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