Separate your endeavors...
and remember your why's.
This is a comment I received in December after writing about standing up for your writer self:
Rainbow Roxy commented on your post Get Up, Stand Up Dec 22
Hey, great read as always. It makes me wonder, how do you navigate standing up for your ‘professional self’ when it feels like a constant balancing act, especially in fields that often demand so much? Your ability to draw such profound lessons from everyday moments is truly inspiring.
I really feel this. Because when I’m struggling to make a living in a creative field, sometimes I feel like I’m betraying my truest self. Sometimes I know I’m accepting less than what I deserve, but I do it anyway. Sometimes I spend a lot of my time working on things that I know don’t matter - not in the way I want my work to matter, anyway.
I look at all of my writing as separate endeavors and remember my why’s:
Novel writing: I know the novels I write may never get published. But I know that if I don’t put aside the time to write them, they’ll also never get published.
Literally every other creative form of creative writing - poetry, creative nonfiction, and short stories: I approach with the same novel-writing mentality. These projects don’t pay my bills (hopefully not YET anyway), but they feed me. This is the writing that I’m proud of, my purest forms of expression. These projects are my why.
Then there are the pieces that help me take care of my family. I’m not always shouting from the rooftops that everything I’ve had published is the best thing ever. Sometimes I have to tell myself, when my soul is hating these projects, that it may not be my dream form of writing, but it does fund my dream form of writing.
Straight Outta English:
As an English teacher, I heard a lot of grumbling and, “We have to read a ‘whole’ story,” or “OMG: a WHOLE book !!?”
They constantly wanted to know why they couldn’t “just type” their response or “just listen” to the audio version of the text. But the more you don’t have to write by hand or read something that isn’t digital, the less able you are to do either.
What’s more - I was often critiqued by my administration for not using more technology in the classroom or “spending too much time” on actual reading.
So anyway, this English teacher went analog (NPR), saying - ‘I know that when my students leave my class that they know how to think and they know how to write.’
Culinary Signs of the Times:
We are so poor that Vogue hailed 2026 as the year of the cabbage - because it’s versatile AND cheap AF.
Other foodie predictions (Misfits Market Blog) include: fiber taking over protein, marshmallows, and fancy water.
And cravings for the past: Retro Food is Back (Financial Times)
My friend, Fernando:
I really latched onto the Fernando Mendoza story, because he grew up where I’m from, Miami, Florida. His story is inspiring, but what makes him special is his timing. He’s the underdog that is consistently underestimated. Just go ahead and try not to like this kid.
Here is a letter (The Players’ Tribune) written to him from his mother, called, “Dear Fernando.”
This photo is by Eric J. Smith, titled “Reclaiming,” 2026:
Normally here I share “Some things I’ve written recently,” but not this week. Instead, I’m sharing this:
Normally I share a writing opportunity here, but today I’m sharing this direct from Business Insider:
“Are you a business owner or employee affected by ICE in your area? Reach out to this reporter at allisonkelly@businessinsider.com or via Signal at alliekelly.10. Here’s our guide to sharing information securely.”
I also want to share this pitching advice from Paige DiFiore at Business Insider. She is regularly putting out pitch calls and posted this on LinkedIn:
“In my role as an editor working with #freelance writers at Business Insider, I receive dozens of emails a day and oftentimes 100+ pitches a week across form submissions and emails.
I’m sure I’m not the only one! I don’t share this to discourage anyone from pitching, but to hopefully provide some clarity on why we’re not always able to respond to every pitch. It’s also a reminder of just how important it is to make a #pitch stand out.
A few of my go-to tips:
✏️ Make sure you’re pitching the correct editor
Do a quick scan of socials/author profiles to ensure your pitch aligns with topics this person regularly covers or requests stories about.
✏️ Craft a compelling headline that fits the vibe of the site
Take a few seconds to scroll through the site or sample stories provided. Try to write something eye-catching that also fits in with the typical style and voice of the site you’re pitching. It makes it easier to envision the story on the site and shows that you did some research.
✏️ Provide key details and answers to important questions up front
Tell me the hook and list out the surprising things! Reveal the twist! Share which types of experts or sources you’ll use, if any. Bulleted lists can be a great way to do this simply and quickly.
The less back-and-forth required, the quicker a story can be assigned (and the less risk of this pitch getting buried among others).
✏️ Skip the “Are you accepting pitches?”
Though not all editors may agree with this one, if you’re already sending a message, make it as strong and informative as possible. Introduce yourself! Tell me a bit about your expertise, background, and usual coverage areas.
I’d always prefer to get: “I’m an ABC who specializes in XYZ. Here are a few of my clips and some initial pitches based on stories I’ve seen on the site/your recent callouts.”
If you’d really like to ask, try this stronger question instead: “What sort of pitches are you looking for right now?””
And a prompt:
What is the difference between friends and best friends?
Write on,
Ashley