As a newbie here, I'm very excited by the prospect of more collaboration! That's definitely something I will be exploring more in 2024 as I've seen it work so beautifully for others (namely getting new people in front of me, who happen to have collaborated with someone I love).
Yay Bella - I adore collabs I always learn so much and love the depth of process from start to finish - I have a whole article on collabs coming out for members since I learnt so much this year on that. How's your Substack going?
It's going well thank you Claire! It's a joy to have found subscribers without having to constantly promote on social media. I also use ConvertKit for email marketing and I haven't transferred any of my subscribers over yet as I wanted to test doing both to see the results (mad, I know!). Obviously the downside with CK is that it's much harder to grow using the platform itself. They do have the Creator network, but it's in its infancy right now.
I'm loving Substack for the new connections I'm making and how well it lends itself to long-form writing (which I just love -- to create and to consume).
Ahh yes it's the place of the birth of so much creativity and what I've learnt is the mailing list import is different for us all so good to just embrace what's here and see how you feel with that one! ✨
Love this Claire, so exciting and inspiring. Thank you for sharing your intentions and reasons behind them so clearly. I hope that I will also be able to focus on my personal growth and invest in myself in the year ahead which I see as being very much entwined with Substack, but first, some deep visioning this winter xx
Aww I'm so glad Lyndsay. I set a personal development budget which helps me to get clear on what I'm doing. So Leonie's academy is like $100 AUS and then I allocate another £300 to coaching over the year and then make a list of tech/ equipment too. Visioning yes!! Ahhh the visioning - do you have access to my closing the year workshop from yesterday? I think you'd really connect. ✨ ❄️
Claire! This makes so much sense, I’m not sure why I hadn’t though my of creating a budget for self-development. Love this, it makes everything more intentional, mindful and strategic. Thank you for this tip! Was so keen to join your workshop but had both children, hope to catch up xx
I love the intentionality of investing in your Substack... I guess as we would any other marketing or growth endeavour in our businesses. I'm just closing off my VAT and very conscious my accountant will be asking me about the flurry of Substack subscriptions in recent months. For me, it's about investing in my writing...I've become a little obsessed with the art of the personal essay which is something I've not really tackled as a writer before ...which feels scary and exciting at once xo
Ahh Antonia yes it's SO exciting/. What does closing off VAT mean? I'm not VAT registered so not familiar. Is it a headache? Investing in your writing sounds beautiful and often times that's just about giving it space right?
It's a lovely tax you have to pay after your business hits a certain turnover. It IS a headache but I use Xero and my accountants are great. Let me know if you need a recommendation! SO many yes-es to space for my writing...working on a personal essay next week so building that time in today xo
I’m going to invest in Typeform to manage submissions for Neurokind. I think I’ll just pay for the month(s) when the open calls are happening. I’ve had such a headache with Google Forms these last few years I feel the investment will be worth it!
I forgot to reply to this, but tussling with Google Forms again today and remembered. I just have too many Google accounts. It's never a problem with Gmail or any of the other services, but specifically Google Forms gives me a lot of resistance between switching accounts. I've gone in circles with it so many times. I log into the right account. Click over to Forms. It's switched back to the wrong email address.
Anything that makes a bit less resistance and ease when dealing with forms is welcome. Also the Typeform ones are so beautiful so the artist in me loves them.
Hi Claire: I'm local to you - in Amble - and I'm writing about my 70th birthday bike ride from Amble to London as well as some other travel pieces. I hope you might be interested. Best wishes Allan
Love No 6 ... and 8, getting a bookkeeper on board was THE best decision we ever made when we owned our small business. Just being able to trust someone else to turn the piles of paper into coherent management information ... bliss! Game changer. Your 2024 sounds exciting, Claire. If you need any Encouragement along the way (free and enthusiastically offered by an old beardy fella), just shout.
I do Sarah! So this year I’ve been listening to an hour or so of podcast or video material from my mentor (hyperlinked here). I met with them on zoom too and had them on the podcast - it’s podcast 2 if you want to listen. For me it’s making space to understand how to develop my business so some of it is around tech, pricing, money mindset, advancing my skills in canva, networking, being even more organised... things like that. How’s things with you today? ✨
Oh that's perfect! I see what you're talking about. Investing in new opportunities, up-skilling, etc. I need to make myself a list of my own development goals. Things are good here!! Finishing up grading for the semester and excited at the daily growth I'm starting to see on my Substack.
