Help Me Make Re-retirement Stick This Time

I’ve Re-retired!

My first retirement in 2019 didn’t stick; mostly because I only had a vague, squishy plan of how to be an artist, blogger, fuckabout and so when Hubby needed real, practical help with his work, I just vaguely, squishilly, migrated that direction and gradually it became a full time gig. Until I re-retired with a better plan. What's the plan?

I’m Moving!

Virtually, not geographically. When I started the xanaru website, a dozen different professionals told me NOT to combine a blog and a bunch of shops all on the same site and I emphatically ignored them. In hindsight, the experts may have been onto something. So. I’m breaking up the writing and shop elements of my website by moving the writing part to the "Stuff & Thangs from Xanaru" newsletter here at Substack (xanaru.com), and the Doghouse Studios hand-painted artsy stuff and pet photography will now be at xanaru.shop.

What is Substack?

Substack is a website/app that helps creators build a community, collaborate with other writers and send our newsletters straight to subscribers. Newsletters in my case are just stories, like the blogposts below, or photos or videos or whatever the creative muses drop on me when they fly over. I’ve also got a book in the works, kind of a "memoir of a marriage" about my life with Hubby since 7th grade, and I will be testing out some of those stories on you. Congrats. You’re my guinea pig!

What does it cost?

You can read for FREE (no subscription required) or subscribe for FREE to get newsletters in your inbox, OR ... if you want to get extra perks, you can do a paid subscription ($5/month) and support my efforts to make retirement stick this time. 😉

Why Move?

It’s part of my slow progression off of social media (I’m too scared to go cold turkey with Insta because I’m assuming the withdrawals would kill me). Since Substack is a community of its own, I’ll be able to connect with subscribers and other writers much better than pushing my lone website on Instagram or Facebook. Plus, there’s no algorithm to punish me for asking people to follow a “link in my bio.”

What Happens Now?

Well, since you’re already here, just SUBSCRIBE so I can stay re-retired! See you here!