#7 | do we still know what we really like?

Reconnect with forgotten pleasures, preferences & choices to keep the soul alive. + Practical direct marketing tips from #IMC2023 with Jasmine Star and an AI prompt to generate ideas for social media

Oct 01, 2023

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Old Songs But It's Lofi Remix*

I was here, walking, stumbling, along the artist's way and... I took a pause (again)... Not only in reading the book but in my own personal and creative journey. It's been weeks since I even touched a file to continue or, to be realistic, actually start my second book.

Turning a hobby into a habit, especially writing, which is so personal and vulnerable, is no joke. I constantly find myself asking: why is it so complicated? And yet, why don't I want to give up? I didn't have answers, so I disconnected for a few days, but then I decided to start reading the book again - and in "The Artist's Way", a passage made me think:

"Knowing what you prefer, instead of humbly saying amen to what the world imposes on you as a preference, is keeping your soul alive."

This came straight from Robert Louis Stevenson (a passage from week 2 of the book) and resonated with me in a way...

Keeping the soul alive. That's why I still try, that's why I will still write my second book. When I do, I feel life pulsating, I feel the soul alive. I don't quite understand why, but it's like that. But my God, how can we not question our preferences, when even knowing what makes us feel good, we prefer to do other things?

In the same chapter, there's an exercise that suggests listing 20 things we love to do. One of those big challenges... With life full of changes, it's difficult to discern what we want now, what we wanted in the past, and what we want for the future.

My list... oh, many of the things stayed in the past, especially since I moved here. Pandemic, new life, I lost my compass for a while and I'm still struggling to find it again.

To be real, many times I just want to sit and do nothing. But I can't put "watch YouTube videos" or "watch Netflix reality shows" on the list 20 times. So I put 20 items that I still need to experience again, but I think I like them.

The next step of the exercise: choose one of the 20 things and make it happen this week. I decided to pick up a good literature book and read it until the end (I haven't found one yet - but I'm determined - any recommendations?), something I haven't done since... well, it's hard to remember. I, who had reading as my biggest personality trait... (And then I still wonder about the identity crisis...)

Why do we give up the things we love to do? 🤔 Could it be that, in reality, we don't love these things that much?

But I don't know, even though I prefer, on many days, to do nothing, I still want to read a good book, I miss the feeling of losing track of time and diving deeply into another reality. I don't know why I stopped. Maybe it makes more sense to ask myself if I really want to go back. And yes, I do, when I open a good book I know I want to, it's just a bit difficult to find one of those that helps me remember the feeling. But I want to try and see if it exists.

I need to create more situations.

Last week, I attended an event, the EMC, a marketing congress in Brighton. A client invited me, and even though I was sick, exhausted, and had a lot to do, the idea of a trip to the beach and a congress about something I'm interested in seemed irresistible.

I'm not sure if I love marketing to the point of... well, loving it. But I know I'm interested, and more importantly, at that moment, I knew I wanted to go, even though I wasn't at 100%. And I went... and it was amazing. I felt my soul pulsating. And even with the windy weather, I learned a lot and even regained some of my lost self-confidence - travelling alone is so good for that.

In one of the talks, I heard about making choices based on the person we want to become, not just our daily desires. That resonated with me, just like something my therapist always emphasises: choosing for life, not for the day.

And when I think about the book I want to read this week, the book I want to write, and the congress I attended, I know that I still try, and I like it because it makes me feel alive and because it makes so much sense to Amanda to think about being.

"But the truth is, everybody knows how my grandmother stood it. She stood there with her feet in the flow of life, and paid attention." (The Artist's Way)

Paying attention. We feel what we like when we allow ourselves to be present and experience. We know. We know, right?

To Inspire You! Things I've Seen Around...

→ Every time I see this video on my timeline, I have to stop and watch.

→ What's the most Brazilian phrase you know? on grengodictionary

→ The new series that arrived on Netflix, Down for Love, and this review

Social Media and Creation: EMC and Jasmine Star 🚀

Oh, and what a journey it was at EMC2023! The Entrepreneurs Marketing Conference 2023 was an event here in the UK with top expert speakers from the world of digital marketing and entrepreneurship. With tactical, practical, and actionable tips, I dived headfirst into the opportunity and came out with a wealth of insights. There were many valuable talks, but I have to highlight Jasmine Star, who truly stole the show on Day 2 (but I need to highlight the Alexis Kingsbury moment too, the guy who put the Brits to move).

