One of the highlights of my week is Saturday mornings when I sit down with a cup of coffee, ready to dive into my favorite email newsletters. Sometimes, during a hectic week, the promise of this serene weekly ritual is the only thing that keeps me going.
I’m a big fan of Newsletters because they are non-intrusive. They arrive at my inbox and quietly sit there until I’m ready to read them. They don’t threaten to get lost in an endless feed, expire, or go viral. They don’t ring, buzz, vibrate, or flash. They’re respectful.
And the trend I’ve noticed over the past couple years is that a Newsletter is the place where content creators (whether individual bloggers, organizations, or large media companies) pour most of their generosity. If social media is the land of “Hey you! Look over here, look at me!” then email newsletters is the land of “I made this gift for you if you care to read it some day.” Maybe because email is THE oldest online medium (yes, email is even older than the World Wide Web) everyone there skips the stunts and simply deliver the goods.
Below you’ll find a list of my ALL-STAR FAVORITE newsletters for people who enjoy smart, entertaining articles on creativity, entrepreneurship, art, and goal-chasing.
1. Austin Kleon’s weekly newsletter
Austin Kleon describes himself as “a writer who draws. I make art with words and books with pictures.” That description alone should whet your appetite, but there’s SO MUCH MORE to his newsletter than advertised.
Without any reservation, I here tell you that Mr. Kleon’s newsletter is THE BEST NEWSLETTER IN ALL THE INTERNET. First of all, it has a simple premise: it’s 10 things that the artist liked over the week. These range from thinkpieces about the struggles that writer’s go through, to how to find inspiration in everyday life. Subscribe here.
2. Seth Godin’s Daily newsletter
Seth is known for being a thought leader on Marketing, he did coin the phrase “Permission Marketing” which is the very idea that newsletters rest upon. He sends out a daily email at 6:30am NY time, usually related to business, culture, and how to effect change in the world. Anyone creating something they hope to share with someone should listen closely to Seth’s advice on leading a tribe and how best to find an audience for your work. I had the pleasure of interviewing him for my podcast and I’ll testify that he is one of the most brilliant individuals living today. Subscribe here.
3. The Ann Friedman Weekly
I am late to the game on Ann Friedman, only recently discovering her work. But over the past couple months her newsletter has shot up near the top of my list. Ann is an online journalist and podcaster who’s been in the game for a while, so her taste on what you should read is impeccable. Her newsletter isn’t so much about creativity as it is about empowerment, which as creative people, we can use a LOT of. Subscribe here.
4. The Third Something by Adam Westbrook
Adam is the creator behind one of my all-time favorite video essay series, the deeply insightful The Long Game. He is a journalist working mostly in video, currently as a member of The New York Times, and his pieces are both visually stunning and intellectually stimulating. At the end of 2018 he started a weekly newsletter where he shares his thoughts on the act of creating. Each edition is a short letter about what he’s currently working on, his struggles, and advice to others making art. Subscribe here.
5. Writing Wednesdays by Steven Pressfield
This technically shouldn’t qualify as a newsletter since all the emails do is notify readers that a new blog post has been posted on the website. This is the only reason it isn’t ranked higher on my list. Nonetheless, it’s something ALL writers and creative persons should read. Pressfield is a successful novelist, but nowadays he’s best known for his non-fiction book The War of Art. The Writing Wednesdays series gets into the nitty-gritty of writing, like how to structure your story, how to write memorable characters, and how to find the right editor, etc. These are SO money! But you’ll also find a healthy dose of inspiration for continuing to create, and most importantly, how to win the battle against Resistance (Steve’s term for the dark forces every creator deals with daily). Subscribe here.
6. Reply All weekly newsletter
This is the first newsletter in this list produced by a group instead of an individual. Reply All is a funny podcast about the internet, but I get most excited about receiving their newsletter every Thursday. In the newsletter, every staff member at Reply All suggests one thing they are enjoying that week. It’ll range from music, to books, movies, places, and even food. The team is pretty hip so each week you’re sure to find one or two things you hadn’t heard of before– but should’ve. Since, as Kirby Ferguson says: “Everything is a Remix,” then we creators are always in need of new ideas and artistic raw material to synthesize into our work. This newsletter should be a part of your weekly inspiration diet. Subscribe here.
7. Ryan Holiday’s reading list
Ryan Holiday is a writer best known for his book on Stoic philosophy The Obstacle is The Way. His newsletter is sent out once a month and includes the list of books he’s read over the past few weeks. He’s a voracious reader, so it’ll be an impressive list each month. His interests are pretty wide, but you’ll find that the major themes running through his lists are philosophy and achievement. I’ve learned about great artists and historic figures through his recommendations, and have then used that as material for my podcast. You’re too are sure to find something enlightening as well. Subscribe here.
8. Lefsetz’ Letter by Bob Lefsetz
Bob Lefsetz is one of the most trusted thought leaders in the music industry. His newsletters take the form of rants about any and everything going on in the culture at the moment, often veering away from the music business and into technology, politics, as well as business. I recommend his newsletter because he is great at reading the landscape that today’s artist must navigate through. His writing is both sobering and inspirational at the same time. Highly recommend. Subscribe here.
The magic of newsletters
As I mentioned above, email newsletters seem to bring out the best in the people who write them. Maybe it’s because the sender senses a more intimate environment than a public posting on a blog (although nowadays their archives make it quite like a blog). If you’re not subscribing to at least a couple newsletters, you’re missing out.
I myself started my own newsletter, where I provide a quick thought on my creative process for the week and give you a list of eight interesting things that you should check out. You can subscribe to that here.
Do you have any favorites?
Although I take great pride in my newsletter game, I’m sure there are some great ones I missed, or haven’t encountered altogether. Do you have any that you recommend? Please let me know over Twitter, Instagram, or just email me alex@alexcespedes.com.
