Substack Reads cross-posted an episode from On Substack

SubstackJan 6 · Substack Reads

Every great writer or artist first started as a reader, a viewer, a listener. Most great Substackers started out as subscribers. If there’s an idea that’s been percolating in your head, consider this your invitation to take the leap from consumer to creator. It all starts with an idea, and finding the courage to share it.

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Dear writers, podcasters, musicians, video creators, and culture makers

This year, give your ideas a place to land

Jan 6

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Every once in a while, a good idea comes along. It might start as a scribble on a napkin, a messy note saved at 2 a.m., or a silly bit between friends. It could be percolating for years or arrive suddenly with great clarity and conviction. Regardless of how an idea arrives, something special happens when you share a good one. It can become more than just an idea.

Today, there are countless ways to share ideas. TikTok presents the possibility of virality and a big audience, Instagram celebrates individuals building a brand, and X gives you reactions in real time. Blogs offer customization, newsletters give you a direct connection to your audience, and legacy media has historically offered credibility. Each of these mediums has value, but none offers autonomy, reach, and ownership of your ideas.

Substack combines the best of these platforms. It’s social media with property rights, traditional media with community. Here you can find your people, own your work, and earn money for your ideas. Substack gives you autonomy.

When we share what we care about most, we write a new future. Start posting about the thing you can’t stop talking about, and, in a year, you could have the outline for a book. Share your music online and find your band. Publish a recipe and become a staple in the kitchen. Post your latest art in progress and fund your backyard studio. Rally a community around your expertise, and you could earn a living.

With the new year comes new ambitions. But why start a resolution from scratch? Take the idea that you’re already tinkering with, the one keeping you up at night, and give it a new lease on life. Go write or record it, then post it on Substack. That’s how it begins—a single post. You don’t need a perfect plan or a ready-made audience. All you need is the courage to share one idea.

The world values good ideas. Share yours, and watch it become more than just an idea.

Start a Substack

This year, we’re excited to use On Substack as our home to imagine the future of how ideas are valued in the world, in conversation with writers, podcasters, musicians, video creators, and culture makers publishing on Substack.