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Sewing, Archaeology & Slow Art 🐌

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P.S. Crowdfunding 101 is now FREE!

From the Compost Heap header. A pencil style illustration of a compost heap with flowers and plants growing around it. A bee buzzes by and a white rabbit hops by.

The Key to a Gentle Launch

This week I’ve been putting the final touches on the crowdfunding campaign for Entwined. Which you will hear about soon enough.

For now I wanted to share some of strategies I am employing to take care of my nervous system in what is typically a high intensity process.

2024-05-04-Key-Collection-Keys.jpeg

Strategies to self regulate before and during the launch

  • Slow mornings (outside when possible).

  • Airplane mode. (So my motor memory doesn’t open the Internet before lunch.) I need this so I don’t compulsively check the crowdfunding campaign and social media all day. I’m trying to figure out if I can automate it.

  • Gardening when I can (depending on the weather and pain flares.)

  • Analogue art. (Making things with my hands is very regulating.)

From the Compost Heap is a reader-supported publication. To receive snail mail each month consider becoming a paid subscriber.

In the Studio ✂️

Part of preventative care for my almost mental breakdown was making more art with my hands. I’ve pulled out my soft sculpture brain – which I’ve been working on for 3-4 years. It’s taking AGES to finish because I do a bit each year, my finger splits, and then it takes ages to heal due to a connective tissue disorder.

2024-08-28-Soft-Sculpture-Brain-Bucket.jpeg

I recently discovered this needle puller from Mx. Domestic on Instagram. They demonstrate the tool really well here:

https://instagram.com/p/Crzg9oDAJ1W/

I finished half of my brain earlier this summer when my mom was having back surgery. Now I’m hand sewing the “brain noodles” I made last week into the second half.

2024-08-28-Soft-Sculpture-Brain.jpeg

I recorded another process video here:

https://instagram.com/p/C_OdGnHR4hW/

Home Ed 🍎

We’ve been getting our hands dirty this week with this Real Fossil Dig kit that includes 12 actual fossils. There’s an ammonite, a real piece of dinosaur bone, a fossilized sea urchin, shark teeth & more. I can’t believe this only cost $15 dollars. (This is not an affiliate link, but it probably should be.)

2024-08-23-Fossil-Dig.jpeg

And (of course) we’re reading Magic School Bus to study dinosaur fossils.1

This is a brand new (used) Magic School Bus book for our collection. We found it at a local bookstore called Once Upon a Time.

Here are out other finds.

2024-08-24-Used-Book-Haul.jpeg

We’ve also been watching BBC Gardener’s World and learning about pollinators this week. Did you know that flower petals have textured surfaces like climbing walls? 🐝

Digital Foraging 🍁

Some bits and bobs I’ve collected for you this week.

And this.

Time Travel header features an illustrated TARDIS, swirling lines, and stars.

This time last year…

I wrote My creative process is slow. Considering the soft sculpture I wrote about above there’s a real connection here. I’m fascinated to see seasonal rhythms in my own creative process with this time travel feature.

And I almost forgot!

I spent ages earlier this week unlocking every lesson for Crowdfunding 101. It’s now completely free! Self Pub 101 will be too, but there are SO MANY pages to unlock it might be a while until I get to it.

Ways to support header includes an illustrated white rabbit hopping into some wildflowers.

The Compost Heap is free to all. Thanks for exchanging your time and energy. If you’re feeling particularly generous here are other ways you can lend your support.

  • Leave a comment (it’s free!)

  • Share on social media.

  • Forward this email to a friend.

  • Buy my book.

  • Pledge $3+ on Patreon (or upgrade to paid) for a letter from me each month. Here’s a peek at August’s letter going in the mail tomorrow. (Yes, I’m talking about spirals again. Get used to it.) 😂

2024-08-29-Spiral-Patreon.jpeg

Psst… Would you be interested in going completely screen free? 🐌

I’ve been wondering about adding a new Patreon tier where you can subscribe for my newsletter to come to your actual mailbox. Would anyone be interested in that? (I’m not sure what it would cost especially if I include color photos, but if there’s interest I will consider it for 2025.)

From the Compost Heap is a reader-supported publication. To receive snail mail each month consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Let's chat header includes a hand drawn tin can telephone.

The Internet is like a tin can telephone. It’s just a rusty can until someone talks back.

What are you making? What are you growing? What are you finding inspiring?

What do you think of the idea of an analogue newsletter?

The obvious downside is that it can’t include links so I’d need to shift the format slightly. But it’s something I’m interested in exploring if you’re into that idea.

Let’s chat in comments.

SS-Sarah-Signature.png

This newsletter is a curated collection of tidbits from my overgrown Compost Heap (or digital garden.) You’re welcome to rummage around, turn the heap, and see what you can find for yourself. 🪱🐛🌱

Illustrations are by Gracie Klumpp of Leave the Fingerprints.

1

I still owe my international friends a post introducing Ms. Frizzle. Do y’all have Magic School Bus on your Netflix or no?

Comments

  1. Rey Katz (they/them) Avatar
    Rey Katz (they/them)

    Thanks for sharing how you care for yourself during a launch! I love this. I’m currently launching/promoting a writing class, and I always find marketing my own work so stressful. I’m trying to limit my time spent on it so I can also rest.

    My favorite book about dinosaurs and fossils is Cruising the Fossil Freeway by Kirk Johnson, illustrated by Ray Troll. It is full of funny stories, interesting info, and gorgeous illustrations.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Shotts Avatar
      Sarah Shotts

      The visibility and social energy it takes is a lot! I hope you find your balance of reset time. I just shared your class – it sounds great!

