Skip to content

CJ Chilvers

Members Public

The C Word

“Curation” shouldn’t be a dirty word, but it is. In the last decade, it has come to mean slapped-together-links, or outright-stolen content, used to fill space and capture just enough attention to convert free onlookers into consumers. There’s a lot of truth behind that association. In fact, I’

Members Public

Where were we 10 years ago?

It’s been a decade since I gave this short talk at Ignite Minneapolis, titled “How to Take Perfect Photos Every Time.” I’m sure title was inspired by the sarcasm of the infamous 2009 Merlin Mann and John Gruber talk about blogging ,“149 Surprising Ways to Turbocharge Your Blog

Members Public

What do you have to offer?

I want you to write a list of what you have to offer the world — professionally and personally. I think it will be a longer list than what you’re imagining right now. This list is among the most useful you will ever create. This list is how you beat

Members Public

Brainless Tasks

When you’re burned out, in the 2pm slump, or not in the mood to “produce,” keep this in mind: 1. It’s OK to not be productive all the time. Humans were likely designed for a 15-hour work week. Go a little easier on yourself. 2. Know that you

Brainless Tasks
Members Public

Your Smartest Dumb Tech

If the resurgence of blogging and newsletters wants to remain sane, it should really be a resurgence of RSS. Email has new problem. For the longest time, I’ve advocated for publishing by email as the most independent, universal, and effective form of getting the word out about anything. That’

Members Public

How to Stay Creative Forever

How do writers stay in shape? They usually don’t. But writers (and all creators) do have to keep their minds in shape over the decades if they hope to maintain that career or hobby. The mind gym It’s now been 36 years since I started publishing and I

Members Public

The Future of AI, Newsletters, and Your Garden

Let’s start off 2023 with some fun, get into some data, and play with ideas for how to ship more in the year to come. 1 What would it look like if creation was joyful and sane? From my swipe file of dream workspaces, this just series of tiny,

Members Public

4 big questions for email marketing in 2023

I posted last week about the predictions from Litmus (based in part on research from earlier in the year). It just re-affirmed what we’ve know for over a year about the future of email as a publishing and marketing platform. It’s a great future for readers and customers,

Members Public

Is AI going to take creators’ jobs?

Yes. Over enough time, there’s isn’t anything we do as creators that AI (as it's defined now by tools like GPT from Microsoft) won’t be able to do. AI has all the time and energy in the world to learn and improve. We don’t.

Members Public

Just a Series of Garden Offices

Creator Cabins seem to be a growing business – thanks in part to the increase in remote work. Who doesn’t aspire to have a place of their own for uninterrupted creative work? Within that genre resides the more-within-the-grasp-of-an-actual-human cabins for backyards and “gardens.” This seems to be bigger in the