Most Quit After Twelve Posts
But I'm still here, confident that at least three people are reading.
Apparently, most Substack writers give up by post twelve. Today I’m celebrating because I’ve officially outlasted the statistic.
This is post thirteen!
If you’re new here, some recent adventures include:
· Moving to France on what some might suggest was a reckless amount of optimism
· Trying to buy an artist residency while grieving the biggest loss of my life
· Searching for the best location in France to set up an Artist Residency
You’ll generally find me writing on three subjects:
1 - ON EMIGRATING TO FRANCE FROM SCOTLAND
Tips, observations and personal reflections on moving to France and developing a life here, including humorous language errors, surprising cultural differences and, purchasing and developing a mansion, as first time buyers, on an extremely tight budget.
2 - ON BEING AN ARTIST
– My experience of being a practicing artist, exhibiting and undertaking commissions and residencies, plus other related work. I’ll also share advice on applying for residencies, such as the different types of residency, what to include in an application (and what not!), what to expect, how to behave, and more - I’ll even throw in a few tales of residents behaving badly (See below example of un-flushed toilets and snotty hankies!).
3 - ON BEING A RESIDENCY HOST
– Practical ‘how-tos’ and inspiration to help you get the most out of your own creative residency, details about what residents might need from you, as well as what you yourself might need as a host. I could even offer administration and marketing suggestions to wannabe residency hosts, if you let me know you’re out there and would want to read this (or is this too niche?).
I also plan to start interviewing artists I’ve met through my own practice and through hosting residencies. I’m fascinated by how creative people actually structure their lives: how they balance making work, earning money and everything else life throws at them.
Is this the sort of thing you enjoy reading?
I don’t want this newsletter to be pure navel-gazing. Every story I share is also an attempt to work out what it taught me and whether it might be useful, encouraging or entertaining for somebody else.
It’s a strange experience sending these personal stories out into the world each week, never knowing who they might be of interest to, who might read them, enjoy them, be inspired by them…
One of my dear friends says that reading my posts has become a Sunday morning ritual for her, where she’ll grab a big mug of coffee and settle down in her favourite armchair to see what nonsense I’m spouting this week (my words, not hers). One of my oldest friends often comments directly on the post, remembering the part she played in the memory. And my Auntie relayed how she read my post aloud to my uncle as he painted plein air on their camping holiday. That image made me happy.
It’s knowing these things that keeps me motivated to continue. Without this feedback I probably would also be giving up after just twelve posts.
I now have 190 subscribers. That’s not exactly internet superstardom I know, but it’s 190 people who have chosen to spend a little of their time reading my stories each week. To me, that’s pretty fabulous.
One of the things I hope to show you here is the reality behind what might look like “living the dream”.
In my second post, I wrote about one of the main challenges of hosting residencies: always having to answer the same questions over and over again!
Colin and I joke that we should develop Residency Bingo Cards. I’m wondering if some actions (or inactions) should also be added?
‘Does anyone ever leave you a disgusting toilet?’ was an unusual question that was put to me this week from the couple pictured above.
Well, I was happy to reply that I’ve never had to deal with anything too revolting, However, I can tell you that at least a dozen times, I’ve found the toilet un-flushed on the morning of their final day.
It’s hard to comprehend… WHY?!
I really don’t think it’s a ‘dirty protest’! At least, people say to our faces that they’ve had a wonderful time on the residency and that the house is lovely, clean, ‘magical’ in fact.
It must simply be they’re half asleep, in a daze, focusing on their next adventure.
It’s never more than a pee and a bit of toilet roll at least. Still a tad unpleasant though.
Someone else’s tissue paper is always disgusting, don’t you think? It doesn’t have to be in the toilet. It could be anywhere.
One resident left tissues under the bed (dirty I presume!). Another folded one into a bed throw, which went unnoticed into the laundry and cost me an hour to remove the residue. A third stuffed tissues into every crack in the room because she was worried about spiders. Again, another task for me to add to the list on a looong changeover day.
It’s not all coffees and jésuites in the sun
I’d love to know what you’d like more of: stories, practical advice, behind-the-scenes realities, artist interviews or something else? Leave a comment and let me know.
And finally, THANK YOU! Whether you’ve been here since post one or just arrived today, I really appreciate every read, every share and every comment.
See you at post fourteen!
Too Many Emails Already?
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Top tip :-)
Hi, I’m Julia, a mixed-media artist and web designer from Edinburgh Scotland. I moved to France in 2016 with my husband, Colin, to buy a house and open an artist residency. I’m not a trained writer, but I love to write and hope you enjoy my stories, tips and ideas.
Find me at www.juliadouglas.co.uk
and on Instagram @juliadouglas or Facebook @JuliaDouglasArt
Glad you are sticking with it. I think I am up to 80 posts writing every Monday. So many people have no idea what I am talking about with substacks. I was on blogger for probably. at least ten years. It is still my dream to put it all together in a book. And, I still dream of staying at your Artist Residency. Loved following you on social media for the last few years. And, now with substacks it is nice to see more of what goes into being an Artist and starting a residency in France.
Keep going! This is turning into such a weekly treat! You are so good at regaling us with your fabby tales 🩷🩷🩷