Staying Home on Black Friday (Issue #30)
This week’s theme is consumption – how what we watch/read/listen to shapes our daily lives.
Before we jump into today’s issue, I have a really exciting announcement! As we near the end of 2023, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can make Sincerely, Celisia even better. So, I’ve created a reader survey and want to hear from YOU! The survey takes less than 3 minutes to complete, and as a bonus, you'll automatically be entered to win one of three $20 American Express gift cards!! Check out the survey here, and thanks sooo much in advance for your feedback. <3
Hi friends!
For a kid raised in the early 2000s, I have a shocking lack of exciting Black Friday stories. And given the number of shenanigans I took part in growing up, I’m surprised we never braved the late-November Minnesota weather, standing in line for hours, waiting for the stores to open before rushing inside. In fact, the only Black Friday-specific story I can remember is getting my COVID booster at the Mall of America. Wouldn’t recommend 🙂.
These days I do most of my Black Friday shopping at home from the comfort of my couch with a cat on my lap – a much preferable set-up to the consumerist chaos that used to dominate headlines.
Today’s recommendations all center around consumption – things to watch, read, and listen to during this holiday weekend. Enjoy!
A round-up of things to watch, read, and listen to as you head into the weekend
The Atlantic: The Junk Is Winning by Amanda Mull
A great examination of the new TikTok Shop. It’s hard to use the app these days without being bombarded by these sneaky ads, and I loved Mull’s deep dive into the phenomenon.
Podcast: NPR’s Book of the Day
This is a great listen for finding new books for your reading list. Each episode is under 30 minutes (with most under 10 minutes) in length, so it’s the perfect daily bite to stay updated on new recommendations and releases.
In Theatres: Waitress: The Musical
Despite never having seen the musical, my go-to karaoke song for the last year has been When He Sees Me from Waitress. That said, I was ~thrilled~ to learn that a recorded version of the Broadway musical was coming to theatres for a limited run at the start of December. I already have my tickets and hope you’ll join me!!
Interviews with creators you **need** to check out!
I’ve featured Anna Houston before (check out her So Obsessed feature here), and she’s back this week to answer all my questions about her songwriting process and musical inspiration.
Anna began writing songs as a child and has never lost her passion for putting feelings into words. After graduating and moving from her hometown of Lansing, Michigan, she attended a university in Minneapolis and completed her degree in music. Since then, Anna has been releasing music independently, including her most recent singles, THIN SKIN, Find You (On the Internet), and Me In Your Mind. These songs truly captured her indie pop/alternative sound with universally relatable lyrics.
You can find Anna and her music on Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, and Apple Music.
SC: Tell me a little bit about yourself and what led you to become the songwriter that you are today.
Anna: I grew up in Lansing, Michigan, and although there isn’t a booming music scene in the area, I knew I wanted to sing since before I knew I could even hold a tune. I guess writing just came as a natural part of that. Music was always a way I could express myself and I started writing songs when I was still in grade school. Throughout my adolescence, my dad had also worked on writing books. I thought that it was the coolest thing ever and subconsciously, I think it sparked a desire in me to write. I love to create with a lot of different mediums, but writing stands out above everything else for me creatively and nothing more than songwriting.
SC: Do you usually write from lived experiences, fictional situations, or a mix of both? Why?
Anna: When I was younger, all of my songs came from my lived experiences. I had a lot of teen emotion, and my options for getting through it were either listening to angsty music or writing angsty music. As I grew into my early twenties, I felt inspired to write songs about people I had never met or stories that were fictional. Writing from that perspective felt like a way to challenge myself artistically. It was at this time in my life that I learned to write even when I didn’t feel inspired to. I am now dangerously close to entering my mid-twenties and I would say that my songs are a mix of both. Lately, my songs have been coming out very quickly, and while I’m writing them, they don’t feel biographical. It’s not until I finish the song and look it over that I realize I have subconsciously processed an event from my life that I hadn’t even remembered. It’s all very cathartic and special.
SC: What does your songwriting process usually look like? (Do you sit down at the piano and start playing chords? Write the lyrics first? Do you carve out intentional writing time or wait for inspiration to strike?)
Anna: My songwriting looks different from song to song. Sometimes, I will have lyric ideas that I write throughout the week when I don’t have time to go and sit on the piano. My favorite thing is when I have a bunch of random lyrics that I jot down throughout the course of several days to weeks, and then I sit down and find that they are all a part of the same song. Sometimes, I hear the lyrics in my head with a melody, and I can record a quick voice memo so I don’t forget it. Other times, it’s just the lyrics, and rarely do I hear a melody with no lyrics. But once I sit at the piano, the songs usually come quickly. Then, I go and edit them throughout the next few days and clean up the form. I try to write a little bit every day, even if I can’t spend an hour at the piano, but inspiration often strikes at the most interesting times: when I’m seconds away from falling asleep when I’m out at the movies, or even while I’m driving. I try to make a note of the ideas that come when they do and honor the creativity that sparked that inspiration off the bat.
