I don’t know how it happened, I don’t know how we’re here, I don’t know the machinations of time, I just know it’s the closing of another year, and I know I need to try to reconcile that here, today, for you all.
I know I need to speak about all that we’ve been through, and I know I need to speak about the changes that are going to take place on this Signal Fire in the year to come, changes I’m really excited about and I think you will be too. Changes that I HOPE, all my hopes, will convince some of you that get this newsletter faithfully every Sunday morning, to upgrade your subscriptions and join this stunning, beautiful, magical community that I’ve been building for over FOUR years now. A few of you have, and you can speak to the truth of how magical this place truly is, but strangely, the number has stayed almost precisely the same for over 3 years, and I don’t know all the reasons why. I know money is hard, I know times are tight, I know the inverse is also true. I know that $5 a month is a lot of money, and some of you just can’t make that decision, and I get it, I truly do. All I am asking is, if you can, if you have it, consider investing it here, in this Signal Fire, in the hope it brings, in Me. I work my ass off on this, and I give 99% of it away for free, and I always have. If you value it, if you wish to help me keep it going, this is a perfect time to do so, just click the little button below and we will greet you with wide open arms.
Now, I’m going to tell you what is to come, what little exciting additions, alterations, and plans I have.
First and foremost, I’m going to revamp The Kindling newsletter that goes out every single Tuesday. It’s come to my attention, from some of you, from some of the people I love and trust, that not everyone likes to write as much as I do. :) I add that old man smile face there because I don’t know how to do a semi-sarcastic “no shit” face any other way. Every Tuesday, for those of you who aren’t paid subscribers, I have been sending out The Kindling as a way to get, and keep, Your creative juices flowing. I have a writing prompt each week, and if you’ve the time and inclination, you can send in your work to the group and we can all comment on it, interact with it, share, and grow. While I love it, and refuse to make it go away entirely, I am going to revamp it a bit as not everyone wants homework each week, not everyone wants the stress and pressure of having to write in front of an audience, online though it may be.
Now, it’s going to be so much more of a LIFE spark, not just a writing one. Now, it’s going to pull from my own experience as a teacher of life reboot courses, and as the co-author (with my lovely Lady G) of the book Miracle In The Mundane: Poems, Prompts, and Inspiration to Unlock Your Creativity and Unfiltered Joy, in which we really do help you reboot your life and re-find not just the creative spark you might be missing or wanting to grow, but the life spark that really does unlock your unfiltered joy. I am going to make The Kindling more about this, about mindfulness, about your path to being happier, more fulfilled, and a more well-rounded human being. Your time is valuable, and I want to fill it with more value, and that’s what The Kindling has always been about, providing you the little bits of firelighter that will start the bonfire that will become YOUR Signal Fire, your beacon in the dark that will inspire others. Instead of homework, you’ll be given amazing challenges, and how you decide to respond to those, if you decide to share with us or not, remains up to you. I’ll give, you’ll receive, no pressure for anything more. Rather than asking questions you might not feel comfortable answering, I’ll guide you through simple tips, exercises, reminders, and weekly challenges that help you feel better.
In addition to this little gem of radness, we’re still going to be doing The Matchbook, and you’ll get to see the lovely face of the loveliest Lady G more often when we can. It’s a time consuming process doing that little video escapade, but when we have time, we’ll make it.
Also, and I think most excitingly because I love poetry and believe so deeply in its importance in this world, this is still THE place to read my poetry, all of my never-before-read words that have been sitting with me for the last few years as I transitioned away from giving all that away for free on Instagram. I got very sick of that algorithm, and even more sick of the idea that Zuckerberg was making money off my words, and refusing to show the poetry to all of you beautiful souls who chose to follow so you could read it.
Finally, and what I hope You will find most exciting: LIVE CHATS AND EVENTS! Finally, at long last, Substack has released the ability to host live chats and events with paid followers, meaning we can do poetry readings, I can take requests for which words you want to hear, we can have cool personal campfire sessions, therapy sessions, even maybe live movie watching events or something like that. I’m very open to ideas on how we can best share together, and do more fun live stuff. Please, ring in on how you’d like that to look.
Bottom line, 2025 is going to be absolutely amazing. More of the stuff you love, more photography, more poetry, more Sunday Editions where I dive deeper into life, love, adventure, sex, pop-culture, music, poetry, interviews with people I admire and respect and love, and a whole slew of other things. Which brings me to something I’ll get to below, and I hope you’ll ring in to that by clicking the link to the Google Form.
I want you here, I want to share this with you, I want to grow this place into something bigger than it is, and the only way that happens is with your help. Share the posts you love, email them to people you adore, spread the word on this weird little corner of the internets. JOIN OUR COMMUNITY, become a paid subscriber, dive in, dive deeper, and truly make 2025 the year you embrace all I work my ass off to offer here. I hope you will, because dammit, it’s special. It is the work of passion that is my life, and I pour all I am into it.
Finally finally, today is Hobbes’s birthday, and while she’s been gone quite awhile, I’ve never stopped missing her. Not ever. She would have been 19 today. It’s strange how you just never stop hurting when you lose a pet. I look at those eyes up above and it breaks my heart into pieces all over again. She saved my life, in a million ways, and I will never stop missing her. Not ever.
Alas, go forth into the next few days as the holidays wind down, celebrate the passing of another year, the page turn of the calendar into the year to come. Celebrate all you’ve endured, all you have in front of you. Celebrate with me, here, with us, here.
I love you all infinitely, and am so honored you choose to spend ANY time at all with me. I truly am.
Here’s to 2025.
*Now, a last piece of effort if you please…either in the comments below, or by clicking this Google Form Link, let me know what you like about this place, what you want more of, what you want me to write about in the Signal Fire: The Sunday Editions, and all that stuff. Kinda like a course evaluation, I suppose. Be gentle.*
I wish you were here
to see all that is coming,
all I have become.
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