22 Comments
Mar 22Liked by Katherine May

Thanks for this. I learned a lot from your guidelines that helped me when I was promoting "San Francisco's Forgotten Cemeteries" last fall. I tried to do what I thought was sustainable, which was about one event a week, and I was still burned out in November, December and January! But I learned a lot and your advice here is incredibly helpful and on point.

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Yep, you looked pretty busy to me, from a distance! It’s so hard to judge, and there really is an element of trial and error. And sometimes we have to make hay while the sun shines and rest it off later. There are few roadmaps for autistic people doing this; it’s so much more tiring for is than it is for others. But anyway: I think you did an amazing job 🤍

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Mar 22Liked by Katherine May

Thank you! <3

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This was really useful, thank you for taking the time to put this together. The endless demand to "be"'productive can be exhausting for some creatives! I am intrigued (but really it's because I'm nosey!) by who the ubiquitous Victorian gentleman was! Thanks again Katherine you're a gem!

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Mar 22Liked by Katherine May

My son is a young writer creating a career out of doing what he loves, but struggles with the self-promotion side of things so this is SO helpful! I have shared it with him..I hope you don't mind x

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Of course!

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Mar 23Liked by Katherine May

Thank you so much for this thoughtful and thought-provoking piece! I’ve saved it so that I can return again and again.

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Every word of this is WONDERFUL. might print it out and have it laminated. Thank you so much. This feels like permission that I didn’t know I needed. Permission to speak, and permission to retreat. I think my shoulders just dropped half a mile. X

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We all need it!

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founding

I’ve just written it all out by hand, the better to remember it! I want it all to sink in.

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Ah, Katherine, you’ve done it again. Thank you for this excellent set of principles. They’re a much-needed reminder in this noisy world, where burnout lurks around every corner.

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Glad to pour it all out, to be honest!

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The clarity of this list makes it seem so obvious, THANKYOU for sharing your experience with us. Sharing about my artistic/making practice, in a way that feels authentic, is the thing I struggle with at times, with all that self doubt asking questions like, “is anyone out there, do they value my work enough to buy into what I am offering?” The writing is not my hussle and as such has allowed me to explore the stories behind my making practice, on this platform, in a way that doesn’t feel like there are strings attached. It’s a liberating feeling that I am trying to learn from and filter over into my creative hussle. This was a very encouraging read!

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That’s an interesting insight - it’s a shame that writers can’t switch to visual art to communicate our work! Maybe that’s why so many of us have podcasts - the different medium takes the pressure off.

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Mar 22Liked by Katherine May

Katherine, thank you, this was so good, and so timely. I'm " Wintering" right now; number twelve reminds me that it's OK. I have a speaking gig coming up on my topic, water; numbers one and five remind me that this is a perfect opportunity to tell people about my work.

Thank you!

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It's *definitely* okay - everyone needs a break! It's all a lot.

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Mar 22Liked by Katherine May

Thank you. This helps a lot. Kx

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🤎🤍🩶🖤🩵 Thank you Katherine.

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Mar 22Liked by Katherine May

This is sooo good. Thank you.

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Thank you. This arrived at the perfect time, just as I'm getting ready to set out on a book tour for my second book. My first book came out during the pandemic and there was no book tour, so this is brand new and I'm concerned about how I'll sustain my energy. Just this morning, I said no to an event because there were too many happening in a row.

I wonder if you'd share a bit about your book event "asks" related to your autism. I am also neurodivergent and am trying to get better at asking for support.

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Oh woweeeee I appreciate this post so much Katherine! Thanks for always being so open abs generous with speaking about how you choose to do (and not do!) things x

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I've come back and reread this multiple times since you shared it, Katherine. In the lead up to the release of my next book, this piece is full of so many good reminders and wisdom. I always seem to come out on the other side of book release time with a list of things I wish I'd done differently or better, and I'm not sure that will ever change, but it is good to read your list *right now* on the cusp of this book's release. Thank you!

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