SC: Your current Instagram bio reads “If you’re not loving people you’re doing it wrong.” What does “loving people” mean to you? What are your favorite ways to show love in your relationships?
Anna: Loving people to me means acknowledging their intrinsic value despite differences of opinion, race, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. I don’t have to agree with a person's beliefs or choices to show them respect or dignity. I think that as someone who follows a faith that is based all around love, if I fail to act lovingly toward the people around me, I have lost the most basic and important principle of my core beliefs. I find myself using encouraging words and gifts to show love to those close to me. I also love to give a good hug.
SC: Do you ever get writer’s block? What tips and tricks do you use to get out of a creative rut?
Anna: As a writer, I can’t fall back on the excuse of “writer's block.” Writing is a craft that can be grown. It is kind of like a muscle. You have to work the muscle to grow it. There are times I don’t feel as inspired, and I have to try harder to produce something, but it’s pushing through the harder seasons that give you the potential to get to your best work. Even if what I write that day is crap, I still showed up, I still put in my hours, and I’m going to be better because of it. One of my favorite books for songwriters is called *Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattinson. There are several practical exercises for awakening your inner writer and getting better at songwriting. I definitely recommend that for when you’re feeling less inspired.
SC: Who are some artists that inspire you?
Anna: I refuse to care how cliche this is going to sound, but lyrically, Taylor Swift truly is one of the best in the industry when it comes to songwriting, and she inspires me so much. Joni Mitchell is another absolute legend. When I was young, I found artists like Ben Howard, Gregory Alan Isokov, Birdy, and Lord Huron, and they definitely influence my style when I’m sitting at a piano. When I consider my studio sound, I have lately been influenced by Paramore, The 1975, and Coldplay. My influences change a lot as I kind of absorb and evolve with whatever I am consuming most of the time, as we all do.
SC: What is a piece of advice you’ve received that you carry with you to this day?
Anna: A piece of advice I will always remember is when I was in 9th grade orchestra. I played violin and was terrible at it. We had to perform a playing test in front of the whole class, and I was so nervous. I think my teacher saw that a lot of us were anxious about the test, and he said, “If you play a wrong note, no one is going to die.” As someone who doesn’t get stage fright anymore, I can say that this advice is pivotal. It reminds me not to take myself too seriously and to have fun! If I write a bad song or sing a wrong note, it’s not the end of the world.
SC: When announcing your single “Find You (On The Internet)”, you posted a notes app with a secret message for your fans to decode!! I know you (like me) are a huge fan of Taylor Swift, so I loved to see you take a page out of her book for this fun announcement. As someone who has been on the fan side of easter eggs, what was it like to be on the creator side? Has your own experience as a fan of Taylor Swift shaped your approach as an artist?
Anna: Like I said earlier, Taylor Swift is my queen. I have participated in my fair share of clowning and hunting for Easter eggs. I decided to do something similar for my friends.
Things to try + share in the group chat.
Despite how popular they’ve become, I’ve been a pretty slow convert to the menstrual cup. I’ve always loved them in theory, but I haven’t found them to be super user-friendly. BUT, I recently learned about the Sunny Cup and love the idea so much! The ingenious part is that it comes with an applicator, so it inserts like a tampon, but it’s reusable and doesn’t need to be changed as often as most disposable period products.
I’ve seen Rocket Money advertised on a lot of podcasts and YouTube videos, but I’ve been a fan of this service for years. It really is a great way to find and cancel subscriptions you might not even know you’re paying for, and they’ll even negotiate on your behalf to lower the cost of your bills!! They also have a budgeting tool that provides great insight into your spending habits and it’s overall very intuitive and easy to use.
I’ve mentioned Elfster before, but did you know they have a Secret Santa feature? It’s a great way to keep track of and automatically pair Secret Santas within a group! I’ve used this feature before within online communities, but it could be useful for any Secret Santa you’re hosting during this holiday season.
Did you know I have a book club? It’s a club I run as a special “thank you” for my paid members, and I’d love for you to join!! You can read more about how it works and check out my December pick (which also happens to be one of my favorite reads of 2023) here!!
I hope the rest of your holiday weekend is full of delicious food, quality rest, and whatever else brings you joy + comfort!
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