ride and have a little (or a lot) of fun along the way.

{ thanks for reading! If you liked, please drop me a heart below- tips are also so appreciated but of course not necessary. This post really took it out of me, and I mayyybe used too many GIFs, but I can't wait to bring the Society to life as more than just a storefront! 'Till next time xx RAIST }