It’s been an exciting week!
Rocket Kid and I are officially in motion to creating a podcast. I have some details worked out, but as they remain subject to change, I’m going to keep them to myself for now.
Just as we were getting moving on this, The Podcasting Workshop showed up in my e-mail. It’s begun! I already had a lot of good energy around this project, and now I have even more. So exciting! I will be sure to let you know when it’s available for download. Also, if this is a workshop you’re interested in, you can join for another few days. Everyone inside is working at their own pace, so you’ll have started late but you won’t have to hustle to catch up.
Also: as a disclaimer for today and going forward… none of these links are affiliate links, and I’m not affiliated with any of them in any way. I’ll indicate affiliate links. Most of the time, I’m just sharing information.
If you were interviewing Generic Guest, what interesting question would you ask? Hit reply and let me know.
What’s new on the blog?
Writing
Austin Kleon had written in one of his newsletters his answers to seven pandemic questions. I asked my newsletter people their answers. Here are their responses, my responses, and Rocket Kid's responses.
Question 1: What's one thing you made this year?
I asked people to upload a photo, but the few brave enough to answer the questions in the first place didn't share photos. Which is fine.
I’ve made a physically more fit me. I have exercised WAY more this past year than ever before and am in the best shape of my life.
I made a classroom of 3rd graders giggle hysterically (by being a guest reader)
I made a lot of music
I made a board game!
I made a table with my dad
"Hey, you got a card from someone," The Climbing Daddy said one day last week when he brought in the mail.
There wasn't an occasion or anything attached to it—just a card that said, in sum, "I'm glad our paths crossed" from a relatively new friend.
It was lovely. It made my day. I have it standing up at my little workstation in the living room.
Photography
Gratitude for lacking seasonal allergies
What about books? Other media?
A friend shared this wonderful video of Benjamin Zander working with a teenaged cello player on a Bach piece in front of an audience. For those without interest in classical music, just tune in for a minute at 1:51 for his recommendation on how to respond to making mistakes.
If you’re captured by his energy (isn’t it fantastic?) and want to see more, he has a TED talk here.
Rocket Kid has been delighted by the Geronimo Stilton books for a while now and has read at least a dozen of them at least twice each. He asked me to read The Treasure at Easter Island, so I did. It was a cute story with lots of pictures and gave some historical information about Easter Island. (I didn’t fact-check the book, but the map in the book checks out with maps on the internet.) I can see why he likes them.
From what he’s told me, it sounds like the majority of the books take place in New Mouse City, which is where this one begins and ends, but they did travel to Easter Island (on one tank of gas!).
If you’re able, patronize local bookstores instead of the fastest online bookstore. It might cost a couple of dollars and a couple of days, but it’s worth it. The link above takes you to bookshop.org where you can shop some of your local bookstores from the internet.
Heat’s other offerings
First, another freebie: I have a separate newsletter about the experience of getting a book published as a not-famous, not-previously-published author. That is exclusively about the book (and is the only place I’m going to write about it), and once all the book stuff is done, that will be the end of emails from there. Click here to subscribe.
My blank greeting cards remain for sale off my site until I get Etsy set up. You can find those here.
Of the other stuff in the works, I had planned for one to land today, but it’s not ready. The new plan is to have it available here next week!
You could also support me and my work through sharing. Do you know someone who would be interested in this newsletter? Forward it, or use the share button at the bottom.
Thanks! Have a great week!