10 Newsletters I’m digging right now
Newsletters are all the rage these days. In a seemingly short time, I went from reluctantly agreeing to get emails from companies I regularly shopped at, to tossing those into spam and scrambling to find writers and other content-creators I loved, who were dishing out their own, more compelling content, on self-started platforms.
I realized recently that I subscribe to 20 or more - most of those subscriptions happening during the pandemic, and I even started my own - as a way to kickstart my creativity, give a positive boost to others, and share resources to like minds. And that’s what this list is - not a Top 10, just ten newsletters I’ve subscribed to and enjoy.
1.Kai Brach / Dense Discovery
Dense Discovery is a weekly newsletter featuring “fresh discoveries at the intersection of design, technology, and culture”. I like to think of it as an extended “Recommender” section from Fast Company. It features apps, tools, websites, inspiring art, fascinating people, and thought-provoking reads, thoughts, and listens. It’s curated by Kai Brach and one of my favorite reads of the week. When I feel like I’m not getting where I need to be creatively, I jump back into my inbox and look through old newsletters, and almost always find something there to spark an idea.
2. Rob Walker / The Art of Noticing
I can’t remember when or how I was clued into this newsletter, but one of the main things Rob Walker believes is “we could all get better at paying attention to other people.” His newsletter is filled with icebreakers, compelling articles, and people, all aimed at showing not only how you can benefit from noticing more, but how to do it as well. It’s easily one of the most delightful newsletters I’ve subbed to.
3. James Clear / 3-2-1 Thursday
James is the author of what might be the best-selling book of 2021, Atomic Habits. Which, yes, is kind of weird considering it came out in 2018 - but that should be a testament to the many people who are slowly digesting it, benefitting from it, and ultimately, sharing it. His newsletter is called 3-2-1 Thursday, and it’s a quick read featuring “3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider this week”. One of the quotes this week was from the poet May Sarton, who said “It is good for a professional to be reminded that his professionalism is only a husk, that the real person must remain an amateur, a lover of the work."
4. Hitha Palepu / #5SmartReads
I discovered Hitha via Grace Atwood and probably Jess Ann Kirby, and she’s both similar to them and completely different. Makes sense, right? Her newsletter comes out every week and it’s 5 “Smart Reads” that are typically “underreported - but incredibly important or interesting - stories”. There’s a big community now, and the “reads” come from a team but I always find they fit her intention, and mine, in reading.
5. Suleika Jaouad / The Isolation Journals
Suleika’s memoir Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted, was one of my favorite reads of 2020, and her newsletter was created around the same time to cultivate creativity and foster connection in challenging times. Each week, she sends out a journaling prompt (which, I take to either journal with, or just think deeply about) from “some of the world’s most renowned writers, celebrated artists, inspiring community leaders, and unsung heroes”. If you’re trying to be more intentional about various aspects of your life, this might be a breath of fresh air.
6. Jess Ann Kirby
I initially started following Jess Ann Kirby on Instagram as someone who had a similar style and could inspire me to make an outfit decision on days when I did not have the energy to do so. Since then, her platform has evolved from sustainable clothing options to sustainable and ethically made lifestyle choices. It feeds right into what I’m focused on as a person, and the different POVs her newsletter offers are lovely. Also, she goes back and forth between Rhode Island and Vermont so it’s an aesthetically pleasing journey as well.
7. The New York Times / At Home & Away
Full disclosure, I subscribe to the New York Times, so it’s possible this originally landed in my inbox as periphery spam, but it’s since kept me interested. Curated by Melissa Kirsch, it’s introduced me to Hania Rani, this piece by Kathryn Schulz, plenty of pieces that never made it to my TBR list, but mostly, I just like the feel of this newsletter. It doesn’t feel political or overwhelming or too New York-based (which can be a problem if you don’t live there), it just feels like a friend saying, hey - these are some cool things you should check out.
8. Austin Kleon / 10 Things Worth Sharing
You don’t have to have a job in a creative industry to be “creative” - everyone is creative. Austin Kleon is certainly someone I’d identify as a creative, but his newsletter is for everyone. He’s an avid reader, movie-watcher, and music listener, and nerds out on those things, but he’s also a dyed-in-the-wool creative, so he’s also using that creativity in new and interesting ways that can light a fire for anyone.
9. Roxane Gay / The Audacity
If you haven’t heard of Dr. Roxane Gay, my biggest suggestion would be to get to know her. She’s an outspoken (bad) feminist, author, professor, and queer Queen of what the hell is going on with people. In her newsletter, you’ll find a link roll (or round-up, as she calls it), but you’ll also find a bi-weekly Emerging Writer series in which she publishes a new or emerging writer’s work. What’s especially great about Roxane is that she truly practices what she preaches, as best she can - she supports diverse and frequently marginalized people and gives them a platform they might not otherwise have.
10. Anne Helen Peterson / Culture Study
I started reading Anne Helen’s newsletter a few years ago when I noticed she was the author of several think pieces that caught my attention, including a couple of books on burnout. Culture Study is a “mix of my training as a cultural studies professor, where I learned that everything is interesting if you just spend some time analyzing and contextualizing it.” Like any good newsletter, there’s always a link roll, but the content is what makes it an always-open in my inbox.