      Thanks for sharing your favorite fossil book! I’ve opened a tab to find a used copy. Science is so cool!

      Reply
      1. Rey Katz (they/them) Avatar
        Rey Katz (they/them)

        Thanks so much, Sarah! I appreciate you.

        I hope you like the fossil book! Yay!

        Reply
  2. Amanda Earl Avatar
    Amanda Earl

    i adore the idea of a mailed newsletter. it might cost too much however, if outside of your area.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Shotts Avatar
      Sarah Shotts

      Are you Canada? If it keep it under 1oz it can go pretty much anywhere with a global stamp. That just rules out larger zines.

      Reply
      1. Amanda Earl Avatar
        Amanda Earl

        yes, i am. good point! i did notice that mailing larger items such as books has gotten more expensive, but a few pages in a #10 envelope is not expensive at all.

        Reply
        1. Sarah Shotts Avatar
          Sarah Shotts

          Even small books are so much! I tried an oversized zine for Neurokind and it was going to cost like $20 to post outside the US. It’s really frustrating when big companies get discounted shipping and normal people are stuck paying full price. 🫠

          Reply
  3. Mitchell Volk Avatar
    Mitchell Volk

    I’ve also considered making a print version of my newsletter… But maybe just monthly? Or once a quarter? The biggest drawback for me is cost and an inability to show animation. But I could have stuff online somewhere and link to it. I would love to hear more of your thoughts if you continue thinking about this. Would it be your Substack just in print form? Would it have “exclusive” stuff? Would it be about totally different things? < Some questions I'm asking myself.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Shotts Avatar
      Sarah Shotts

      Likewise! I’ve been in my own looping thoughts about this and would love to hear your thoughts. I started with replacing my pay wall with Patron letters (which I see you found.) 🥰 That has been a really nice shift which I am loving.

      The idea of an analogue newsletter option came about when friends were saying they wanted to read more Substacks, but also have less screen time. So I’m specifically thinking about repackaging my newsletter into analogue form. But because I share a lot of links (as you do) it doesn’t make sense to print what I’ve written unchanged. Even if I printed the URLs (which feels so 1990s) that’s then pointing people back online who asked for an analogue experience.

      At the same time, I don’t want to stop sharing links or videos. So, I think that points toward the analogue newsletter being at least somewhat different. What I’m considering is compiling the written sections and some of the images into one monthly analogue version.

      I’m not sure how many photographs to include and if they should be color, black and white, or try out some halftone effects with Spectrolite. (I really wish I had access to a RISOgraph.) Printer ink will be the biggest cost unless I invested in a laser printer – which now that I think about it might be a good idea. I only have an inkjet right now and the ink is crazy expensive. I also have to consider size and weight for international shipping (some of my biggest supporters are in the UK & Canada.)

      I love your idea of making something special for paying supporters too. I think there’s a lot of opportunity for Substackers to embrace print more – even if it is low fi / indie. It feels like a proper response to AI. Did you see The Onion is making a print version again? 👀

      Reply
  4. A. Wilder Westgate Avatar
    A. Wilder Westgate

    I’m constantly trying to have fewer reasons to be on my phone, so I love the idea of a snail mail newsletter. And I loved the link about pseudonyms! I really believe that deciding not to use my full given name here has made me feel more brave.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Shotts Avatar
      Sarah Shotts

      I feel lucky I grew up in the username phase of the Internet. These poor kids having to be themselves on social media before they know who they are! Even last year I tried on my enby pronouns with a pseudonym in my Wheel of Time fandom before I fully integrated them here.

      My wheels are turning for an analogue newsletter!

      Reply
  5. Kay M. Avatar
    Kay M.

    Loved this newsletter, Sarah!

    Reply
    1. Sarah Shotts Avatar
      Sarah Shotts

      Thank you Kay! And thanks for sharing. 🥰

      Reply
  6. hiiragi Avatar
    hiiragi

    I like zines, so I love the idea of an analogue newsletter! I like it when things are objects rather than sheer ‘information’. Something about the ability to hold and play with an object to get settled into the frame of mind to learn rather than just consume. Like I rarely have the energy to cook atm, but when I do, or when I go out to an actual resturant, the food always tastes better because I’m in the frame of mind to engage with it.

    Perhaps, as suggested, you could do that quarterly, so it would save on postage for people.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Shotts Avatar
      Sarah Shotts

      All good ideas. I already have Patron letters starting at $3 a month so this would be something more longform. How that would differ from what I’m publishing here I’m not sure. But bundling to save on shipping is definitely something I’d like to offer.

      Reply
  7. A. Wilder Westgate Avatar
    A. Wilder Westgate

    I just read your letter so I’m coming back to say I really love receiving them. I’m really interested in talking more about art, per your letter, but I wasn’t sure where you’d rather talk about it (here, patreon, email, snail mail ?). I’m so excited to hear more about your novel!

    Reply
    1. Sarah Shotts Avatar
      Sarah Shotts

      I’m so glad to hear that! I know this is not a helpful answer, but any of those. If you’d rather chat here or email don’t feel you have to send a letter. ☺️

      Reply
      1. A. Wilder Westgate Avatar
        A. Wilder Westgate

        That is helpful! I just wanted to make sure you hadn’t specifically been looking for messages from one avenue and accidentally send one from another😅

        Reply

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