💜i’m still here (and so are you!)

Hello, dear ones!

It’s been awhile, and that’s on me. It’s been just about five months since I last sent you that “do it depressed” newsletter — the one where I pinky promised that I was very definitely going to stay on top of writing to y’all on a regular basis, sharing those great Creativity Q&As and creativity for good tips and all those other nice things. Such optimism! Such zeal! Such good intentions!

And yet: so not compatible with my brain and body over the last few months!

So, here we are again. Mea culpa, mea culpa. But also, hello! I’ve missed you!

(Yes, I said that last time. Yes, it’s still true!)

There’s a lot going on these days, and sometimes (most days) the world feels more like everything is on fire than it feels like things are looking up. But as I wrote last time, creating in this moment is hard, and despair is everywhere, and grief is heavy. But (but, but, but!) the flip side of that is true, too:

Carrie Fisher, space mom and princess of my heart, once said about pursuing one’s dreams while mentally ill, “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.”

Let’s create, I wrote, as if it were the simplest thing in the world — which we know, of course, that it isn’t! But what we can do, and what I’m doing right now as I write to all of you, is take tiny steps toward creation. Not every essay needs to be a thousand words. Not every story needs to be a novel. And not every newsletter needs to be a work of art.

So in that spirit, and because I’d really rather not abandon you lovely people for another five months, here’s what’s next for Creativity for Good.

• Each Friday, I’ll send a short email with a roundup of five of my favorite articles, blog posts, books, videos, podcasts, etc. of the week. This “Friday Five” is inspired by my friend and teacher Bee Scholnick, whose newsletter “Swimming in the Soup” is one of my very favorites and you should totally be reading it, especially if you’re into numerology. (Scroll down for this week’s Friday Five!)

• Once a month, you’ll get a Creativity for Good essay with notes on creativity, notes on action, and notes on connecting the two. Sometimes these will be long, sometimes they’ll be short, sometimes they’ll be immediately actionable, sometimes they’ll be more focused on playing around with learning, introspection, and getting to know your own work. Play is central to creation, so we’re going to play around!

• Every two to three months, I’ll share a Creativity Q&A with another creative — authors, artists, musicians, and others — who will offer their insights on their experiences, their values, and what they’re doing to make an impact.

• Once in a while (probably), you’ll also get an “Updates from Shelly” email, because this is also my author and editor newsletter! Those updates will include book and other publishing news, as well as announcements about when I’m open to new editing clients.

Since this is a departure from how I’ve written in the past and might be more messaging than you’re hoping to have in your inbox these days (and believe me, I do get it), I’ve set up a preferences center (click the link in the email footer!) so that you can select which emails you’d like to receive. I hope it’s all of them, but I promise my feelings won’t be hurt if you’re picky. 💜 

And hey: Nothing is going to be perfect. I’ll miss a few weeks. You’ll skip a few emails without reading them. But we’re leaning into that do it anyway energy, my loves.

I’m ready if you are.

updates from shelly

Here’s something exciting: I really do have updates to share, and not just about this newsletter we love so much!

First of all, the biggest and most significant: I’m writing another book!

American Golem (title inspired by Madonna’s “American Life,” because it’s a bop and a culture critique — the best musical combo) is coming to you sometime next summer. Stay tuned for more!

Next, I’m delighted to share that I have a short story in the upcoming Devil anthology of The Rebis! It’s extremely queer and sexy and messy and horny, and it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever written.

Preorder your copy today!

And finally, without further ado, the first edition of the…

Friday Five

1. The Devil: A Playlist by The Rebis
   Looking for a wildly delightful, eclectic, chaotically horny listening option for your weekend? Look no further than the playlist curated for the upcoming issue of The Rebis. I’ve been listening to it nonstop all week, and I do not plan on changing that anytime soon.
   

2. Friendship is My Writing Process (Ana Hein at Electric Lit)
   Learning to write in community has been one of the most transformative ways I’ve leaned into my practice, and I love the way Ana captures the magic of bringing friendship into her work. (If you’re looking for a way to bring community into your writing practice, there’s still time to sign up for the Autumn 2025 cohort of “Showing Up to the Work”, a writing container facilitated by my friend and teacher (and writer of the brilliant “Astrology for Writers” newsletter), Jeanna Kadlec. Registration closes Sunday, 9/14!
   

3. How Ms. Rachel is using her platform to school American grown-ups (Brittany Allen at Literary Hub)
   Listen: I have made it loud and clear that I have joined the War on Ms. Rachel as part of #TeamMsRachel, and this article is a perfect explainer of why. As a Jewish parent of “littles” (as she calls the little monkeys who live in my house), the most important thing I can teach my children is the power of radical empathy and compassion for all people. If they end up even half as loving as Ms. Rachel, mission accomplished.
   

4. Why we need a solidarity economy now (Rick Wilson at Waging Nonviolence)
   As someone still relatively new to the mutual aid world, I really appreciated this perspective on how we can collectively build systems that protect the most vulnerable, even when the institutions that are supposed to do so fail in their work (which, as we know, is…often). Check out the list of baby steps at the bottom!
   

5. Why Everyone — Yes, Everyone — Should Join a Book Club (Linda-Marie Barrett at Literary Hub)
   What’s better than writing in community? READING IN COMMUNITY. I haven’t been part of a book club since the earliest days of the pandemic, but as we head into the cozy colder months, I know I can’t be the only one looking for an excuse to snuggle under a blanket and read a good book, knowing I’ll be able to babble about it later. BRB, time to go find a book club near me!

And that’s all we’ve got, my loves. See you (for real this time, I promise!) next week.

💜Shelly