Hi friends,

Writing is a solitary act until it’s shared with others, then it becomes a communal ritual.

That’s how I feel every time I meet with my friends who are writers. There is a language we share that, if used in other circles, might come across as a little pretentious. We create stories out of thin air, inspired by our observant eyes that are always in recording mode. We can’t help it. We’re passionate about the little things—a made up character struggling with loneliness, a plot that complicates life beyond the mundane, a sentence that sounds like a bird song.

We get together, reassure each other that we’re good enough, and help each other sharpen our words. When I leave the apartment or Zoom call, I’m fueled with creativity, and so is everyone else. It’s then that I feel like this writing thing isn’t just a way to express my feelings or tell make-believe stories. It’s a matter of life or death. Published or not, rich or poor, with fame or without, it must be done, it must be shared, and it must be read.

When people ask me what the point was of spending two years in a creative program, I want them to meet my friends.

Writing is hard, but it’s more enjoyable when shared with others. Everything is better when done in groups—except for high school science projects.

Before my writing program, I couldn’t find anyone to talk about my writing except my wife. At some point, I needed people to write with, and for me, they were waiting at a writing program. But they can also be found at book readings, online writing classes, and Facebook groups. It’s not easy to make new friends, but it’s worth it when you have a shared passion to talk about.

— M

💎 New From Me

Remember how last time I said my YouTube channel was getting attention and I was breaking the 1K views mark? Well, not anymore, lol. I posted this video, and it’s gotten 60 views in the past 6 days.

Sharing whatever you know about a thing you’ve gotten a little good at (or at least what people tell you you’re kind of good at) is hard. Even if the goal isn’t the views, these platforms have their own science. At the core, it’s about how much value you provide, but it’s also about how you package it. We do judge books by their covers, and we do click based on titles and thumbnails. But as artists, we often don’t want to deal with this sort of thing. We create, and we hate marketing. So, until I learn how to be a better marketer, here’s a video on why reading fiction is as valuable, if not more valuable, than reading self-help books.

🔖 Quote I’m pondering

“No matter how successful you get, no matter what level of achievement you reach, you will never really “arrive”.”

— Austin Kleon

📸 Through My Lens

Please give me feedback on the newsletter by replying to this email. Do you find it worth your time? What do you want more or less of? Or other suggestions?

Thank you for reading!

Mohamed