I have a business coach who is also a friend and I am finding working with her, you Claire and Sarah Fay immensely useful.
I am feeling a lot clearer on where I am going and also a lot more fear coming up! There is so much I want to do, including collaborations but getting a bit overwhelmed by it all at the moment so slowing it down a bit. ;o)
Aw so happy to be connected! I love SF! We are having a Christmas get together next week we might podcast it! Yes I think in finding our identity here in terms of what we want our Substack to be there can be some overwhelm but also make sure you’re not subscribed to too many things influencing your practise because your voice is the most important in it all. ✨✨
I'm in the middle of one of Leonie Dawson's many courses right now! I love the intention behind "investing" energy into your Substack. I've began with a custom domain and I'd like to continue improving my podcast setup.
Yay! Lovely intentions! Adore them and Leonie- what a magical being to be connected with. I love how short her tutorials are - I find her so easy to learn from. ✨✨
I’m going to invest in you and pay for a year as a Christmas gift to myself! I am realizing after being on here a month and half, how I want to take my writing seriously and see what can happen!
After two weeks hiatus in the sparkles of my 40th festivities I have a lot to catch up on here!
I loved reading your investments for 2024 and very happy to hear you are getting an accountant—imagine all that brain space you will have to create beautiful things in the delegation of the things that are a bit blah...
I have been reflecting on 2024 and I actually thought of you and the confirmation you gifted me on that recent substack shoutout articulating my lean into the visual aspect of how I use this this space and "just like that" I felt a revival in the passion of what I original came here for.
2024 for me is all about merging the visual with language!
More co-creations, more photography, more poetry, film even!— a deep dive into creating a visceral experience for my readers!
I want to dive into my art in a big way and with hope the art will do the talking.
Marry the visual with the writing.
I want to create a digital arthouse here and my heart is alive in all the ideas.
Thanks for sharing your own hopes, a reminder to invest in our own!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Tess! So glad you had a wonderful time. Ahh the co-created magic, I’m so here for it. Something when we see ourselves reflected back through others we really see more of the possibility I find?! That sounds VERY exciting!!
Yes an accountant - it was easier when I had one but they muddled up my maternity year and I was in a heap in tears with a newborn over tax - not their finest hour so I’ve just cracked on but it’s time! You’re so right. ✨✨💜
Hi Claire and everyone here in the threads, I'm interested in learning more about what you mean by "collabs." I'm writing on Substack and trying to grow my audience and collabs sound great, but I'm not sure how they work. Perhaps someone could write a post about them?
I'm building my experiences and observations into my joyful growth workshop series Harrison and there'll definitely be a post - maybe a good old chat too - probably March time. Substack put out a note to match people up to collaborate and write with each other a couple of months back and it was VERY popular - you could hunt it out or do your own note and tag me in. The big thing to say here is that I've ALWAYS treated everyone here as colleagues and then it's been about who I want to work with and who lands in my inbox. I've worked with everyone who's asked. I know want to be able to keep that up in the same way but year colleagues who become friends - that's the ticket!!
This is so inspiring Claire 💚 I love how laid everything out and expounded on what you have planned for 2024. I look forward to seeing you bloom next year! 😊🌸
I find planning very anchoring... thanks so much Mackenzie! Just snuggling with Luna watching Alice in Wonderland. Snow as a backdrop. Feeling like I deserve a day off.... ✨❄️
I definitely want to invest my time on Substack more in 2024. Just need to get my website revamp over the line 😬🙄
I also want to nurture my creative writing and try and build a little paid supportive community here. Plus keep up my podcast which I have really enjoyed doing so far.
I’ve so many of your workshop’s yet to watch as life / college / work had to take precedence.
As a newbie here, I'm very excited by the prospect of more collaboration! That's definitely something I will be exploring more in 2024 as I've seen it work so beautifully for others (namely getting new people in front of me, who happen to have collaborated with someone I love).
Can't wait to hear your travel plans ✈
Yay Bella - I adore collabs I always learn so much and love the depth of process from start to finish - I have a whole article on collabs coming out for members since I learnt so much this year on that. How's your Substack going?
It's going well thank you Claire! It's a joy to have found subscribers without having to constantly promote on social media. I also use ConvertKit for email marketing and I haven't transferred any of my subscribers over yet as I wanted to test doing both to see the results (mad, I know!). Obviously the downside with CK is that it's much harder to grow using the platform itself. They do have the Creator network, but it's in its infancy right now.
