Feeling Awesome and Inspired by the People Around You

Cheers, and Happy Sunday, friends! The sun is hanging out a little bit more each day. Pretty soon, the spring peepers will be…well…peeping. Today, I’m going to share some recent experiences with inspiring people. Then I’ll drag you through a bunch of events happening over the next two weeks, share some fabulous substack restacks, a look at a book, a spin on the turntable, and your moment of zen!Hanging Out with Inspiring PeopleYou are probably aware that inspiring people are everywhere. Especially in times like these when your news feed is a s**t show of uninspiring stories with a******s being a******s, you’ve got to appreciate the folks you know and meet who inspire you. Actually, I feel we all do better when we seek inspiration from those around us.Of course, my primary inspirational person is Brenda. I think I’ve mentioned before that without her, I would not be writing to you today. Her curiosity, writing, and wit inspired the creation of Life In Michigan. Clearly, like a lot of people, I’m inspired by my family and my long-time friends. I could rattle off all their names, but I’m hopeful that they each know the level of inspiration they have supplied through their friendship and love. Their kindness and appreciation for all the s**t I get into inspires me always to strive to be the best I can be (and keep getting into more s**t - the good kind 😀). I’m not always the best, yet their steadfast belief in me inspires me to keep pushing forward.I could go on about my family and friends while getting super sappy and emotional, so let me get to the heart of this letter to you. I recently had a fantastic experience that I feel was the direct result of being inspired by people around me.Substack Live with Seth WerkheiserLast Saturday, I was working on emails for GIG when I popped into Substack to see a message from Seth Werkheiser. He asked if I wanted to do a Substack Live conversation with him, and I believe I responded, “Hell Yeah!.”You may be wondering who this Seth dude is and why I was so excited to talk with him. You see, Seth is someone I’ve gained inspiration from. I came across his Heavy Metal Email newsletter a couple of years ago. It might have been through an email newsletter from Bill Meis (MNRK Music Group).Anyway, Seth’s newsletter (now called Social Media Escape Club) talks about taking your art directly to the people who care about it instead of spinning your wheels on social media. While Seth’s focus was on musicians and helping them connect directly with their fans, it resonated with me. In particular with what Brenda and I have been trying to do with Life In Michigan (and Fans With Bands, GIG, and now our podcast). Because of Seth, Brenda and I decided to start the Sunday Sip, which I’m writing for you today 😃Seth and I set a time for Monday morning to talk. It was great to connect with Seth, who was kind enough to let me ramble on and on about GIG and collaborations with artists and other art enthusiasts here in Michigan. I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to talk with Seth. It was also awesome to acknowledge his inspiration and share the joys of collaboration with him. Thanks Seth!!Inspiration Leads to New Friends and More Inspiration!Shortly after talking with Seth on Monday, I got a message on Substack from Bree Stilwell (check out her substack). She mentioned that she had caught the live conversation with Seth, was in Ann Arbor, and was wondering if we could chat about the local creative scene. I think I may have run to tell Brenda that someone watched the Substack Live and actually wanted to talk with us!! Holy Smokes!We met on Friday morning for coffee over at York Food and Drink. Meeting Bree and talking about her background and passion for art was a blast. She also shared thoughts on her project, which is yet another source of inspiration. She’s looking to build a third space for all kinds of creative folks. Most importantly, including those that are what I’ll call “creative curious.”As Bree mentioned, everyone is creative. Yet, they might not feel completely comfortable seeking out others who may share a particular creative interest. Or folks might want to get together with people who are expressing their creativity in a way that differs from their own. Regardless of their creative outlet or overall experience, Bree’s vision is a creative collective space in the Ann Arbor area that is inclusive, welcoming, and fun.Brenda and I thought this sounded awesome, and we are looking forward to helping raise awareness of Bree’s project and ultimately being part of this community. While talking with Bree, we mentioned that this feels like the Washtenaw Business Association in that it is a group of diverse and welcoming people who are truly interested in each other’s work and doing what we can to help promote it. I’ve got to tell you that it feels awesome to share something positive, particularly in a world where the news tends to...