A Year On Substack (Part 1)
Oodles Of Noodles About Getting Older (+ Wiser?)
Friday marks one year since I started posting on Substack.
Like any creative endeavor I’ve ever been part of, the past 363 days have been filled with life lessons, personal and professional growth, and more mistakes than I would like to admit. (Case in point: today’s premature send-ification. Sorry about that!)
As I reflect on this first year, I wanted to share some of the things I’ve learned along the way—a mix of advice, observations, and a sprinkle of humor.
Because, let’s face it, laughter is the best medicine.
MISTAKES WILL HAPPEN
No matter how much planning I do, I’m human, so mistakes are a feature, not a bug.
A typo here, a broken link there—it’s all part of the process. Instead of spiraling into self-criticism, I’ve learned to embrace my errors, fix them quickly, and move forward.
Perfectionism isn’t perfect. But it is exhausting.
NOT ALWAYS DOWN WITH O.P.P.
As a sensitive creative type, I’m not always down with O.P.P. (aka Other People’s ‘Pinions). Especially from the occasional rude dude on the internet.
Don’t like my work? Cool. Scroll on.
While I appreciate the compliments and kind words, I’ll never understand folks who spread their negative opinions like the common cold. Be kind or rewind elsewhere.
The truth is not every piece or post will be everyone’s cup of tea.
We’re all different. How I see the world is vastly different than even those I call my nearest and dearest. To me, that’s what makes the world interesting. But not worth fighting about.
Some subscribe in support.
Some unsubscribe in protest.
Some leave critical comments.
But most pick the parts they like and scroll past what they don’t.
Life’s too short. So I focus on those who connect with my work rather than obsessing over those who don’t. You can’t please everyone—and trying to will only drive you mad (in every sense of the word).
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
During the second half of 2024, I was making on average 2 montages a day. The vast majority for YouTube.
While I’m proud of those videos, I’ve slowed down in 2025, posting one video a day on Substack and every other day on YouTube.
This shift has been harder than I thought. But prioritizing quality over quantity has led to deeper audience engagement and greater creative fulfillment.
Taking more time allows me to find rarer, higher-quality photos and craft more thoughtful posts and videos. Creating something meaningful always pays off.
EROTIC > EXPLICIT
One of the most surprising lessons I’ve learned recently is that I prefer the erotic to the explicit. For the longest time, I didn’t see much difference—after all, a nude dude is a nude dude, right? But I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of the human form when there’s an element of mystery.
Not everyone agrees, but hey, it’s my Substack, and I’ll erotica if I want to. Slowly but surely, the audience for this more art, beauty, and booty approach is growing.
Plus, I prefer to avoid locker-room-style chatter about body parts.
I’m not a prude, just a bit of a shy guy.
Eye candy is dandy—and I don’t feel the need to explain myself or my tastes.
KEEPING CALM + CARRYING ON
The internet is a circus of distractions, drama, and algorithms designed to sow doubt. To stay grounded, I’ve decided to scale back my social media presence.
No more experiments on Meta-Static, TikTok, or Xitter.
Less focus on Amazon, too.
Learning to stay focused is vital. Whether it’s taking a walk, limiting screen time, or setting boundaries, keeping calm is the key to carrying on.
Looking back on this first year, I see that every step—even the missteps—has been an essential part of the journey. There’s still so much more to explore, learn, and share, and I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who’s joined me along the way.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where I’ll dive into more lessons and maybe even give you a sneak peek at my plans for Year Two.
Thanks for being a friend!
Clint 🌈✌️
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
Trump Memecoin Is Insane (Voidzilla) 📺🤬
I Hate My Life (Voidzilla) 📺🤬
Embracing The Void (Voidzilla) 📺🤬
ON THIS DAY = JANUARY 22
BIRTHDAYS
1552 = Sir Walter Raleigh = English poet, soldier, courtier, and explorer
1561 = Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) = English philosopher and statesman 🌈
1788 = Lord Byron (1788-1824) = British poet 🌈
1875 = D. W. Griffith = American filmmaker
1893 = Conrad Veidt = German-American actor and filmmaker 🌈
1898 = Sergei Eisenstein = Russian filmmaker 🌈
1904 = George Balanchine = Georgian-American dancer and choreographer
1909 = Francis Bacon (1909-1992) = British painter 🌈
1931 = Sam Cooke = American singer-songwriter
1934 = Bill Bixby = American actor and director
1938 = Peter Beard = Australian photographer and author
1940 = John Hurt = English actor
1949 = Steve Perry = American singer-songwriter
1951 = Ondrej Nepela (1951-1989) = Slovak figure skater 🌈
1953 = Jim Jarmusch = American filmmaker
1955 = John Wesley Shipp = American actor
1959 = Linda Blair = American actor
1960 = Michael Hutchence = Australian singer-songwriter
1965 = DJ Jazzy Jeff = American DJ and producer
1968 = Guy Fieri = American chef, author, and tv host
1975 = Balthazar Getty = American actor and musician
EVENTS
1905 = Bloody Sunday marks the start of the Russian Revolution of 1905.
1946 = The Central Intelligence Group, forerunner of the CIA, is created.
1947 = KTLA, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, begins operation in Hollywood.
1966 = Lilli Vincenz is the first open lesbian to appear on the cover The Ladder, a magazine published by the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB).
1970 = The Boeing 747, the world's first "jumbo jet", enters commercial service for launch customer Pan American Airways.
1973 = SCOTUS delivers its decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, legalizing elective abortion in all fifty states.
1984 = The Apple Macintosh, the first computer to popularize the mouse and the graphical user interface, is introduced during a Super Bowl commercial.
HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES
ART + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“There are four questions of value in life, Don Octavio. What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love.”
Lord Byron
ON SUBSTACK + YOUTUBE
NSFW + Pioneers + Pride + SFW
ON YOUTUBE
MORE FROM COLLIDE PRESS
Bluesky + Ko-Fi + Linktree + Shop
+ Storefront + Threadless + YouTube
Just had to throw in a comment about the erotic vs explicit content. I now know that it probably doesn't matter much as far as keeping the photo police out of your hair, but I have given this a lot of thought since the subject came up. To me, there are really three groupings. 1. Erotic, i.e. suggestive of sexual arousal, but without any frontal nudity at all. 2. Enticing, which is where I would prefer to have the line drawn. This group would include photos of genitals in flaccid, partially aroused, and erect state, but without any sexual activity being included, either still photos or video excerpts. 3. The truly pornographic, which we all can get for free almost anywhere, where the photos and videos clearly show participants involved in sexual activity of some sort. I don't believe in censorship of any kind, but I didn't and wouldn't subscribe to your site if what I wanted to see was pornography. But the second group provides us with a whole class of photos and videos which are almost impossible to find in any other way and yet serve an important role when evaluating and demonstrating the whole range of nudity. To be clear, I am not asking you to risk your income on the arbitrary views of a few self-centered credit card execs, but I am hoping that you will agree that this "third" category of nudity is real and very hard to find.
It is so reassuring to encounter the occasional kind human being. I am grateful Clint, thank you for being in the world at the same time I am.