I'm loving Substack for the new connections I'm making and how well it lends itself to long-form writing (which I just love -- to create and to consume).
Ahh yes it's the place of the birth of so much creativity and what I've learnt is the mailing list import is different for us all so good to just embrace what's here and see how you feel with that one! ✨
This is something I really need to look at as well Bella! x
Love this Claire, so exciting and inspiring. Thank you for sharing your intentions and reasons behind them so clearly. I hope that I will also be able to focus on my personal growth and invest in myself in the year ahead which I see as being very much entwined with Substack, but first, some deep visioning this winter xx
Aww I'm so glad Lyndsay. I set a personal development budget which helps me to get clear on what I'm doing. So Leonie's academy is like $100 AUS and then I allocate another £300 to coaching over the year and then make a list of tech/ equipment too. Visioning yes!! Ahhh the visioning - do you have access to my closing the year workshop from yesterday? I think you'd really connect. ✨ ❄️
Claire! This makes so much sense, I’m not sure why I hadn’t though my of creating a budget for self-development. Love this, it makes everything more intentional, mindful and strategic. Thank you for this tip! Was so keen to join your workshop but had both children, hope to catch up xx
I love the intentionality of investing in your Substack... I guess as we would any other marketing or growth endeavour in our businesses. I'm just closing off my VAT and very conscious my accountant will be asking me about the flurry of Substack subscriptions in recent months. For me, it's about investing in my writing...I've become a little obsessed with the art of the personal essay which is something I've not really tackled as a writer before ...which feels scary and exciting at once xo
Ahh Antonia yes it's SO exciting/. What does closing off VAT mean? I'm not VAT registered so not familiar. Is it a headache? Investing in your writing sounds beautiful and often times that's just about giving it space right?
It's a lovely tax you have to pay after your business hits a certain turnover. It IS a headache but I use Xero and my accountants are great. Let me know if you need a recommendation! SO many yes-es to space for my writing...working on a personal essay next week so building that time in today xo
I do need a new accountant!! Can you email me? Claire@creativelyconscious.co.uk thanks so much!!
Of course xo
I’m going to invest in Typeform to manage submissions for Neurokind. I think I’ll just pay for the month(s) when the open calls are happening. I’ve had such a headache with Google Forms these last few years I feel the investment will be worth it!
I feel like I used this once for one of your things? It was good! What was up with google forms? I’m at 96% storage again! 🌚
I forgot to reply to this, but tussling with Google Forms again today and remembered. I just have too many Google accounts. It's never a problem with Gmail or any of the other services, but specifically Google Forms gives me a lot of resistance between switching accounts. I've gone in circles with it so many times. I log into the right account. Click over to Forms. It's switched back to the wrong email address.
Anything that makes a bit less resistance and ease when dealing with forms is welcome. Also the Typeform ones are so beautiful so the artist in me loves them.
Hi Claire: I'm local to you - in Amble - and I'm writing about my 70th birthday bike ride from Amble to London as well as some other travel pieces. I hope you might be interested. Best wishes Allan
Love No 6 ... and 8, getting a bookkeeper on board was THE best decision we ever made when we owned our small business. Just being able to trust someone else to turn the piles of paper into coherent management information ... bliss! Game changer. Your 2024 sounds exciting, Claire. If you need any Encouragement along the way (free and enthusiastically offered by an old beardy fella), just shout.
Ok, I have the most literal brain that ever brained--but what specifically do you mean by business development? Do you have specific ideas in mind?
I do Sarah! So this year I’ve been listening to an hour or so of podcast or video material from my mentor (hyperlinked here). I met with them on zoom too and had them on the podcast - it’s podcast 2 if you want to listen. For me it’s making space to understand how to develop my business so some of it is around tech, pricing, money mindset, advancing my skills in canva, networking, being even more organised... things like that. How’s things with you today? ✨
Oh that's perfect! I see what you're talking about. Investing in new opportunities, up-skilling, etc. I need to make myself a list of my own development goals. Things are good here!! Finishing up grading for the semester and excited at the daily growth I'm starting to see on my Substack.
I have a business coach who is also a friend and I am finding working with her, you Claire and Sarah Fay immensely useful.
I am feeling a lot clearer on where I am going and also a lot more fear coming up! There is so much I want to do, including collaborations but getting a bit overwhelmed by it all at the moment so slowing it down a bit. ;o)
Aw so happy to be connected! I love SF! We are having a Christmas get together next week we might podcast it! Yes I think in finding our identity here in terms of what we want our Substack to be there can be some overwhelm but also make sure you’re not subscribed to too many things influencing your practise because your voice is the most important in it all. ✨✨
Ooh! Good point!
