Several subscribers have messaged me lately, a little lost in the sauce about how Substack works. And, frankly, I don’t blame them. Because it can be more than a little confusing. I’m not even sure I’m using it “correctly” some days.
Long story short, Substack is a blog, newsletter, and social platform all in one.
For me, it’s where I publish my blog, send newsletters, share my videos, and, thanks to the support of my paid subscribers and patrons, help keep COLLIDE PRESS going and growing.
Not long after I joined, Team Substack introduced a feature called Notes. Think of it as Substack’s version of Twitter/X, only with fewer bots and trolls looking to pick a fight with strangers on the internet before breakfast.
I’ve been a pretty inconsistent Notes user so far. Every now and then I’ll share a random thought, post a link, recommend something I’ve enjoyed, or offer a quick behind-the-scenes glimpse into what I’m working on.
But lately, I’ve been thinking I should spend a little more time there.
Not because I’m chasing the latest social media “growth hack.”
Quite the opposite.
No, I’m looking for a “productivity hack.” Something to add to my motley mix of content and posts.
Writing a quick Note takes a fraction of the time it takes to research, write, edit, and publish one of my daily blog posts or put together one of my video montages.
While I have no intention of posting less here, Notes feels like the perfect home for all those brain farts, jokes, photos, recommendations, and fleeting thoughts that don’t necessarily need 500 words to make their point.
As a bonus, it gives people another way to discover me and my work without requiring them to subscribe first.
Lately, I’ve caught myself disappearing down research rabbit holes that go much deeper than I intended. One interesting article leads to another. Then another. Before I know it, I’ve spent hours learning fascinating things that may or may not ever make it into a blog post or video.
I love learning. I just don’t always love how much it slows me down.
I’d rather spend more of that time creating the montages I love making, the ones my paid subscribers and patrons have so generously supported over the past few years.
So don’t be surprised if you start seeing me pop up in Notes a little more often. Think of them as the bite-sized companion pieces to the longer stories I share here.
If you’re already on Substack, stop by and say hello.
In the meantime, here’s a couple of my favorite recent Notes:
Keep calm and get your Notes on!
Clint 🌈✌️
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY
06-30 = Alan Joyce (1966- ) = Australian business executive 🌈
06-30 = Ben Patrick Johnson (1969- ) = American voice actor and author 🌈
06-30 = Ilene Chaiken (1957- ) = American producer, director, writer 🌈
06-30 = Paris Barclay (1956- ) = American director and producer 🌈
06-30 = Reginald Brett (1852-1930) = British historian and politician 🌈
06-30 = Willam Belli (1982- ) = American drag queen, actor, singer-songwriter 🌈
MAN CRUSH OF THE DAY
“The search for the truth is not for the faint hearted.”
Vincent D’Onofrio
Clint, it does get confusing sometimes. Everything I know about Substack I learned by asking help which is actually AI run and also Troy Ford helped me a lot. What you talked about made notes a little clearer so thank you for that. Fondly Michael.
Well Brian, me too I just muddle through it 😵💫 all. Cheers DougT