Besides her charisma, she shared a lot about her knowledge of marketing and social media. It was an awakening! 🌟 Jasmine started by talking about the main obstacles to our growth: "mental comparison," the feeling of "not being enough," and the "deep-rooted doubt about whether it's really for us."

⭐ So, how do we grow from there? Jasmine goes deeper: start small, and if something works, duplicate! Duplicate efforts, and ideas, and keep the heart pulsing and genuine in every action.

And her insight into social media? Your content should always educate, empower, or entertain.

She also provided some simple steps for content creation and boosting marketing:

Choose Content Category:

Seven content categories that can help increase audience engagement on social media.

Behind the Scenes: Show the behind-the-scenes of your work, and share moments and processes that your followers don't normally see.
My/Our Why: Share the story behind your business or project, explain why you do what you do and what motivates you.
Personal Insights: Share thoughts, reflections, and personal experiences that may be relevant to your audience.
Encouragement: Share motivational and inspirational messages that can encourage and motivate your followers.
About Me: Introduce yourself to your audience, share information about yourself, your interests, and your journey.
Benefits: Highlight the benefits or advantages of your product or service, show how it can help your followers.
Showcase Your Product or Service: Present your products or services in an attractive way, share relevant information, and spark interest from your audience.

Turn this into a conversation, and people will start to care. Talk about the benefits, otherwise people will never know what they are.

Choose Content Type: whether it's a photo, long or short video, carousel, etc. Do what you feel most comfortable with and maintain consistency. Consistency is key.
Create an Impactful Caption (HIC): with a hook (H), insights (I), and call to action (C).
Engage: always remember to respond to every comment and create personal connections with your online audience.

👉 Want to see more about my moments and learnings at #EMC2023? Check out my highlights on Instagram @alot.creative! (:

Thank you for reading When the inspiration hits.... This post is public so feel free to share it.

Google has turned 25... 🎉🎉 I don't have much to say, but I wonder what the future holds for this company that once was (or still is? For me, it depends on the day - but it used to be much more) such an important part of our lives...
And the Meta-powered Ray-Bans are going to make us fear anyone wearing them... Ah, the future, it's amazing.

AI Prompt of the Week - Social Media Content Ideas

To come up with interesting content ideas for your social media, you can seek help from ChatGPT (or your favourite AI). Try starting the conversation with:

"Chat, please create 10 ideas for social media posts about '(Topic)', targeting the audience of (Target Audience), with a (Tone and Style) tone. Make sure to address important points such as (Key Points) and provide information, advice, and statistics, among others. Don't forget to include a call to action encouraging followers to (CTA). Also, ensure that the ideas align with the keywords '(Keywords)' to optimize visibility. If relevant, you can use (References) as a basis for the posts, and remember to consider (Restrictions and Limitations) during the creation."

Latest Updates on My Socials

It was my last week at the coworking space, and I shared a reels, a carousel, and a bunch of stories (which you can see in the highlights - coworking).
I finally started posting on the alot.creative TikTok.
I posted about the marketing funnel on my blog.
I have created 4 additional templates for my Etsy shop. And we have reached 50 SALES, yayy! I am so happy! (: If you haven't checked out my shop yet, please take a look at my Etsy store. I offer templates for promoting your book or product. As a thank-you gift for reading my newsletter, you can use the code NEWSLETTER to get a 10% discount.

Ps. I can't believe it's already October, I know it's cliché, but time is really flying. 3 months until the end of the year... It's practically Christmas already (and my birthday, amen). Oh, and I finally bought my ticket to go to Brazil. 3 months and counting. But yes, happy new month!

* (after sending the previous newsletter, I was talking to a friend - hello Cris - and he mentioned this Lofi version of Frank Sinatra, and I needed to use it this time, even though it matched better with the previous newsletter)

Thank you for being part of this journey. If you received this edition and have any comments, reply to this email or comment on Substack, I'd love to talk to you!

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