I'm in the middle of one of Leonie Dawson's many courses right now! I love the intention behind "investing" energy into your Substack. I've began with a custom domain and I'd like to continue improving my podcast setup.
Yay! Lovely intentions! Adore them and Leonie- what a magical being to be connected with. I love how short her tutorials are - I find her so easy to learn from. ✨✨
I’m going to invest in you and pay for a year as a Christmas gift to myself! I am realizing after being on here a month and half, how I want to take my writing seriously and see what can happen!
Aw Emma yay! There’s a 20% off annual subs voucher - do you have it? ✨✨ be lovely to learn with you Emma!
I don’t think I saw it when I was looking at pricing, that would be awesome! 😊
Sorry it's 11% it expires today - https://sparkleon.substack.com/8c0f5217 or there is 20% off at Creatively Conscious and you get 2 months free here as part of that - https://creativelyconscious.substack.com/5d77351e - don't ask me about maths but I think they are both lovely offers lol.
I will not ask you about math because I get it: thank you for sharing this with me and taking the time to find it!
Aww yay! Brilliant 🤩 xxx
I’ll did it out when I’m on the laptop. ✨
Great ideas Claire. Got me thinking about my 2024 plan which is exciting!
It is isn’t it! I’m going to drop you an email actually! ✨
After two weeks hiatus in the sparkles of my 40th festivities I have a lot to catch up on here!
I loved reading your investments for 2024 and very happy to hear you are getting an accountant—imagine all that brain space you will have to create beautiful things in the delegation of the things that are a bit blah...
I have been reflecting on 2024 and I actually thought of you and the confirmation you gifted me on that recent substack shoutout articulating my lean into the visual aspect of how I use this this space and "just like that" I felt a revival in the passion of what I original came here for.
2024 for me is all about merging the visual with language!
More co-creations, more photography, more poetry, film even!— a deep dive into creating a visceral experience for my readers!
I want to dive into my art in a big way and with hope the art will do the talking.
Marry the visual with the writing.
I want to create a digital arthouse here and my heart is alive in all the ideas.
Thanks for sharing your own hopes, a reminder to invest in our own!
Love your work x
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Tess! So glad you had a wonderful time. Ahh the co-created magic, I’m so here for it. Something when we see ourselves reflected back through others we really see more of the possibility I find?! That sounds VERY exciting!!
Yes an accountant - it was easier when I had one but they muddled up my maternity year and I was in a heap in tears with a newborn over tax - not their finest hour so I’ve just cracked on but it’s time! You’re so right. ✨✨💜
Hi Claire and everyone here in the threads, I'm interested in learning more about what you mean by "collabs." I'm writing on Substack and trying to grow my audience and collabs sound great, but I'm not sure how they work. Perhaps someone could write a post about them?
I'm building my experiences and observations into my joyful growth workshop series Harrison and there'll definitely be a post - maybe a good old chat too - probably March time. Substack put out a note to match people up to collaborate and write with each other a couple of months back and it was VERY popular - you could hunt it out or do your own note and tag me in. The big thing to say here is that I've ALWAYS treated everyone here as colleagues and then it's been about who I want to work with and who lands in my inbox. I've worked with everyone who's asked. I know want to be able to keep that up in the same way but year colleagues who become friends - that's the ticket!!
Thanks Claire this is helpful I'll try find that Subtack post
It’s probably a Substack writers one!
👌
Love this fabulous list Claire, it gets me thinking!
Yes that was the intention Donna! Glad it inspired. Hope your blank slate has some sparkles on it when the times right! ✨✨
This is so inspiring Claire 💚 I love how laid everything out and expounded on what you have planned for 2024. I look forward to seeing you bloom next year! 😊🌸
I find planning very anchoring... thanks so much Mackenzie! Just snuggling with Luna watching Alice in Wonderland. Snow as a backdrop. Feeling like I deserve a day off.... ✨❄️
I definitely want to invest my time on Substack more in 2024. Just need to get my website revamp over the line 😬🙄
I also want to nurture my creative writing and try and build a little paid supportive community here. Plus keep up my podcast which I have really enjoyed doing so far.
I’ve so many of your workshop’s yet to watch as life / college / work had to take precedence.
I’m already feeling positive about 2024 ♥️
So positive Linn! Beautiful! Love these! ✨✨💜✨✨