Gratitude

Liberty Papers 0.2

Liberty Papers 0.1

This is my favorite time of year both because of the mild, contemplative weather and the accompanying feeling of gratitude for my life and for the year as it winds down. Of course, the food focused holidays are also joyful and getting to celebrate them with friends and family is a highlight of the year.

The level of gratitude I feel for the help I've received and the kindness I've been shown on the journey leading up to and during the building of this writing business causes me discomfort in its inexpressibility. My twin goals are to be worthy both of the help and grace I've received and to be worthy of your time and readership as subscribers.

During the very early days of barely 100 subscribers, Grant Williams retweeted my article about AI, which doubled my subscriber numbers in a single day. It was surreal. Later, I was listening to Palisades Gold Radio with Jesse Felder and heard him mention an article that sounded a lot like the piece Grant retweeted. It was a humbling moment.

Grant has been a friend, mentor, and huge source of inspiration. He even did me the kindness of a one to one call to answer some of my questions. Naturally, I squandered much of the time due to copious fangirling at the opportunity to meet someone I admire so highly. He nevertheless provided me with a great deal of wisdom during that call.

On the left side of the graph below, you can see the tweet from Grant that put my writing on the map. Growth has been steady ever since.

steady growth with the help of friends

The Doomberg Team have been with me from the beginning as friends and mentors. They have retweeted many of my essays and regularly restack my notes to this day. They were the first to make time to meet with me when I wasn't even sure if I was going to start writing in public. I had a lot of trepidation and never wanted to be a public person. I learned a lot and still think about the lessons they shared with me. One thing that rings in my ears every week, “you'll either earn an audience or you won't.” I work toward this every day. That quote is my north star.

Sir Steven Wilkinson who writes Pitchfork Papers has been an inspiration and, I shall be bold, a friend to me as I've worked to build this business. He promotes my writing in notes and recommendations which is an incredible honor. I consider Pitchfork Papers to be a literary touchstone which causes me to slow down and think deeper, to think slower, and to breathe for a moment in quiet contemplation.

I'd like to thank my fellow writers on Substack and the team at Substack for their partnership in building this great community of thinkers, entertainers, and journalists which has already elevated the level of public discourse. The conversation here is civil and thought provoking. This is not an accident. They built it that way. We’re building it that way.

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I'd like to thank my parents who have been superfans from the beginning. My mom listens to the audio version while gardening and my dad reads in his studio. They are often the first to like the posts and give feedback. Of course, their voice is present in the writing itself as my loving midwestern upbringing comes through in both the things I choose to write about and in the values I hold dear. I’m very lucky to have grown up in the American Heartland and to have these lovely people as parents.

Many friends have guided my work and given feedback but I’d like to shout out my friend and mentor, David Cantu, who has been a constant advisor and sounding board. He has given me feedback and encouragement which has shaped this blog in subtle and profound ways.

Finally, I would like to thank you, my reader. You have provided feedback, encouragement, and most importantly, your valuable time to read, think, and engage with these essays. Thank you ❤️

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