Rent My Brain and RIP to Bare Minimum Monday
Field Notes: 006
Welcome to The Slow Lane ☁️ Every Monday, I send out field notes from the trenches — a candid peek into how I’m balancing creativity, business strategy, and the chaos of an ADHD brain while building an Internet business.
🗒️ Top of Mind
A front-page report from my world — what I’m testing, tweaking, and totally overthinking
My brain is available for rent
Last week, I mentioned I was toying with the idea of offering a brainstorming container for overthinkers stuck in some kind of creative pickle. So I decided to run a little experiment: a beta round of 1:1 Rent My Brain sessions.
These are for creative people who want to think out loud, get a fresh perspective on their internet dilemma, and walk away with more clarity than they came in with.
The name came directly from this DM from
:
After booking my first client (for 3 sessions) and charging a number that felt like a stretch, she still told me I probably could’ve charged more. I’m taking that as a sign that I’m still catching up to how others see the value I bring, so I’m gonna keep stretching my comfort zone around pricing — but I’m super proud of myself for this first step!
I still have a couple more spots for beta sessions, so reply to this email or shoot me a message on IG for more info :)
Make something shitty
One theme that keeps popping up during the Bare Minimum Artist’s Way series on our podcast: I seriously lack practice doing things shittily. Writing shitty sentences. Making shitty art. Being shitty at hobbies. You get it.
So this week, I’m intentionally making room for it. I’ve added “make something shitty” to my to-do list every single day. No pressure, no polish — just the act of doing for the sake of doing. I’ll report back next week with some deliciously mediocre photo evidence.
Here are two 10/10 Instagram follows if you’re in the same boat: Lewis Rossignol️️️️ and jackisagenius
When your own projects feel too heavy
If you’ve got ADHD or executive dysfunction, and you’re in a season of burnout or little-d depression, waiting for motivation to strike is a trap. When I’m stuck, stewing in it rarely helps — I have to do something (anything!) to get momentum going.
But when I’m depleted, it’s so much harder to start with my stuff. There’s no urgency, no accountability, no external pressure. That’s why doing simple VA work for someone else has been such a surprising catalyst.
It’s often easier to take action for something outside of my own brand/business/bullshit, and it kickstarts the momentum I need to eventually turn back toward my own work. I used to think I could never work for anyone again after corporate, and yes — the wrong freelance clients are hell. But finding low-stress, clear-expectation VA work? Honestly kind of a game changer.
RIP to Bare Minimum Monday carousels
Last week was the first Monday in years that I didn’t post a Bare Minimum Monday meme carousel. I was at Disneyland, yes — but even if I hadn’t been, I think I needed the break. I’m tired of digging through Pinterest for memes. I’m tired of tracking performance. And tbh, I’m tired of putting effort into something that no longer feels creatively fulfilling.
I know people look forward to them (and if that’s you, I love you forever), but this format feels like it’s run its course. I’m in a season of experimenting — trying to figure out what I actually want to create on Instagram. And to do that, I need to release some things that are taking up space.
It’s a little scary to let go of something that’s been such a consistent part of my Internet presence. But I’m listening to my gut, and it’s telling me: it’s time to try something new.
To pay my respects, here’s the one that started it all — posted Dec 5, 2022!
🍿 Media Worth Mentioning
A roundup of books, shows, podcasts, and anything else that stuck with me
The Last of Us (Season 2)
I don’t know if I’m emotionally ready to watch another season of this show (I am far too sensitive for this shit), but it’s here!
If you’re a Game of Thrones fan and haven’t yet been convinced to start The Last of Us, do yourself a favor and watch season 1. You’ll recognize the two main characters!
True Crime Deep Dives
I’ve been really into true crime interrogation youtube videos lately! Here are some of my favorites:
🎬 Behind the Screens
Updates from the universe — wins, flops, and all the experiments in between
The Overthinker’s Guide to Getting Started
Our zine is here!!! Our zine is here!!!
We spent 9 months writing a book proposal last year and were told to keep growing our brand before we talk publishing… so we decided to say fuck it — we’re making it into something now. And it’s here!
The Overthinker’s Guide to Getting Started is a no-fluff, tactical guide for perfectionists, procrastinators, and overthinkers who are tired of waiting for the perfect moment and ready to take action.
It’s short, easy to read, and packed with practical strategies to help you get out of your head and start making real progress.
How are podcasts getting good social clips?
We’ve been spiraling a little about how to get high(er) quality clips of our podcast for Instagram — is there an easy way, or does every podcast just hire out for this?
Here’s our current workflow: We record via Zoom (Shure microphones for audio & our MacBook cameras for video), save the file to the cloud, and then edit using Descript.
But then when it comes to clipping the video for social media, it’s grainy as hell — and more high-quality solutions (like recording separately on our iPhones) would require a lot of editing to produce a short clip.
Anyone have ideas?
Things are feeling too hard
This 12-week journey through the Bare Minimum Artist’s Way has cracked us wide open — from our relationships to our creativity to the way we run our business.
We’ve been running social media experiments for a few months, and last week, it finally felt like it was time to look at the data and gut-check what’s actually working. Is this fun? Is it effective? Is it worth the energy?
We’re deep in a season of releasing what feels heavy and draining. Of keeping what’s working and making it even easier. Of reimagining how we show up so it feels lighter, looser, more fun. Our energy is way too precious to be caring too much and trying too hard about things that aren’t serving us.
🌀 Clicks & Curiosities
Little corners of the internet I got lost in this week
Notion Nerds — has anyone tried using the Notion Calendar yet?
I got an offer to be sent one of these for free — IMMEDIATE YES, I’ll keep you guys posted.
Thanks for reading to the end :)
I can’t believe that 4 of you took the time to write me emails back last week???? Makes me want to cry just thinking about it. Coming from Instagram where I have a pretty big audience, it sure feels nice to have found a cozier corner of the Internet here, where I’m getting full-on thoughtful responses, not just hearts.
Take it easy,
MJ :)
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I love the desktop Notion calendar but the mobile version doesn't let you view more than three days at a time for some reason so that's a big downside for me (unless I just haven't figured out how yet)