Write it from the heart instead
I've deleted this whole article at one point
You know what?
I’ve just deleted the whole article that was supposed to serve as this newsletter issue.
I want to drop all the bad creator habits. The obsession with how to optimize these newsletters so that I can reuse them as YouTube content, rewriting each sentence thinking about which one will be a better hook.
The absurdity in all of this is that:
Rigidity and pressure worsens the writing
Newsletters are supposed to be a personal message to the audience (at least that was the original idea for me)
So, instead of overthinking the perfect essay that is really a video script in disguise – let me openly give you an update about my work.
🎥 What’s the latest video about?
“Can book-swapping help us solve the reading crisis?”
In my recent video I talk about buying a great book for just 1 euro during my recent trip to Berlin, as well as the recent book-swap I did with my friend from the gym.
Looking at how I felt during both events made me think about how beneficial swapping and passing books along could be to us and the broader reading culture.
We’re facing a reading and connection crisis so I hope that through small habits like this and a bit of initiative we can do something about it.
Because of AI, more and more people are tired of technology and even turning to books again, so now is a perfect time to strike.
That’s the gist of it but if you want to hear the full story you can watch it here.
📚 What I’ve been reading
A section for updates about my reading journey – read along, get inspired, or just treat it like an accountability buddy.
I’m currently getting through two books in parallel (I tend to switch up long novels with a bit of non-fiction):
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (567/1243 pages) – I was intimidated by the page count at the beginning, but I’m really enjoying the story. So far my favorite part was the prison but I don’t want to spoil anything else for people who might want to read it – I definitely recommend it.
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (133/375 pages) – This one is a bit out there. If you know Rick Rubin you can understand what I mean. I did find some helpful things while reading it with an open mind, but I wouldn’t say it’s groundbreaking. If you’re a creative then you can consider picking it up.
➡️ Up next
This section will be used for extra updates and what I’m planning for the future.
I think I’ll start adding some b-roll to my videos to set the theme and hopefully make them easier to watch.
I was stuck on the idea of a talking-head format only, but it was really a limiting belief. Video is a visual medium so I should pay attention to that part of the experience too. Still – I intend to keep the interrupts pretty calm without over-editing the content. After all Unwritten Tomes is supposed to be an alternative to the fast-paced, hyper-edited MrBeast-type content.
The next video – where I will try this format – will be about the serenity I found in taking small breaks during the day to admire nature: staring at the clouds, sitting on a patch of grass in the park, or admiring the surface of a lake (it had a bigger impact on my life than you’d think – believe me).
And if you know me, then you know to expect some references to Eastern philosophy too ;)
Stay tuned,
Luke from Unwritten Tomes